LOGGERS ARCH
DeLaveaga Park History
José Vincente DeLaveaga was a successful businessman and
financier from San Francisco during the second half of the last
century. Born in Mexico in 1844, DeLaveaga moved with his family to
San Francisco in 1868. In 1887 he bought his first piece of land in
Santa Cruz and continued acquiring more parcels for the next
several years. The land which is now DeLaveaga Park was a vacation
spot, or hacienda, for the DeLaveagas.
Horses were a central part of hacienda culture, so the land was
criss-crossed with bridal trails leading to La Corona, the highest
peak of the estate. The picturesque location also included many
interesting plants imported from Spain and Mexico and even a zoo
with deer, fox, bears and buffalo.
When he died in 1894, José DeLaveaga left more than three
quarters of his nearly one million dollar estate to a variety of
charities ranging from orphanages to the SPCA to Golden Gate Park.
In addition to his 565 acres in Santa Cruz county he left 50 acres
to a proposed asylum for the hearing, speech and vision impaired
and the remainder to the City and County of Santa Cruz for a public
park. Unfortunately, a state law prohibited leaving more than one
third of the total value of an estate to charity if there were
surviving heirs, and though he was unmarried he did have next of
kin including a brother, two sisters and nieces and nephews. The
will was contested and a San Francisco judge entered a ruling that
radically modified the will, reducing many bequests, eliminating
the asylum while fortunately retaining the park. The land was
officially turned over the the City and County in 1900.
Over the years, the park has provided space for many
activities--an archery range, a National Guard Armory, a Boy Scout
camp, the SPCA animal shelter, a stage for outdoor entertainment,
trails for hiking and picnic grounds for sunny afternoons. Today,
though the Boy Scout camp, the animal shelter and the zoo are long
gone, DeLaveaga Park remains a park full of natural beauty and fine
facilities for public use.
DeLaveaga's dream for his hacienda is a reality: a place for the
public to enjoy for years to come.
You are looking for a micro at an interesting object in the
park. Park hours ae 7 am to sunset.
Enjoy! And happy caching!
50sumtin