Soquel

Soquel is one of the earliest and largest unincorporated communities in Santa Cruz County, and originally included today's city of Capitola. Straddling Soquel Creek, today's Soquel includes parts of two Mexican-era land grants: Rancho Soquel (east of Soquel Creek), and Rancho Arroyo del Rodeo (west of Soquel Creek). The original Rancho Soquel 1833 grantee was Martina Castro, who married Michael Lodge. The original Rancho Arroyo del Rodeo grantee was Francisco Rodriguez.

Early American-era residents included John Daubenbiss, Joshua Parrish, John S. Mattison, Lambert Clements, Gervis Hammond, Ned and Ben Porter, John Hames, Augustus Noble, and Joseph Averon.

The map of Soquel historic sites at right, by Ross Eric Gibson, accompanied the Gibson article:

• "The birth pangs of Soquel Village", Santa Cruz Sentinel, Oct. 9, 2023, A2:1.