History Pages: 54 - Timeline of Santa Cruz City, County government

For a table of contents, see History pages.

• 1846-1850: From the beginning of US military occupation in July, 1846 until adoption of a state constitution in November 1849, local government operated under the military occupation government of California, keeping the existing Mexican civil structure, conducting business in the Mexican-era juzgado, owned in 1848 by William Blackburn.
  • The Alcaldes of Branciforte-Santa Cruz (1802-1850)
  • Interim Government of California
  • California Government between 1846 and 1851
• 1850: Santa Cruz County created following California statehood on September 8; previously appointed officials remain until 1852
• 1852: First County elections to fill new County offices
• 1852: County buys lot and building on Mission Plaza from Thomas Fallon, for use as a courthouse and county offices
• 1857: County builds wooden jail (see: Jails) on former Fallon lot (now owned by Holy Cross church)
• 1864: County builds second jail, on same lot, of cut stone blocks.
• 1866: County builds first courthouse on Cooper Street
  • History Pages: 22 - The Institutions
• 1866: Town of Santa Cruz incorporated; 3-member board of trustees elected; first street map commissioned
  • History Pages: 21 - The Town
  • History Pages: 23 - The Map and the Trees
  • Santa Cruz Board of Trustees and Presidents, 1866-1875
• 1876: City of Santa Cruz chartered
  • History Pages: 30 – How the Town Became a City
  • Santa Cruz Common Councils and Mayors, 1876-1906
  • Santa Cruz Councils and Mayors, 1907-2017
• 1876: First Santa Cruz City Hall built on Front Street
• 1882: County Hall of Records (Octagon) built.
  • History Pages: 46 - Santa Cruz gets an Octagon: downtown in the early 1880s
• 1890: County jail built on Front Street, adjacent to Hall of Records, with connecting door (see: Jails).
• 1894: After fire destroyed the first courthouse and the adjacent Ely Block, the County acquired the Ely (Ely's Block) parcel at Pacific & Cooper, and built a second, larger courthouse.
• 1905: The City doubled its area by annexing the Eastside.
• 1920: The City took over the Hihn mansion for its second city hall.
• 1937-38: The current city hall was built.
• 1955-1968: Following the flood of December 1955, redevelopment led to flood-control levees/channels, a new County Governmental Center/courthouse, and later a new main jail (1981).
  • Down By the Riverside.
• 2022: The City changed from at-large to district city council elections.

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