Santa Cruz Railroad (SCR)

The Santa Cruz Railroad was a narrow gauge railroad that ran 21 miles from Santa Cruz to Pajaro (in Monterey County, just across the Pajaro River from Watsonville). It started operation in 1874, running from the east bank of the San Lorenzo River to Soquel, California. With completion of the bridge over the San Lorenzo River, it began operation over its full length in 1876. The SCR was sold in foreclosure in 1881, to Southern Pacific. SP broad-gauged the line, which is now part of the 32-mile Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line.

According to Powell, the original stockholders (with number of shares in parentheses) were: Frederick A. Hihn (200), Claus Spreckels (100), Titus Hale (30), Benjamin F. Porter (15), Amasa Pray (10), Joseph Boston (5), John Nelson Besse (5), Samuel Drennan (5), John Werner (3), Jacob F. Kron (2), William Effey (2), David Tuthill (5), John L. McLaughlin (5), George E. Logan (5), and Ellery Willis (2). Richard Kirby was listed in the articles of incorporation, but was not a stockholder.

Sources

• Rick Hamman (1980), California Central Coast Railways.
• Rick Hamman, "140 Years of Railroading in Santa Cruz County", online at SCPL.
• Ronald G. Powell, The Reign of the Lumber Barons, edited by Derek R. Whaley (Santa Cruz, CA: Zayante Books, 2021), 66 (Kindle version).