Graham Hill Road is an approximately six-mile highway corridor located in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The Graham Hill corridor begins at Ocean Street in the city of Santa Cruz and terminates at California State Route 9 near the San Lorenzo River in Felton.
Graham Hill Road is one of the oldest highways in Santa Cruz County. The highway was constructed in the 1840s to access Issac Graham/s water-fed sawmill located at what is now Felton. Graham Hill Road is mostly associated with the Felton Covered Bridge which served as part of the roadway from 1892-1937. This structure is often claimed to be the tallest covered bridge ever constructed in the United States and is now part of Covered Bridge Park.
Part 1; the history of Graham Hill Road and the Felton Covered Bridge
Graham Hill Road is one of the oldest highways in Santa Cruz County. Said roadway was developed by Issac Graham to facilitate travel to his lumber interests in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Issac Graham had arrived in the Santa Cruz area of then Mexican Alta California in 1835. Graham sought gold along Zayante Creek and became involved with a plot to overthrow the Governor in Monterey. He would return to the Santa Cruz area in 1841 and would construct the first water powered sawmill in Alta California. Graham constructed his so-called "Graham Hill Road" to facilitate travel north of Santa Cruz to his mill site. In 1851 after California became an America state Graham would purchase Rancho Punta del Año Nuevo to obtain the sizeable logging tracts located there.
A toll road north of Santa Cruz which now comprises part of California State Route 9 was constructed as a competitor to Graham Hill Road. Issac Graham is alleged to have to use less than scrupulous methods to widen the southern extent Graham Hill Road as a counter measure. A claim was made that Graham sent agents to slit the throat of landowner Evan Russel after he refused to grant an easement on his property. The story was documented on the Santa Cruz History Facebook page by admin Jay Topping circa 2020.
Issac Graham as he appeared in a drawing attached to the same story regarding the attempted murder of Evan Russel.
The property of Issac Graham can be seen north of Santa Cruz on the 1857 Britton & Rey's map of California.
Issac Graham would die in 1863. Following Graham's death his holdings would be subdivided by his lawyer Edward Stanley. In 1868 a large tract of the Graham estate on the San Lorenzo River was spun off into the Felton town plot and which itself was conceived as a railroad terminus. The community name "Felton" is thought to be a reference to Oakland mayor John B. Felton who may have been an investor in the town site.
In 1876 the South Pacific Coast Railroad (SPC) would incorporate and would purchase the then incomplete Santa Clara Valley Company Railroad. By 1880 the 3-foot narrow gauge line would be extended south from Dumbarton Point at San Francisco Bay through the Santa Cruz Mountains to the city of Santa Cruz. The line crossed Graham Hill Road alongside Zayante Creek.
Graham Hill Road can be seen connecting Santa Cruz and Felton on the 1882 Bancroft's map of California. It is unclear what type of bridge was located the San Lorenzo River in 1882.
A team of oxen can be seen hauling a steam boiler on Graham Hill Road towards Santa Cruz circa 1890 (courtesy Santa Cruz History).
Between 1892 and 1893 the Felton Covered Bridge would be constructed at the San Lorenzo River along Graham Hill Road. The span is often cited to be the first modern highway bridge on Graham Hill Road. The structure is 80 feet along and is cited by numerous sources to be the tallest covered span ever constructed in the United States.
The site of the Felton Covered Bridge can be seen on the San Lorenzo River along Graham Hill Road in Felton on the 1902 United States Geological Survey map of Santa Cruz.
This view of Graham Hill Road faces southbound towards the Felton Covered Bridge circa 1910 (courtesy Santa Cruz History). This segment of road is now Covered Bridge Road in downtown Felton.
This photo on Graham Hill Road is approaching the Zayante Creek Bridge (courtesy the San Lorenzo Valley History Only Facebook page). The photo was likely was taken during the 1910s.
The Felton Covered Bridge can be seen in a 1930 era photo with a car crossing it (courtesy the San Lorenzo Valley History Only Facebook page).
Graham Hill Road is mostly shown as a major local highway wedged between California State Routes 9 and 17 on the 1935 Division of Highways map of Santa Cruz County.
The Felton Covered Bridge would remain in service on Graham Hill Road until 1937 when a new bridge was constructed immediately to the north on the San Lorenzo River. The span was converted for pedestrian use and is now the centerpiece of Covered Bridge Park. The structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1957 and underwent a restoration which was complete by 1987.
Part 2; a drive on Graham Hill Road
Northbound Graham Hill Road begins in Santa Cruz as Ocean Street approaches the northern city limit.
Graham Hill Road climbs in the Mount Hermon area while flanking the northern ridge of Bear Mountain. The corridor approaches what is now the Santa Cruz, Big Trees & Pacific Railway. Said line was commissioned in 1985 along the former right-of-way of the South Pacific Coast Railroad.
Graham Hill Road crosses the 1936-era Zayante Creek Bridge and intersects Zayante Road.
As Graham Hill Road approaches the northern terminus at California State Route 9 in Felton it intersects Mount Hermon Road and the entrance to Covered Bridge Park. As noted in Part 1 the Felton Covered Bridge can be found in the park. A plaque regarding the history of the span can be found near the eastern approach.
The Felton Covered Bridge can be accessed from both sides of the San Lorenzo River via Covered Bridge Road. The photos below are from the western bank of the San Lorenzo River.
The tall height of the Felton Covered Bridge is best observed from the east bank of the San Lorenzo River.
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