SERIES I. TIME KEEPER LEDGERS (1891 – 1929)
One (1) Box
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series contains the Santa Cruz Sentinel Time Keeper Ledgers (1891 – 1929). These ledgers include the employee’s names, each day of each week, and how much the employees were paid each week. In 1891 there were 13 employees earning approximately $135 each week with number of hours worked about 60 per week. While in 1929 there were 39 employees earning approximately $1300 each week with number of hours worked about 50 per week. The collection reflects the operation of the Santa Cruz Sentinel one of the county’s major newspapers.
Ledger #1: 7/18/1891 – 8/5/1893
Ledger #2: 8/12/1893 – 6/8/1895
Ledger #3: 6/15/1895 – 4/10/1897 (the cover for this ledger is missing)
Ledger #4: 4/17/1897 – 2/4/1899
Ledger #5: 2/18/1899 – 3/30/1901
Ledger #6: 4/13/1901 – 5/30/1903
Ledger #7: 6/6/1903 – 4/1/1905
Ledger #8: 4/8/1905 – 12/29/1906
Ledger #9: 1/3/1907 – 11/30/1907
Ledger #10: 12/7/1907 – 10/2/1909
Ledger #11: 10/9/1909 – 10/23/1910
Ledger #12: 10/29/1910 – 10/28/1911
Ledger #13: 11/11/1911 – 3/30/1912
Ledger #14: 4/1/1912 – 4/19/1913
Ledger #15: 4/19/1913 – 4/25/1914
Ledger #16: 5/2/1914 – 5/15/1915
Ledger #17: 5/22/1915 – 7/7/1917
Ledger #18: 7/14/1917 – 8/30/1919
Ledger #19: 9/1/1919 – 10/22/1921
Ledger #20: 10/24/1921 – 3/3/1923
Ledger #21: 3/10/1923 – 9/12/1925
Ledger #22: 9/18/1925 – 9/3/1927
Ledger #23: 9/10/1927 – 8/24/1929
Box ID#: Folder ID#
1:X
SERIES II. NEWSPAPER CONTENT STATISTICS (1901 – 1905)
One (1) Envelope
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series contains the Santa Cruz Sentinel Newspaper Content Statistics (1901 – 1905). This ledger tracked the type of articles published in the paper day by day. The articles were logged under such headings as ‘Art’, ‘Biography’, ‘Essays’, ‘Fiction’, ‘History’, ‘Law’, ‘Poetry’, ‘Science’, ‘Travels’ plus several others. Interesting to note the articles related to ‘History’ were consistently near the top in total number of articles published per month.
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2:1
SERIES III. SANTA CRUZ FREE LIBRARY CASH ACCOUNT (1890 – 1908)
One (1) Envelope
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series contains the Santa Cruz Free Library Cash Account Ledger (1890 – 1908). This ledger tracked the cash expenses for the free library. For example, in 1902 there was a monthly salary expense to a Mrs. M. Waterman of $57.50. In addition, the last four pages of the ledger track the expenses of the Carnegie Library Building Fund. For example, in 1903 the architect W.H. Weeks was hired for $450.
A Brief History of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries
An association known as the “Santa Cruz Library” was formed in 1868 to provide books to participating members. Books were collected and the first library, located in a member’s store, opened on April 1, 1870. A separate Reading Room was organized in 1874 to provide periodicals, and by 1876 the two had merged into the Library and Reading Room.
The first free public library was established in December 1881 when the library association transferred all its materials to the City of Santa Cruz. The Santa Cruz Free Library opened in 1882 on the second floor of the City Hall. The library outgrew this space by 1894, and premises were leased in the Hotaling Building, later known as the St. George Hotel. When this space was no longer suitable the library moved in 1900 to larger quarters in the Williamson and Garrett building, where it remained until the Carnegie Free Library was built in 1904.
The Hihn property at Church and Locust streets was chosen as the location for the new building, which was designed by W.H. Weeks of Watsonville. On April 14, 1904 the Carnegie library was dedicated, and on April 28, 1904 the Santa Cruz Free Public Library was opened to the public. The book collection was around 14,000 volumes and it served a population of 10,000.
The library received additional grants from the Carnegie Corporation for the construction of three branch buildings, all of which were also designed by W.H. Weeks. Both the Seabright branch on East Cliff Drive and the Garfield Park branch on Woodrow Avenue opened in 1915, and the Eastside branch on Soquel Avenue opened in 1921. Two of these four Carnegie buildings are still standing, the Eastside one as the Santa Cruz City Museum of Natural History, and the other still as the Garfield Park branch.
The passage of a tax measure in 1964 allowed the construction of a new main building and a new Eastside branch. The Branciforte branch on Gault Street opened in 1967 and the old building at the corner of Water and Poplar Streets and Soquel Avenue was torn down. In 1966 the main library on Church Street was demolished to make way for the present Downtown branch, which was dedicated on April 27, 1968.
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2:2
SERIES IV. SURF CITY WHEELMEN OF SANTA CRUZ (1912 – 1913)
One (1) Envelope
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series contains the Account Ledger for the Surf City Wheelmen of Santa Cruz (1912 – 1913). Found some information on this group – in the book “Pedal Pushers” published by the Santa Cruz MAH about the early years of cycling in Santa Cruz. While there was not a reference to the Surf City Wheelmen there are references to the ‘National League of American Wheelmen’ and the ‘Pajaro Valley Wheelmen Club’. This ledger tracked the monthly dues for this association.
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2:3
SERIES V. MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS (1913 – 1917)
One (1) Envelope
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series contains miscellaneous papers for the Santa Cruz Sentinel Publishing Company (1913 – 1917). Of particular note are two pages dated 1917 specifying a change in work schedule due to existing business conditions. Also, there is another page that is undated but probably from the 1890s that specifies the pay scale for graduate apprentices.
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2:4
