Browns Valley Road

Browns Valley Road is an approximately 3.5-mile rural highway corridor located in the Corralitos area of the Santa Cruz Mountains. This short corridor begins at Eureka Canyon Road in Corralitos and extends northeast to Hazel Dell Road. Browns Valley Road is historically significant as it was the site of construction of a major highway truss bridge over Corralitos Creek in 1893 (seen as the cover photo). The 1893 Corralitos Creek Bridge was destroyed by flooding in November 1950 and replaced. The 1950-era span itself was replaced by the current bridge carrying Browns Valley Road in 2002.

Part 1; the history of Browns Valley Road

Browns Valley Road is located in the Corralitos area mostly east of Corralitos Creek. Much of this roadway follows Browns Creek northeast of the confluence with Corralitos Creek through Green Valley to Hazel Dell Road. The roadway name appears to co-opt both the name of Browns Creek and Green Valley.

The area now comprising Corralitos was part of the Spanish Portola Expedition of 1769. The name roughly translates to "little pens," but it is unclear what this was referencing. At the time of Portola Expedition, the Monterey Bay side of the Santa Cruz Mountains was populated by the native Awaswas.

Following the establishment of Mission Santa Cruz during August 1791 the southern Santa Cruz Mountains would become entrenched as part of Spanish Province of Las Californias. By 1810 the name Corralitos would be in common usage as a place east of Santa Cruz. During the era of Mexican Governance of Alta California approximately 15,440 acres of land would be granted to Jose Amesti as Rancho de Los Corralitos.

Following the Mexican-American War the lands would Alta California would be ceded to the United States. The 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo provided the Mexican land grants would be honored by the American Federal Government. A claim for Rancho de Los Corralitos would be filed with the Public Land Commission in 1852, and the grant would be patented to Jose Amesti in 1861. Even by the 1850s Amesti was subdividing his land holdings which would form the basis for the modern unincorporated towns of Corralitos and Amesti.

In 1893 Santa Cruz County contracted W.S. Rogers to construct a modern truss bridge east of Corralitos across Corralitos Creek on Browns Valley Road. Previously traffic had to cross Corralitos Creek at Mill Street which was located south the Corralitos community. The Browns Valley Road truss span can be seen below as it was in 1919 (courtesy corralitoshistory.com).

Upper Browns Valley Road at the Swanson property can be seen as it was in 1916 (courtesy corralitoshistory.com).

Browns Creek Road can be seen as a minor local corridor east of Corralitos on the 1935 Division of Highways map of Santa Cruz County.

During November 1950 heavy flooding occurred on Corralitos Creek. The 1893 Corralitos Creek Bridge was washed away on November 22, 1950. The span was replaced shortly after the flooding. The destruction on 1893 Corralitos Creek Bridge can be seen below (courtesy Evelyn McLaughlin).

The 1950-era span at Corralitos Creek was replaced with the current span in 2002. The 2002 span carrying Browns Valley Road over the creek is a tee beam design.

Part 2; a drive on Browns Valley Road

Westbound Hazel Dell Road terminates at Redwood Road. The roadway continues ahead as the beginning of Browns Valley Road.