Dictionary of Place Names

The index below is a comprehensive dictionary of all registered railroad stations located in and around Santa Cruz County. Mile marker information, when available, is based on contemporary distances as measured from San Francisco through the most direct route. All railroad information is based on the state of the railroad on January 1, 1910, or the nearest available record to that date. The railroad and branch name, if applicable, are listed beside mile markers, with the date of record in parentheses. Southern Pacific Railroad is notated 'SP,' while Ocean Shore Railroad is 'OS.'

Santa Cruz Union Depot on a slow day with men checking the arrivals and departures boards, ca 1914. [University of California, Santa Cruz, Legacy Digital Collections – colorized using DeOldify]
  • Aldercroft – Portmanteau of 'alder' (a type of tree in the birch family) and 'croft' (an enclosed piece of land). Named after a subdivision of the same name. Located 58.5 SP Mayfield & Santa Cruz Branch (June 9, 1912). Same location as Casey's, Oil City, and Oleoso.
  • Alma – Spanish for 'soul', perhaps a reference to the nearby Almaden quicksilver mines. Named after a settlement of the same name. Located 56.9 SP Mayfield & Santa Cruz Branch (January 10, 1910).
  • Aptos – Spanish or Awaswas word of unknown meaning. Named after Rancho Aptos and a settlement of the same name. Located 87.1 SP Pajaro & Santa Cruz Branch (January 10, 1910).
  • Aromas – Spanish for 'fragrances.' Named after Rancho Las Aromitas y Agua Caliente and a settlement of the same name. Located 94.6 SP San Francisco & Salinas Subdivision (January 10, 1910). Same location as Aromas.
  • Banadero – Spanish for 'bathing place'. Named after the bath houses located on the Santa Cruz Main Beach. Located 120 SP Pajaro & Santa Cruz Branch (July 1, 1908). Same location as Casino.
  • Ben Lomond – Named after a settlement of the same name and Ben Lomond Mountain to the west of the settlement, itself named after the same-named mountain in Scotland. Located 76.1 SP Boulder Creek Branch (January 1, 1910). Same location as Pacific Mills.
  • Bermingham – Named for Captain John Bermingam, president of the California Powder Works, which owned the facility at the station. Located 58 SP Santa Clara & Santa Cruz Branch (July 1, 1909). Same location as Parr's Spur and Bulwer.
  • Betabel – Spanish for 'sugar beet.' Named after the sugar beet transloading site at the station. Located 89.0 SP San Francisco & Salinas Subdivision (January 10, 1910).
  • Big Trees – Refers to the surrounding Sequoia sempervirens or Coast Redwoods, popularly named Big Trees at the time. Named after a tourist resort of the same name. Located 73.3 SP Mayfield & Santa Cruz Branch (January 10, 1910).
  • Bluegum – A type of eucalyptus tree that has bluish leaves, especially Eucalyptus globulus. Named after the imported eucalyptus that the Santa Cruz Portland Cement Company installed as a windbreak along its southwest boundary. Located 66.2 OS Southern Division (July 16, 1911).
  • Bonny Brae – Pairing of 'bonny' (merry, happy) and 'brae' (a hillside or slope). Named after a subdivision of the same name. Located 73.4 SP Boulder Creek Branch (June 8, 1913).
  • Boulder Creek – Refers to Boulder Creek, a year-round tributary of the San Lorenzo River. Named after the creek. Located 80.0 SP Boulder Creek Branch (January 1, 1910).
  • Boulder Mill – Named after the Boulder Mill & Lumber Company. Located 79.8 SP Boulder Creek Branch (September 20, 1908). Same location as Joy Camp and Harris.
  • Brackney – Named after Alonzo L. Brackney. Located at 74.3 SP Boulder Creek Branch (December 5, 1911). Same location as Rubottom and Pettis.
