About the Pioneers

​Organized in 1938, Soquel Pioneer and Historical Association is a community organization that sponsors an annual picnic each July to commemorate the town’s history and its role in the development of Santa Cruz County. There are no membership restrictions.

Everyone interested in sharing and preserving Soquel history is invited to participate in the annual picnic celebration that keeps the past alive.

We also maintain a History Room at the  Porter Memorial Library on Porter Street. The room is open to anyone who wants to explore Soquel history through displays. books and scrapbooks.

Contact us

Have a question about membership, our mailing list, or Soquel history?

Email us at SoquelPioneers@gmail.com
​Click here to order the book
Images of America
​ Soquel
Historical Photos. Most of the pictures on this site are cropped versions of historical photos from our collection. Original copies can be found in scrapbooks at the Porter Memorial Library or at our picnic, or in our book.
The Soquel Pioneer and Historical Association committee worked four years to create a history of Soquel. The long-awaited book is part of the Arcadia Publishing Company Images of America Series. It may be obtained for a donation of $22 at the Soquel Porter Memorial Library.

The book includes many of the pictures archived in the Pioneers library. As a gift to Soquel, Stan Stevens, Librarian Emeritus at the University of California, Santa Cruz, compiled an index that is now available for the cost of printing, $3. with the book purchase.


Library hours are 12 to 4 P.M. Monday through Friday and 10 to 2 on Saturday

Millstones on the Move

Recently the historic Martina Castro family millstones were moved from the Pringle Grove picnic area to the entrance to the grove.  They weigh over a thousand pounds, so this was no small feat!  Our sincere thanks to Shan Gilmore for building the pedestal to display the stones and to Soquel Nursery Growers for carefully moving them.  Now the attendees each year to the Soquel Pioneers Picnic can better enjoy and appreciate these reminders of our rich heritage.
2022 Annual Picnic A Success!

Picture
A crowd of nearly one hundred enjoyed the 2022 annual picnic at Pringle Grove.  Bert Izant gave a fun talk and several others chimed in with amusing anecdotes and childhood memories.  President Jim Hobbs shared some of the Pioneers' own history starting with the first picnic 84 years ago.  Attendees ranged in age from one to ninety-something. We hope many long-time Soquelonians will join us on Saturday, July 29, 2023, for this fun annual event. Newcomers also welcome!  
The Pioneers board poses with the historic Martina Castro millstones at the 2021 picnic.
In early 2022 some of our board members met with  Executive Director Alicia Goehring of the California Historical Society to discuss the History Education and Field Services Initiative. If funded, this program will help small societies such as ours with preserving local history and expanding educational programs.
In May, 2022 the historic Monterey Bay Heights sign was installed at Pringle Grove.  The sign was rescued many years ago by Paul and Judy Parsons, and we are delighted to finally make a home for it at the Grove.  Anyone know when this sign was made?  Please email us.