SIDETRACKED: Laurel & Glenwood

by Derek R. Whaley

The world changed on May 15, 1880. Before, there was only a dusty toll road through the Santa Cruz Mountains. After, there was the South Pacific Coast Railroad.

Farmers, lumber firms, and remote resorts far up in the hills above Scotts Valley suddenly found themselves on the mainline of an ambitious railroad linking Oakland and Santa Cruz. Almost overnight, settlements appeared at the headwaters of Soquel Creek and along Bean Creek, ready to take advantage of what the railroad offered.

In SIDETRACKED: Laurel & Glenwood, Derek R. Whaley investigates life in two mountain towns whose entire existence was tied to the railroad. Visit Laurel and the nearby F.A. Hihn Company’s mill. Explore Glenwood and its two tunnels. Or relax at the seven popular resorts that drew hundreds of visitors each year. Over 100 historical photographs, some never before seen in publication, bring this history to life.

128 pages, Paperback

Published March 7, 2023

About the author

Derek R. Whaley is a historian, librarian, and former resident of Felton, California. He earned a doctorate in history from the University of Canterbury in 2018. He began researching Santa Cruz County history in 2011 and continues to do so from overseas. He has worked at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and The Tech Museum of Innovation, volunteered at the San Lorenzo Valley Museum and Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History, and is well-known for his Santa Cruz Trains book series and website. He currently lives in Aotearoa New Zealand.