  • Brookdale – Portmanteau of 'brook' (a small stream) and 'dale' (a valley in a hilly area).  Named after the post office and settlement of the same name. Located 78.3 SP Boulder Creek Branch (January 1, 1910). Same as Reed.
  • Bulwer – May refer to the Pennsylvania German word Bulwer ('blasting powder'). Likely named after for a warehouse maintained by the Hercules Powder Company. Located 52.5 SP Los Altos & Santa Cruz Branch (November 1, 1924). Same location as Parr's Spur Track and Bermingham.
  • California Street – Named after road of the same name. A flag-stop on the SP Davenport Branch (November 16, 1913).
  • Call of the Wild – Refers to the book of the same name written by Jack London. Named after a subdivision of the same name. Located 60.2 SP Mayfield & Santa Cruz Branch (December 5, 1911).
  • Campus – Named for the retreat campus of the Mount Hermon Association. Located 73 SP Coast Division Narrow-Gauge (January 1, 1905). Same location as Tuxedo and Mount Hermon.
  • Capitola – Refers to either a famous race horse of the same name or a character of that name from the novel The Hidden Hand, or Capitola the Madcap by E. D. E. N. Southworth. Named after the settlement of the same name. Located 83.9 SP Pajaro & Santa Cruz Branch (January 1, 1910). Same location as Soquel.
  • Carnadero – Spanish for 'butchering place'. Named after a creek of the same name. Located 83.2 SP San Francisco & Salinas Subdivision (January 10, 1910).
  • Casey’s – Named after H. E. Casey & Company, which owned land in the area. Located 61.5 SP South Pacific Coast Railway Division (January 18, 1888). Same location as Forest Grove and Eva.
  • Casino – Named after the Santa Cruz Beach Company's Casino on the Santa Cruz Main Beach. Located 79.7 SP Santa Cruz Branch (April 20, 1916). Same location as Banadero.
  • Cement Works — Refers to the first Santa Cruz Portland Cement Company's facility. Located 79 SP South Pacific Coast Railway Division (January 18, 1888).
  • Chittenden – Refers to Nathaniel W. Chittenden, who owned a large tract north of the Pajaro River along Santa Cruz County's border with San Benito County. Named after the settlement of the same name. Located 91.9 SP San Francisco & Salinas Subdivision (January 1, 1910).
  • Claus – Named for Claus Spreckels the Sugar King, who owned land in the area. Located 112.0 SP Pajaro & Santa Cruz Branch (December 31, 1905). Same location as Farley.
  • Clems – Named for E. A. Clem & Company, which ran a lumber mill in the area. Located 65.8 SP Mayfield & Santa Cruz Branch (January 10, 1910).
  • Cliffside – Named for the nearby cliffs along East Cliff Drive. Located 82.0 SP Santa Cruz Branch (June 15, 1930). Same location as Del Mar.
  • Corporal – Named as a play off of the adjacent Sargent station. Located 86.45 SP Gilroy Subdivision (October 2, 1949).
  • Cristo – Named for Donald M. Crist, part owner of the Ferro Products Company. Located 90.8 SP Santa Cruz Branch (June 1, 1921).
  • Cunningham’s – Named for James F. Cunningham, who operated at mill at the location. Located 80 SP Felton Branch (February 25, 1891). Same location as Boulder Mill, Joy Camp, and Harris.
  • Dairy Buildings – Named for the buildings of the Wilder family dairy farm. Located 83.4 SP Davenport Branch (June 8, 1913).
  • Davenport – Named for nearby Davenport Landing. Located 131.8 SP Davenport Branch (January 10, 1910) and 67.3 OS Southern Division (July 16, 1911).
  • Davenport Landing – Named for Captain John P. Davenport, who helped build a pier at the location. Located 65.9 OS Southern Division (July 16, 1911).
  • Del Mar / Delmar – Refers to the Santa Maria del Mar (Spanish for 'St. Mary of the Ocean'), a nearby Catholic resort. Located 81.8 SP Pajaro & Santa Cruz Branch (January 1, 1910). Same location as Cliffside.
