The Santa Cruz Lumber Company originated in 1923, founded by its first president, George Ley, along with an assorted group of financial backers. The company’s original mill, owned by Ley, sat on his 500-acre parcel in Bonny Doon in the San Vicente Creek area. After incorporation, the site moved to the Pescadero Creek area. Santa Cruz Lumber Company continued to grow, and by 1971 (one year before the mill was closed) the company owned 12,000 acres devoted to tree farming. After being sold in 1972, old-growth logging operations effectively ceased, leaving only young-growth timber to sell. In 1986, the retail outlets were sold and the company reorganized into a new entity, Redtree Properties, L.P. The company combined Ley family properties, land purchased from the Hardwood Lumber Company, and acquisitions from land trades with the State of California to strengthen the company’s assets. In addition to business documentation, the collection highlights the company’s first president, George Ley. Serving on the Santa Cruz Board of Supervisors from 1928-1938, the documents he generated not only relate to his position as Chairman of the Board but also on his presidency for the Mission Trails Association.
