La Barranca Park

La Barranca Park. Honoring the Italian-American Contribution to Santa Cruz County. Farming has always been an important economic activity along the North Coast. Agriculture has long been a valuable economic resource for the North Coast. The fog-cooled climate provided an ideal match for artichokes, broccoli, and brussel sprouts originally brought be Italian immigrants, whose cultural diversity and richness contributed to the area in many ways., Farming, which began along the coast in the early 1900’s, continues to be of major regional importance today. Agricultural innovations, such as organic farming techniques and new irrigation technology, have yielded a number of different crops, reopened several old ranch sites, and invigorated the entire agricultural industry. But though the methods have somewhat changed with the times, farms that now produce lettuce, cabbage, leeks, peas, and strawberries, still grow quantities of Italian-introduced brussel sprouts and artichokes as well., The Cement Plant in Davenport began its operation in 1907. The plant was by far the leading source of commerce for the area, and for a time the development of Davenport kept pace with the expansion of the plant. The cement plant employed hundreds of Italian immigrants. Today the number of employees has dwindled due to new automated methods, though the cement plant still employs over 130 workers. It can be said that in its earlier stages of operation, the cement plant was a leading Santa Cruz employer and helped feed and raise many families in our area., Images: , A: Workers at Seaside Ranch, Davenport, in the 1940’s processing and packing artichokes., B: A group of sprout packing-shed workers on break at the Davenport Producers Association. Italian women made up much of the work force at the various sprout packing sheds and ranches., C: Luigi Magnobosco farmed apples, apricots, and grapes on 52 aces in the “Hidden Valley” area of Soquel in the 1930’s and 40’s., D: Many of the women in the fields and in the sheds picking and processing crops. , E: A life-long farmer, Elio Rodoni owns and operates ranches in north Monterey County. Crops include brussel sprouts, lettuce and strawberries., Directly Above: The “Brick Gang” in one of the Davenport cement plant kilns. The kilns, which produced temperatures as high as 3000 degrees, required a new set of bricks each year. In the crew (from left): a salesman, foreman Jess Sousa, Reynaldo Perez, Ferd Moro and Ed Armanini (kneeling)., Top: Workers at the cement quarry., Directly Above: “New Town,” to the north (left) of the cement plant was upwind of the plant. It was built in 1910 to house management personnel and plant laborers. “Old Town,” on the right, was home to plant laborers as well as coastal farm workers. The wharf was used for shipping cement from the mid-1930’s until 1955.