  • Doughertys – Named for William P. Dougherty, president of the Santa Clara Valley Mill & Lumber Company, which owned a nearby mill. Located 70.0 South Pacific Coast Railroad (April 2, 1887). Same location as Meehan.
  • Eaton – Named for Orrin O. Eaton, a local farmer. Located 93.2 SP Gilroy Subdivision (September 30, 1951). Same location as Vega.
  • Eblis – Refers to Iblīs, the Islamic correlative of Satan, popularized in English in William Le Queux's serial novel Zoraida. Named for the fact that the location sat in the shadow of the Holy Cross Catholic Church. Located 78.1 SP Mayfield & Santa Cruz Branch (January 10, 1910). Same location as Tunnel 8 Spur.
  • Eccles – Named for John S. Eccles, who ran a farm and quarried sand on an adjacent property. Located 70.0 SP Mayfield & Santa Cruz Branch (January 10, 1910).
  • Edric – Named for Frederick A. Hihn, whose F. A. Hihn Company owned a nearby lumber mill. Located 62.7 SP San Jose & Santa Cruz (Narrow Gauge) Branch (September 19, 1909).
  • Ellicott – Possibly named after Ellicott City, which erected the first railroad station in the United States in 1830. Located 92.3 SP Pajaro & Santa Cruz Branch (January 10, 1910). Same location as San Andreas.
  • Enright – Named for Joseph D. Enright, who owned a farm adjacent to the station. Located 70.6 OS Southern Division (July 16, 1911). Compare to Majors.
  • Eva – Named for the nearby Eva Vista Hotel. Location 60.0 SP Mayfield & Santa Cruz Branch (January 10, 1910). Same location as Casey's and Forest Grove.
  • Fahihn – Named for the F. A. Hihn Company, which owned a nearby lumber mill. Located 75.8 SP Old Felton Branch (June 6, 1896).
  • Farley – Named for Michael Farley, who owned land adjacent to the station. Located 87.5 SP Pajaro & Santa Cruz Branch (January 10, 1910). Same location as Claus.
  • Felton – Refers to John B. Felton, nephew of Edward Stanly, who was the executor for the estate of Isaac Graham. Named after a settlement of the same name. Located 72.4 SP Mayfield & Santa Cruz Branch (January 10, 1910).
  • Felton Junction – Refers to the junction point of the Old Felton Branch (original Santa Cruz & Felton Railroad route) and the South Pacific Coast Railroad's mainline. Named after the town of Felton. Located 73.7 SP San Jose & Santa Cruz (Narrow Gauge) Branch (September 19. 1909).
  • Filbert – Named after the California hazel tree, which is known in some places as the filbert tree. Located 79.1 SP Boulder Creek Branch (January 10, 1910). Same location as Lorenzo.
  • Fish Hatchery – Named for the nearby California Fish & Games fish hatchery. Located 77.9 SP Boulder Creek Branch (January 10, 1910). Same location as Steen.
  • Folger – Named for James A. Folger II, owner of J. A. Folger's Coffee Company and a major investor in the Ocean Shore Railway. Located 65.1 OS Southern Division (July 16, 1911).
  • Forest Grove – Refers to a nearby grove of redwoods owned by W. T. Fitzgerald, who used it as a picnic ground. Named after the picnic ground. Located 60.8 SP San Jose & Santa Cruz (Narrow-Gauge) Branch (October 15, 1899). Same location as Casey's and Eva.
  • Garfield Avenue – Named for the adjacent street. Located 77.2 OS Southern Division (July 16, 1911).
  • Glen Arbor – Pairing of 'glen' (a narrow, secluded valley) and 'arbor' (a grove of trees). Named after a subdivision of the same name. Located 74.5 SP Boulder Creek Branch (January 10, 1910).
