Recreation & Sports

An * indicates that the article is illustrated and may be slow loading. For more photographs of sports and recreation, see the Local History Photograph Collection.

• Baseball:
  • Field of Dreams: Santa Cruz County's Love Affair with Baseball, by Geoffrey Dunn.
  • Heroes and Villains; Santa Cruz County Produced Baseball Stars and Baseball Scandals, by Jim Johnson *
  • Hometown Hardball; Local Baseball Heroes Went to Big Cities Bring Back Both Pride and Scandal, by Jim Johnson *
• History of the Santa Cruz Harbor
• The Pogonip, by Ross Eric Gibson.
• Racing and Wheeling (Horse Racing and Bicycling in 1896) *
• San Lorenzo River Once was Full of Fish, by Ross Eric Gibson.
• Surfing:
  • Harry Mayo--Santa Cruz Surf Pioneer; an interview by Sherrie Murphy.*
  • History of the Santa Cruz Surfing Club, by Hal Goody.*
  • Surfing; Other recreational sites, excerpt from: Economic Development in the City of Santa Cruz 1850-1950, by Susan Lehmann
• Zoo in Santa Cruz

The photograph above is from the 1895 Venetian Water Carnival booklet. It shows J.R. Chase on August 16, 1894. His catch of three salmon weighed a total of 101 pounds. Apparently, Mr. Chase sent a copy of this photograph to President Cleveland inviting him to come to Santa Cruz to fish. (Fishing was one of President Cleveland's hobbies.) The letter from the President's private secretary declined the invitation, writing that, "the picture...would do much to tempt almost anyone to accept your invitation. Regretting, however, that the distance is so great, but thanking you in the President's behalf..." [RAP-ed.]

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