Santa Cruz in Santa Cruz County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Louden Nelson
Photographed By Joseph Alvarado, July 29, 2022
1. Louden Nelson Marker
Louden Nelson
1800 – 1860
An ex-slave who left his estate to Santa Cruz Schools. He believed in education for all people.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Charity & Public Work • Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1800.
Location. 36° 58.617′ N, 122° 1.729′ W. Marker is in Santa Cruz, California, in Santa Cruz County. Marker is on Mission Street, on the left when traveling west. The granite marker is at the top of the steps leading to the Santa Cruz City Schools Building. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 133 Mission Street, Santa Cruz CA 95060, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. "El Camino Real" (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Site of Santa Cruz Mission (about 500 feet away); Davis House (about 500 feet away); Site of Two Buildings Lost in the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake (about 500 feet away); Willey House (about 500 feet away); Streamline Moderne (about 500 feet away); Town Clock (about 600 feet away); a different marker also named Site of Two Buildings Lost in the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Santa Cruz.
Related marker.
this page online
Also see . . . How a man born into slavery became one of Santa Cruz’s most famous philanthropists.
"Details of London Nelson’s life are scant, and not a photograph or likeness remains. But a portrait emerges from historical accounts of a smart and resourceful man who was trusted and liked by adults and children alike, and who quickly joined in community and commercial life in his adopted town, going door-to-door selling produce grown on a plot by the river near what is now Downtown Santa Cruz."(Submitted on September 6, 2022, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.)
Photographed By Joseph Alvarado, July 29, 2022
2. Louden Nelson Marker
Photographed By Joseph Alvarado, July 29, 2022
3. Louden Nelson Marker
Photographed By Joseph Alvarado, July 29, 2022
4. Louden Nelson Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on September 6, 2022. It was originally submitted on August 5, 2022, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. This page has been viewed 78 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 6, 2022, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.