  • Glenwood – Portmanteau of 'glen' (a narrow, secluded valley) and 'wood' (a forest). Named after a settlement of the same name. Located 64.8 SP Mayfield & Santa Cruz Branch (January 10, 1910).
  • Golf Links – Named for the nearby Casa del Rey Golf Club. Located 76.9 SP Los Altos & Santa Cruz Branch (January 10, 1917).
  • Gordola / Godola – Named after Gordola, Switzerland, hometown of Pio Scaroni, a local rancher. Located 127.0 SP Davenport Branch (January 1, 1910). Compare to Scaroni.
  • Harris – Possibly named for Leonard Harris, a Southern Pacific Railroad detective who was killed in Boulder Creek in 1894. Located 78.8 SP Boulder Creek Branch (January 1, 1911). Same location as Cunningham's, Boulder Mill and Joy Camp.
  • Hayes – Named for Jack Hayes, who operated a lumber mill near the station. Located 70.9 SP Mayfield & Santa Cruz Branch (January 10, 1910).
  • Highland – Refers to the highest elevation point on the South Pacific Coast Railroad's grade. Named after the settlement of the same name. Located 64.4 South Pacific Coast Railroad (April 2, 1887). Same location as Laurel.
  • Joy Camp – Named for the nearby campground established by G. Ellingwood Joy for the Sacramento Boys' Brotherhood. A flag-stop on the SP Boulder Creek Branch (September 18, 1910). Same location as Cunningham's, Boulder Mill, and Harris.
  • Kent’s Spur – Named for James E. and Lewis A. Kent, who cut lumber on the adjacent property. Located 75 SP San Jose & Santa Cruz Branch (July 1, 1892). Same location as Bonny Brae.
  • Kenville – Named for Joseph S. Kenville, who owned a nearby farm. Located 74 SP Santa Clara & Santa Cruz Branch (July 1, 1909).
  • Lagos – Named for Rancho Arroyo de la Laguna or nearby Laguna Creek. Located 70.1 OS Southern Division (July 16, 1911).
  • Laguna – Named for the nearby Watsonville Slough. Located 103.7 SP Pajaro & Santa Cruz Branch (September 20, 1908). Same location as Martins and Nuga.
  • Laguna Creek – Named for the creek of the same name. A flag-stop on the SP Davenport Branch (November 16, 1913). Compare to Lagos.
  • Laurel – Refers to the Umbellularia californica, or the California bay laurel. Named for a nearby settlement. Located 63.4 SP Mayfield & Santa Cruz Branch (January 10, 1910). Same location as Highland.
  • Leonard – Named for Thomas W. Leonard, who owned an adjacent farm. Located 89.6 SP Pajaro & Santa Cruz Branch (January 10, 1910).
  • Liddell – Refers to George Liddell, who once owned land along a creek later named after him. Named after the creek. Located 68.5 OS Southern Division (July 16, 1911) and a flag-stop for the SP Davenport Branch (November 16, 1913).
  • Logan – Named for Judge James Harvey Logan, who owned a nearby ranch. Located 93.2 SP San Francisco & Salinas Subdivision (January 10, 1910).
  • Loma Prieta – Spanish for "dark hill." Refers to nearby Loma Prieta Mountain, the highest point in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Named for the Loma Prieta Lumber Company. Located 90.4 SP Loma Prieta Branch (January 1, 1911).
  • Lorenzo – Refers to the San Lorenzo River. Named after a settlement of the same name. Located 80.2 South Pacific Coast Railroad (April 2, 1887). Same location as Filbert.
  • Los Gatos – Refers to Rancho Rinconada de Los Gatos. Named after a settlement of the same name. Located 54.2 SP Mayfield & Santa Cruz Branch (January 10, 1910).
  • Lower Crossing Davenport – Named for a road crossing over the railroad tracks that once existed near the junction of Old Coast Road and Highway 1 south of Davenport. A flag-stop of the SP Davenport Branch (November 16, 1913).
