Difference between revisions of "History Pages: 58 - The 1890s Santa Cruz beachfront"

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(Created page with "'''For a table of contents, see '''History pages. right The '''1890s Santa Cruz beachfront''' had become the county's major tourist...")
 
 
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[[File:1890 Sea-Foam-hotel.png|frame|right]]
 
[[File:1890 Sea-Foam-hotel.png|frame|right]]
The '''1890s Santa Cruz beachfront''' had become the county's major tourist destination, even before [[Swanton, Fred W.|Fred Swanton]] began to create the [[Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk]]. At that time, however, the tourism zone began at the [[Railroad wharf]] with the Sea Foam hotel (photo at right). Beyond and above the roof of the Sea Foam can be seen the zone's biggest draw - the expansive Sea Beach Hotel. To the right of the Sea Foam, streetcar and railroad tracks can be seen curving around the base of Beach Hill. Between tracks and beach is the original boardwalk - when it was actually made of boards. Furthest right is the beginning of the railroad wharf, where a rail car can be seen.
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The '''1890s Santa Cruz beachfront''' had become the county's major tourist destination, even before [[Swanton, Fred W.|Fred Swanton]] began to create the [[Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk]]. At that time, however, the tourism zone began at the [[Railroad wharf]] with the [[Sea Foam House]] (photo at right). Beyond and above the roof of the Sea Foam can be seen the zone's flagship - the expansive [[Sea Beach Hotel]]. To the right of the Sea Foam, streetcar and railroad tracks can be seen curving around the base of Beach Hill, passing the Liddell bathhouse (no Beach Street yet!). Between tracks and beach is the original pedestrian boardwalk - when it was actually made of boards. Furthest right is the beginning of the railroad wharf, where a rail car can be seen.
  
 
[[File:1886 Seaside-Liddell-Douglas.png|frame|left]]
 
[[File:1886 Seaside-Liddell-Douglas.png|frame|left]]
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Between the Sea Foam and Sea Beach were a pair of older resorts - Seaside Home and Liddell House. Liddell House included the long white bathhouse seen down the hill at streetcar/boardwalk level.
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Between the Sea Foam and Sea Beach were a pair of older resorts - Seaside Home and Liddell House (left). Liddell House included the long white bathhouse seen down the hill at streetcar/boardwalk level.
  
 
[[File:1893_natatorium.png|frame|right]]
 
[[File:1893_natatorium.png|frame|right]]
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With help from [[Beach Hill neighborhood]] history authority [[:Category:Hyman, Rick|Rick Hyman]], an accurate chronology of the Sea Beach Hotel development was added to [[The Sidewalk Companion to Santa Cruz Architecture (4th ed. 2023)]]. In the 1886 photo above, Douglas House can be seen at far right. The Sea Beach did not achieve its final form until ~1890, with the Douglas House building attached as a rear wing.
  
To the right of the Sea Beach was the Natatorium (photo right), a huge indoor sea-water swimming pool built by a partnership between two bathhouse competitors, [[Miller, C. F.]] and the [[Leibbrandt brothers]]. Farther along the beachfront to the right of the Natatorium (just visible in the photo) were the two older bathhouses of Miller (Neptune) and Leibbrandt (Dolphin).   
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To the right of the Sea Beach was the Natatorium (photo right), a huge indoor sea-water swimming pool built by a partnership between two bathhouse competitors, [[Miller, C. F.]] and the [[Leibbrandt brothers]]. Farther along the beachfront to the right of the Natatorium (just visible in the photo) were the two older bathhouses of Miller (Neptune) and Leibbrandt (Dolphin). Note that in those days - before Beach Street and parking lots - beachgoers drove their buggies right out on the beach.   
  
 
==Notes==
 
==Notes==
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* For a better photo of the Sea Beach Hotel and another view of the Natatorium, see [[History Pages: 50 - Beach Hill: 1870-99]]
 
* For a better photo of the Sea Beach Hotel and another view of the Natatorium, see [[History Pages: 50 - Beach Hill: 1870-99]]
 
* For a photo of the Dolphin, see [[History Pages: 29 - How the trains came to Santa Cruz (part 3)]]
 
* For a photo of the Dolphin, see [[History Pages: 29 - How the trains came to Santa Cruz (part 3)]]
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* [[The Sidewalk Companion to Santa Cruz Architecture (4th ed. 2023)]], chapter one. Sea Beach Hotel: item 37; Seaside Home and Liddell House: item 36.
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* For more on Beach Hill's transformation into a tourist destination, see: Frank Perry et al. [https://www.santacruzmah.org/ohj "Notes on the History of Santa Cruz Wharves"], in the MAH Online History Journal
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Next: [[History Pages: 59 - ]]
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Next: [[History Pages: 59 - 1895 Venetian Water Carnival]]
  
 
[[Category:History pages]]
 
[[Category:History pages]]

Latest revision as of 18:47, 20 October 2023

For a table of contents, see History pages.

1890 Sea-Foam-hotel.png

The 1890s Santa Cruz beachfront had become the county's major tourist destination, even before Fred Swanton began to create the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. At that time, however, the tourism zone began at the Railroad wharf with the Sea Foam House (photo at right). Beyond and above the roof of the Sea Foam can be seen the zone's flagship - the expansive Sea Beach Hotel. To the right of the Sea Foam, streetcar and railroad tracks can be seen curving around the base of Beach Hill, passing the Liddell bathhouse (no Beach Street yet!). Between tracks and beach is the original pedestrian boardwalk - when it was actually made of boards. Furthest right is the beginning of the railroad wharf, where a rail car can be seen.

1886 Seaside-Liddell-Douglas.png



Between the Sea Foam and Sea Beach were a pair of older resorts - Seaside Home and Liddell House (left). Liddell House included the long white bathhouse seen down the hill at streetcar/boardwalk level.

1893 natatorium.png



With help from Beach Hill neighborhood history authority Rick Hyman, an accurate chronology of the Sea Beach Hotel development was added to The Sidewalk Companion to Santa Cruz Architecture (4th ed. 2023). In the 1886 photo above, Douglas House can be seen at far right. The Sea Beach did not achieve its final form until ~1890, with the Douglas House building attached as a rear wing.


To the right of the Sea Beach was the Natatorium (photo right), a huge indoor sea-water swimming pool built by a partnership between two bathhouse competitors, Miller, C. F. and the Leibbrandt brothers. Farther along the beachfront to the right of the Natatorium (just visible in the photo) were the two older bathhouses of Miller (Neptune) and Leibbrandt (Dolphin). Note that in those days - before Beach Street and parking lots - beachgoers drove their buggies right out on the beach.

Notes


Next: History Pages: 59 - 1895 Venetian Water Carnival