1838 San Andreas earthquake

The 1838 San Andreas earthquake, although it was a severe quake whose epicenter may have been in Santa Cruz County, was not well-documented here because it came after record-keeping at Mission Santa Cruz ended following its secularization in 1833-34. The quake probably accelerated the destruction of mission structures that continued with the 1857 Fort Tejon earthquake.

• The Sidewalk Companion to Santa Cruz Architecture (4th ed. 2023), Chapter Four, p.98.