  • Lyndon – Named for John W. Lyndon, who once owned land nearby. Located 56.1 SP Mayfield & Santa Cruz Branch (January 1, 1911). Same location as Rock Quarry Spur.
  • Majors – Refers to Joseph L. Majors, who once owned land along a creek later named after him. Named after the creek. Located 86.7 SP Davenport Branch (October 1, 1920). Compare to Enright.
  • Manresa – Refers to Manresa, Spain, where Ignatius of Loyola recovered from wounds received at the Battle of Pampeluna. Named after the nearby Villa Manresa Jesuit retreat. Located 90.4 SP Pajaro & Santa Cruz Branch (January 10, 1910). Same location as Robroy.
  • Martins – Named for Thomas Martin, who ran a farm and ranch on the property. Located unmeasured station Santa Cruz Railroad (November 6, 1880). Same location as Laguna and Nuga.
  • Meehan – Probably refers to Patrick Meehan, a Southern Pacific track foreman. Located 68.6 SP Mayfield & Santa Cruz Branch (January 10, 1910). Same location as Doughertys.
  • Miller – Named for Henry Miller, who owned an adjacent ranch. Located 84.4 SP San Francisco & Salinas Subdivision (January 10, 1910).
  • Molino – Spanish for 'mill.' Named after a nearby shingle mill. Located 90.0 SP Loma Prieta Branch (January 1, 1911).
  • Monte Vista – Spanish for 'mountain view.' Named for the view of the summit of the Santa Cruz Mountains visible from the location. Located 118.9 SP Loma Prieta Branch (January 1, 1887) and 120 SP Loma Prieta Branch (January 1, 1899).
  • Mora Street – Named for the adjacent street. A flag-stop of the SP Los Altos & Santa Cruz Branch (September 25, 1927).
  • Mount Hermon – Refers to Mount Hermon in the Holy Land. Named for the Mount Hermon Association, which maintained a nearby resort. Located 71.2 SP Mayfield & Santa Cruz Branch (January 10, 1910). Same location as Tuxedo.
  • Nema – Spanish for 'letter seal' or perhaps a reverse of the word 'amen.' Meaning and relationship to the station unknown. Located 84.1 SP San Francisco & Salinas Subdivision (January 10, 1910).
  • New Brighton – Refers either to the resort town of Brighton, England, or New Brighton, New York. Named after a nearby hotel of the same name. Located 85.1 SP Pajaro & Santa Cruz Branch (January 10, 1910).
  • Newell Creek – Refers to Addison Newell, who owned a homestead on a tributary stream of the San Lorenzo River. Named after the creek. Located 76.7 SP Boulder Creek Branch (September 20, 1908). Same location as Newell Junction.
  • Newell Junction – Refers to the junction point of the Newell Creek Branch with the Boulder Creek Branch. Named after the creek. Located 75.7 SP Boulder Creek Branch (January 10, 1910). Same location as Newell Creek.
  • Newell Creek Mill – Refer to the California Timber Company mill located at the end of the Newell Creek Branch. Named after the creek. Located 82 SP Newell Creek Branch (July 1, 1910).
  • Newria – Portmanteau of 'New' and 'Rialto.' Refers to the successful oil wells at Rialto in Southern California. Named for the nearby oil wells operated by the Rialto Oil Company. Located 90.1 SP San Francisco & Salinas Subdivision (November 10, 1907). Same location as Oil Refinery.
  • Nuga – Inversion and truncation of Laguna. Named for the nearby Watsonville Slough. Located  95.6 SP Pajaro & Santa Cruz Branch (January 10, 1910). Same location as Martins and Laguna.
  • Oil City – Refers to Oil City, Pennsylvania. Named for the nearby oil wells. Located 60 SP Coast Division Narrow-Gauge (January 1, 1900). Same location as Oleoso and Aldercroft.
