Boulder Creek, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Boulder Creek
Census-designated place
Looking north from Highway 9 at the Boulder Creek Hardware building and the 70-foot long painted mural by John Ton, depicting two phases of the community's history.
Nicknames:  Emerald of the San Lorenzo, Phoenix of the Mountains, "Dodge City" of California
Boulder Creek Location in California Show map of California Boulder Creek Location in the United States Show map of the United States Boulder Creek Location in North America Show map of North America Boulder Creek Location in Earth Show map of Earth
Country	United States
State	California
County	Santa Cruz
Founded	1868
Named for	Boulder Creek
Government
• Body	Board of Supervisors
Area
• Total	7.51 sq mi (19.46 km2)
• Land	7.51 sq mi (19.46 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)  0%
Elevation	479 ft (146 m)
Highest elevation	2,694 ft (821 m)
Lowest elevation	324 ft (99 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	5,429
• Density	722.71/sq mi (279.04/km2)
Time zone	UTC–08:00 (PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC–07:00 (PDT)
ZIP code	95006
Area code	831
FIPS code	06-07652
GNIS feature ID	277478

Boulder Creek is a small mountain town in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California. It's a special kind of community called a census-designated place (CDP). In 2020, about 5,429 people lived there.

For many years, Boulder Creek was a busy logging town. It was also a popular place for vacations. Today, it's known as the main entrance to Big Basin Redwoods State Park.

History of Boulder Creek

Map of the Awaswas area

The land where Boulder Creek is located was first home to the Achistaca people. They spoke a language called Awaswas and were part of the larger Ohlone group. These groups lived along the coast of California. Sadly, there are no living Achistaca people today. The Amah Mutsun Tribal Band now speaks for them.

The first Europeans arrived in 1769. They were led by Don Gaspar de Portolá from Spain. Later, in 1791, a Spanish mission called Mission Santa Cruz was built. The Awaswas people were moved to this mission and another one nearby. Their language became the main one spoken at Mission Santa Cruz.

From Mexico to the United States

In 1821, the area became part of Mexico. Mexico started giving out land grants in 1822. One important land grant was Rancho Zayante. In 1841, a man named Isaac Graham bought this land. He built one of the first sawmills in California in 1843. This sawmill started the lumber (wood) industry in the San Lorenzo Valley.

After the Mexican-American War (1846–1848), more people moved to the area. Many came because of the California Gold Rush. Even though there were no good roads, families came to settle and cut down trees. The wood was used to support mines. By the late 1850s, settlers used the Turkey Foot floodplain to gather their teams of mules and oxen.

Becoming a Timber Town

In 1865, Branciford Alcorn was one of the first to settle near Bear Creek. Other families soon followed. Joseph Wilbur Peery started a logging project in 1867. He built a dam to power his sawmill. This sawmill helped the settlement of Boulder grow.

The year 1868 is considered the founding year for Boulder. Roads were very important for growth. A new road linking the valley to Santa Cruz was finished in May 1868. The government also surveyed the land, making it available for people to buy. Loggers cut down many trees to sell in the San Francisco Bay area.

Families moved near Peery's sawmill. A general store, a stable, and a blacksmith shop opened. More children meant a need for a school. The first school started in a small building on John Alcorn's land.

In 1871, another road, the Saratoga Toll Road, was added. This made it easier to reach the San Francisco Bay Area. A post office named Boulder Creek opened in 1872. Peery became the first postmaster. Mail only came twice a week because the journey was long.

Boulder Creek was originally two towns: Lorenzo in the south and Boulder in the north. In the 1880s, the town of Lorenzo took the name of the Boulder Creek post office.

Geography

Boulder Creek is on the West Coast of the United States. It covers about 7.5 square miles (19.46 square kilometers) of land. The community is surrounded by other counties and a state park. It's about 15 miles (24 km) from Santa Cruz and 30 miles (48 km) from San Jose.

The town is at the northern end of the San Lorenzo Valley. This is where the San Lorenzo River and Boulder Creek meet. The area is full of steep hills covered with redwood and pine trees. These hills were formed by the river and its smaller streams.

