Swanton, California
Encyclopedia
Swanton, California
, is a small community in an unincorporated area
of Santa Cruz County
on the Pacific Ocean
, situated about 5 miles (8 km) north of the town of Davenport
, on Swanton Road (east of State Route 1).
The US Geographical Survey designates Swanton as a populated place, located at latitude: 37.06417 and longitude: -122.22639 with an elevation of 135 ft (41.1 m).
Ranched with dairy cattle since the California Gold Rush, Swanton was named after Fred Swanton
, builder of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Swanton had its own post office from 1897 to 1930 and its own elementary, Seaside School, until 1960. It was the northern terminus of the southern branch of the Ocean Shore Railroad
until it closed in 1922.
Currently it is home to the Swanton Pacific Railroad, a one-third scale small gauge railroad that runs on 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of track through the Scott Creek Valley using locomotives and cars from the San Francisco Panama Pacific Exposition of 1915. The community comprises many small residences and two big occupants, Big Creek Lumber Company and the Swanton Pacific Ranch
campus of California Polytechnic State University
.
Swanton was heavily impacted by the 2009 Lockheed Fire
which burned for two weeks consuming nearly 8000 acres (32.4 km²) and forced the evacuation of hundreds of residents. It was the first major fire since 1948, cost $26 million dollars to fight, and destroyed 13 structures (but no houses) as well as many millions of dollars of prime timber land.
The ZIP Code
is 95017 and the community is inside area code 831
.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, is a small community in an unincorporated area
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
of Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz County, California
Santa Cruz County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, on the California Central Coast. The county forms the northern coast of the Monterey Bay. . As of the 2010 U.S. Census, its population was 262,382. The county seat is Santa Cruz...
on the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, situated about 5 miles (8 km) north of the town of Davenport
Davenport, California
Davenport is a census-designated place in Santa Cruz County, California. Davenport sits at an elevation of . The 2010 United States census reported Davenport's population was 408.-Situation:...
, on Swanton Road (east of State Route 1).
The US Geographical Survey designates Swanton as a populated place, located at latitude: 37.06417 and longitude: -122.22639 with an elevation of 135 ft (41.1 m).
Ranched with dairy cattle since the California Gold Rush, Swanton was named after Fred Swanton
Fred Swanton
Fred Wilder Swanton was a businessman who served as mayor of Santa Cruz, California from 1927 until 1933. He promoted the expansion of Santa Cruz County from a small lumber town along the Pacific Coast to a booming beach resort city...
, builder of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Swanton had its own post office from 1897 to 1930 and its own elementary, Seaside School, until 1960. It was the northern terminus of the southern branch of the Ocean Shore Railroad
Ocean Shore Railroad
The Ocean Shore Railroad was intended to be built from San Francisco to Santa Cruz, California, via a route along the Pacific coastline.-History:...
until it closed in 1922.
Currently it is home to the Swanton Pacific Railroad, a one-third scale small gauge railroad that runs on 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of track through the Scott Creek Valley using locomotives and cars from the San Francisco Panama Pacific Exposition of 1915. The community comprises many small residences and two big occupants, Big Creek Lumber Company and the Swanton Pacific Ranch
Swanton Pacific Ranch
Swanton Pacific Ranch is a ranch in Santa Cruz County, California, outside the town of Davenport. The ranch is owned and operated by California Polytechnic State University for educational and research in sustainable agriculture...
campus of California Polytechnic State University
California Polytechnic State University
California Polytechnic State University, or Cal Poly, is a public university located in San Luis Obispo, California, United States. The university is one of two polytechnic campuses in the 23-member California State University system....
.
Swanton was heavily impacted by the 2009 Lockheed Fire
Lockheed Fire
The Lockheed Fire was a wildfire in the Santa Cruz Mountains in the Swanton and Bonny Doon areas of Santa Cruz County, California. The fire was started on August 12, 2009 at 7:16 PM PDT....
which burned for two weeks consuming nearly 8000 acres (32.4 km²) and forced the evacuation of hundreds of residents. It was the first major fire since 1948, cost $26 million dollars to fight, and destroyed 13 structures (but no houses) as well as many millions of dollars of prime timber land.
The ZIP Code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
is 95017 and the community is inside area code 831
Area code 831
North American area code 831 is a California area code which covers Salinas, Hollister, Monterey, Santa Cruz and the northern Central Coast. It was created in a split from area code 408 on July 11, 1998.-Monterey County:*Aromas*Boronda*Carmel Highlands...
.
Further information
- Davenport oral history, (videorecording, series), Community Action Board, (Santa Cruz: Community Television of Santa Cruz County, 1998).