  • Oil Refinery – Named for the nearby oil wells owned by the Newria Oil Company. Located 90.1 SP Coast Division (October 1, 1905). Same location as Newria.
  • Old Felton – Named for the original Felton Station for the Santa Cruz & Felton Railroad, located on the west bank of the San Lorenzo River. Located 76.5 SP Old Felton Branch (June 6, 1896).
  • Old Felton (Spur) – Refers to a spur line that crossed the San Lorenzo River to the former site of Old Felton Station. Named after the former station. Located 72.9 SP Boulder Creek Branch (April 20, 1916).
  • Oleoso – Spanish for 'oily.' Named for the nearby oil wells. Located 60.0 SP Coast Division Narrow-Gauge (January 1, 1901). Same location as Oil City and Aldercroft.
  • Olympia – Refers to Olympia, Greece, adjacent to Mt. Olympus. Named for the nearby Camp Olympia. Located 70.0 SP Mayfield & Santa Cruz Branch (September 21, 1913).
  • Opal – Name of unknown origin or meaning. Located 83.3 SP Pajaro & Santa Cruz Branch (January 10, 1910).
  • Orby – Probably named after a racehorse of the same name, which won three important races between 1906 and 1906. Located 122.2 SP Davenport Branch (January 1, 1910). Compare to Rapetti.
  • Pacific Mills – Named for a nearby Pacific Manufacturing Company lumber mill. Located 77.2 South Pacific Coast Railroad (April 2, 1887). Same location as Ben Lomond.
  • Pajaro – Refers to Pajaro River. Named after the settlement. Located 100.0 SP San Francisco & Salinas Subdivision and 99.3 SP Pajaro & Santa Cruz Branch (January 10, 1910). Same location as Watsonville Junction.
  • Park Street – Named for the adjacent street. Located 78.3 SP Mayfield & Santa Cruz Branch (December 22, 1912). 
  • Parr’s Spur Track – Named for the Parr family, which owned several nearby ranches. Located 53 SP South Pacific Coast Railway Division (January 18, 1888). Same location as Bermingam and Bulwer.
  • Parsons Beach – Refers to Dr. George Parsons, who once owned the land on either side of the tracks. Named after a beach of the same name. Located 72.4 OS Southern Division (July 16, 1911).
  • Pettis – Name of unknown origin. Possibly named for a local landowner. Located 74.3 SP Boulder Creek Branch (January 10, 1910). Same located as Rubottom and Brackney.
  • Phillipshurst – Refers to Dr. William A. Phillips, who owned the large Phillipshurst mansion across the San Lorenzo River. Named after the mansion. Located 77.3 SP Boulder Creek Branch (June 8, 1913).
  • Powder Works – Named for the nearby California Powder Works. Located 76.7 SP Mayfield & Santa Cruz Branch (January 10, 1910).
  • Rapetti – Named for Louis Rapetti, who owned a nearby ranch. Located 76.1 OS Southern Division (July 16, 1911). Compare to Orby.
  • Ready – Named for Ruth Ready, who owned the adjacent land. Located 88.6 SP Loma Prieta Branch (June 2, 1918).
  • Reed – Named for Robert C. Reed, who owned the adjacent land. Located 79 SP Felton Branch (January 1, 1905). Same location as Brookdale.
  • Rincon – Named after the surrounding Rancho la Cañada del Rincon en el Río San Lorenzo de Santa Cruz. Located 75.4 SP Mayfield & Santa Cruz Branch (January 10, 1910). Same location as Summit.
  • River Station – Named after the fact that it is a station beside the San Lorenzo River. A flag-stop on the SP Boulder Creek Branch (October 1, 1905). Same location as Riverside.
  • Riverside – Named after the fact that it is situated beside the San Lorenzo River. Located 73.1 SP Boulder Creek Branch (September 19. 1909). Same location as River Station.
