Holy City, California facts for kids
Holy City is a small, quiet place in Santa Clara County, California. It's not a city with a mayor or a city hall. It's an "unincorporated community," which means it's a small area without its own local government. Long ago, in the 1920s and 1930s, some people thought it would be a perfect place to live, like a "utopia." But now, it's mostly empty and is sometimes called a "ghost town."
You can find Holy City in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It's located off State Route 17, on a road called Old Santa Cruz Highway. It's part of a larger area called Lexington Hills. The ZIP code for Holy City is 95026. Its phone area codes are 408 and 669.
History of Holy City
Holy City was started in 1919 by a man named William E. Riker. He and about thirty of his followers created this community. Riker had his own set of beliefs, which he called "The Perfect Christian Divine Way." He taught his followers very strict and unusual rules for living.
Riker bought about 142 acres of land to build Holy City. In its early days, Holy City was one of the only places between Santa Cruz and San Jose. It became well-known for its strange signs along the roadside, which attracted many visitors. The community officially became a town in 1926.
Even though it was a religious community, Holy City didn't have a church building. Services were held in Riker's own home. By the 1930s, only about 30 people were official followers of Riker's beliefs. However, the total number of people living in Holy City and the nearby area reached about 300. By 1938, most people had left, and only 75 men and 4 women remained.
Holy City's Radio Station
In 1924, a radio station was built in Holy City. It began broadcasting on July 7 of that year, using the call letters KFQU. However, the radio station ran into problems. By April 1931, KFQU was broadcasting on the wrong radio frequency. The station stopped broadcasting in December 1931. Its license was not renewed in January 1932 because of these "irregularities."
Why Holy City Declined
Holy City's population started to shrink even more in the 1940s. A big reason for this was the building of State Route 17. This new highway meant that Holy City was no longer on the main road through the mountains. Fewer travelers passed through the town.
Also, the Great Depression ended around this time. Many of Riker's followers, who might have moved to Holy City during tough economic times, were now able to find jobs elsewhere. This led more people to leave.
The town officially lost its town status in 1959. After this, William Riker no longer owned the property. Soon after, several of the buildings in Holy City mysteriously burned down.
The land was later bought by developers. They put the property up for sale in 2006. It stayed on the market for a long time until 2016. That's when Robert and Trish Duggan bought it for $6 million. The Duggans are members of the Church of Scientology. Robert Duggan has been called the church's "largest financial supporter."
A famous comedy club in San Francisco, called the Holy City Zoo, actually got its sign, tables, and chairs from the original Holy City site.