Climate

Boulder Creek has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate. This means it has wet, mild winters and dry summers. It's about 15 miles (24 km) from the coast. This can make the skies cloudy sometimes due to ocean moisture.

The dry season is from May to October. It's mild to warm, with August being the warmest month. The rainy season is from November to April and is a bit cooler. On average, it rains about 75 days a year. The amount of rain can change a lot from year to year.

Flooding in Boulder Creek

The San Lorenzo River can flood, especially when there's a lot of rain. In 1890, the river was very high. Bridges were destroyed, and some homes were washed away. Another big flood in 1907 also destroyed all five bridges in town.

In December 1955, Boulder Creek had a huge amount of rain. This caused damage to roads and homes. In January 1982, a storm brought more heavy rain. This led to mudslides and landslides.

Fires in Boulder Creek

Fires have also been a part of Boulder Creek's history. In 1891, two large fires almost destroyed the downtown area.

More recently, the CZU Lightning Complex fires started in August 2020. These fires began after a big thunderstorm. They spread quickly and burned many houses. Luckily, the town's historic main street was saved. The fires were finally put out in September 2020.

Town Layout

Central Avenue around the 1930s, before it became Highway 9.

California State Route 9 runs through Boulder Creek. It's the main road, called Central Avenue. This road connects to California State Route 236, which leads to Big Basin Redwoods State Park.

The town is divided into three parts: the Village Core, South Village, and Outlying Village Areas.

Architecture and Buildings

The Grace Episcopal Church is the oldest church building in Boulder Creek.

Boulder Creek has many interesting buildings. Many shops on Central Avenue have a "Boomtown style." Older buildings are often in the Queen Anne or other Victorian styles. For example, the McLeod House shows these designs. You can also see modern homes in the town. The old Grace Episcopal Church is built in the Gothic Revival style. It's the oldest church building in Boulder Creek.

Population Facts

In 2020, Boulder Creek had a population of 5,429 people. This was a small increase from 2010.

Most people in Boulder Creek are White (76.3%). About 7.6% are of mixed races. There are also smaller groups of Asian, African American, Native American, and Pacific Islander people. About 15.4% of the population is Hispanic or Latino.

In 2010, there were 2,124 households in Boulder Creek. About 25.8% of these had children under 18. The average household had 2.32 people. The median age in Boulder Creek was 45.4 years old.

Economy

Long ago, Boulder Creek's economy was all about cutting down trees and making lime. Today, it mostly relies on tourism. Since it's close to Big Basin Redwoods State Park, many visitors stop in Boulder Creek. Many people who live here now are retired or work in nearby towns.

Culture and Fun

Museums

The San Lorenzo Valley Museum has two museums in the area. They teach people about the history of the valley. The main museum is in Boulder Creek, inside the old Grace Episcopal Church. This church is a historical landmark.

Festivals and Street Fairs

Boulder Creek has many fun events throughout the year!

• The annual Fourth of July Parade is very popular.
• Halloween Trick-or-Treat Street is a favorite for kids.
• The Boulder Creek Winter Festival (formerly Santa Comes to Town) happens in December.
• The Reindeer Run 5k race is held on Christmas Eve.
• First Friday Boulder Creek is a market with street vendors every first Friday of the month.

Some past events included Lumberjack Days and the Boulder Creek Art, Wine, and Music Festival.

Education

The San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District (SLVUSD) runs the public schools. Boulder Creek Elementary is the local elementary school. After fifth grade, students go to San Lorenzo Valley Middle and High Schools in Felton.

Boulder Creek also has private schools and a public charter school. The Santa Cruz Public Libraries has a branch in Boulder Creek.

Media

KBCZ is a local radio station. It's a non-profit station that started broadcasting in 2013. KBCZ covers the San Lorenzo Valley and nearby areas.

Notable People

Many interesting people have lived in Boulder Creek:

• Michael Been – a musician
• Pat Burrell – a Major League Baseball player
• Jonathan Franzen – a famous author
• Jordan Hubbard – a co-founder of FreeBSD (a computer operating system)
• Paul Locatelli – a Jesuit priest and academic, born in Boulder Creek

See also

In Spanish: Boulder Creek (California) para niños