  • Robroy – Refers to the Scottish Highland sheep rustler Rob Roy. Named for a subdivision of the same name. Located 90.6 SP Santa Cruz Branch (April 4, 1926). Same location as Manresa.
  • Rock Quarry Spur – Named for the Los Gatos Lime Company's railroad spur that ascended Limekiln Canyon to a limestone quarry. Located 57 Santa Cruz Division (January 1, 1895). Same location as Lyndon.
  • Rubottom – Named for Emphrey J. Rubottom, who owned an adjacent farm. Located 75.5 SP Boulder Creek Branch (September 20, 1908). Same location as Pettis and Brackney.
  • San Andreas – Refers to the surrounding Rancho San Andrés. Named for a settlement of the same name. Located 106 SP Santa Cruz Line (December 1890).
  • Sand Cut – Refers to the deep cut through sandstone made along the railroad grade to the southwest. Named for a settlement of the same name. Located 94.9 SP San Jose & Pacific Grove Branch (February 8, 1893). Same location as Aromas.
  • Santa Cruz – Refers to La Misión de la Exaltación de la Santa Cruz and the city of the same name that gradually arose around it. Named for a settlement of the same name. Located 79.0 SP Pajaro & Santa Cruz Branch, 79.2 SP Mayfield & Santa Cruz Branch, 120.5 SP Davenport Branch (January 1, 1910), and 78.1 OS Southern Division (July 16, 1911).
  • Santa Cruz Beach – Named for the beach south of the city of Santa Cruz. Located 80.6 SP San Jose & Santa Cruz Branch (December 3, 1892).
  • Sargent – Named for James P. Sargent, who owned a ranch on the adjacent land. Located 87.1 SP San Francisco & Salinas Subdivision (January 10, 1910).
  • Scaroni – Named for Pio Scaroni, who owned the adjacent land. Located 71.5 OS Southern Division (July 16, 1911). Compare to Gordola.
  • Scott – Named for Hiram D. Scott, who owned an adjacent ranch. Located 65.3 OS Southern Division (July 16, 1911).
  • Scott Junction – Refers to the planned junction of the Swanton Branch and the Ocean Shore Railroad mainline, which was never completed north of this location. Named after the nearby Scott Station. Located 64.6 OS Southern Division (July 16, 1911).
  • Seabright – Refers to Sea Bright, New Jersey, which inspired F. M. Mott to establish his Seabright resort in Santa Cruz. Named after a nearby settlement. Located 80.3 SP Pajaro & Santa Cruz Branch (January 10, 1910).
  • Siesta – Named after La Siesta, Fred W. Swanton's mountain retreat. Located 77.5 SP Boulder Creek Branch (January 10, 1910)
  • Soquel – Named after Rancho Soquel or the adjacent Soquel Creek. Located 115 SP Santa Cruz Line (December 1890). Same location as Capitola.
  • Spring Creek – Named for the nearby creek of the same name. Located 116.3 SP Loma Prieta Branch (January 1, 1890).
  • Steen – Named for Jacob Steen, who ran a stumping business on the adjacent land. Located 78.8 SP Boulder Creek Branch (September 20, 1908).
  • Summit – Named to mark the highest elevation point on the Santa Cruz & Felton Railroad's grade. Located 76.9 South Pacific Coast Railroad (April 4, 1881). Same location as Rincon.
  • Swanton – Named for Fred W. Swanton, who owned an adjacent ranch. Located 66.7 OS Southern Division (July 16, 1911)
  • Tank Siding – Named after an emergency water tank that was situated along a siding at the site. Located 66.6 SP Mayfield & Santa Cruz Branch (January 10, 1910).
  • Tunnel 8 Siding – Named after a siding situated to the north of Tunnel 8 (Mission Hill Tunnel). Located 79.8 SP Coast Division Narrow-Gauge (January 1, 1899).
  • Tuxedo – Refers to Edward H. Herriman's Tuxedo Park estate in New York. Named for a nearby hotel of the same name. A flag-stop on the SP San Jose & Santa Cruz (Narrow Gauge) Branch (December 20, 1906). Same location as Mount Hermon.
  • Twin Lakes – Refers to Schwann and Woods Lagoon. Named for a nearby Baptist resort of the same name. Location 80.7 SP Pajaro & Santa Cruz Branch (January 10, 1910).
  • Union Mill – Named for the Union Mill & Lumber Company, which operated a nearby lumber mill. Located 70.2 SP Mayfield & Santa Cruz Branch (January 10, 1910)
  • Vasona – Named for the childhood pony of Albert A. Vollmer, who owned the adjacent orchard. Located 51.4 SP Mayfield & Santa Cruz Branch (January 10, 1910).
  • Vasona Junction – Refers to the junction point of the Los Altos Branch (Mayfield Cut-off) and the San Jose Branch. Named after nearby Vasona Station. Located 51.8 SP Mayfield & Santa Cruz Branch (January 10, 1910). Same location as Eaton.
  • Vega – Refers to the surrounding Rancho Vega del Río del Pájaro. Named after a settlement of the same name. Located 97.1 SP San Francisco & Salinas Subdivision (January 10, 1910). Same location as Eaton.
  • Virginia – Named for the Virginia Timber & Lumber Company, which harvested timber nearby. Located 66.2 SP Mayfield & Santa Cruz Branch (January 10, 1910).
  • Walti – Named for Walti, Schilling & Company, which operated from a nearby factory. Located 80.9 SP Santa Cruz Branch (April 20, 1916).
  • Water Tank – Named for a water tank located at the station. Location unmeasured station Santa Cruz Railroad (July 13, 1878).
  • Watsonville – Refers to Judge John H. Watson, who co-founded the city of Watsonville. Named after the settlement. Located 97.5 SP Pajaro & Santa Cruz Branch (January 10, 1910).
  • Watsonville Junction – Refers to the junction point of the Santa Cruz Branch and the San Francisco & Salinas Subdivision. Named after the nearby city of Watsonville. Located 99.5 SP Santa Cruz Branch (June 8, 1913) and 100.4 SP San Francisco & Watsonville Jct. Subdivision (January 4, 1914). Same location as Pajaro.
  • White Flag Spur – Named for the white flag-stop flag located at the station. Located 69 SP South Pacific Coast Railway Division (February 25, 1891). Same location as Zayante.
  • Wilder / Wilders – Named for Deloss D. Wilder, who owned an adjacent dairy farm. Located 83.4 SP Davenport Branch (January 1, 1911) and 74.6 OS Southern Division (July 16, 1911).
  • Wright – Named for Reverend James R. Wright, who owned the surrounding land. Located 61.2 SP Mayfield & Santa Cruz Branch (January 10, 1910).
  • Yellowbank / Yellowbank Dairy – Refers to the Yellow Bank Creek, the banks of which were known for their uniquely yellow mudstone/sandstone hue. Named after a dairy near the creek run by the Coast Land & Dairy Company. Located 69.2 OS Southern Division (July 16, 1911) and a flag-stop on the SP Davenport Branch (November 1, 1924). 
  • Younglove Avenue – Named for the adjacent street. A flag-stop of the SP Davenport Branch (November 16, 1913).
  • Zayante – Named after either Rancho Zayante or the creek of the same name. Located 67.4 SP Mayfield & Santa Cruz Branch (January 10, 1910). Same location as White Flag Spur.
Citations & Credits:
  • Clark, Donald. Santa Cruz County Place Names: A Geographical Dictionary. Second edition. Santa Cruz, CA: Museum of Art & History, 2007.
  • Whaley, Derek R. Santa Cruz Trains: Railroads of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Santa Cruz, CA, 2015.
  • Whaley, Derek R. Santa Cruz Trains: Railraods of the Santa Cruz Coast. Santa Cruz, CA: Zayante Publishing, forthcoming.
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)