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

​Click here to order the book
Images of America
​ Soquel
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.

Halloween Cemetery Tour

On October 27, 2024 the Pioneers and Temple Beth El co-sponsored the first-ever Soquel Cemetery Spooky Community Social.  There were refreshments, displays, and prizes for kids in costume.  For the tour, two local historians shared stories of six Soquel pioneers.
2024 Annual Picnic A Big Success
A near record 115 people attended the Pioneers annual picnic on Saturday, July 27 at Pringle Grove in Soquel.  We had a silent auction, raffle, live music, and a very informative talk by archaeologist Mark Hylkema about the Portola Party's interactions with the Indigenous People of this region in 1769. Click here for video of lecture. Mark your calendar for the 2025 Picnic, Saturday, July 26, starting at 11:30 a.m.
Members of the Pioneers Board of Directors at the 2024 picnic pose with the historic Martina Castro millstones.
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Santa Cruz County History Fair. The 2024 fair was held outdoors on May 18th at Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park. Co-sponsors included Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks and the Capitola Historical Museum. Some 29 organizations, including the Soquel Pioneer and Historical Association, participated. There was a steady stream of visitors, all eager to learn more about Santa Cruz County history. Thanks to board member Lisa Nelson for curating a wonderful display of historic Soquel artifacts. 

This site last updated October 19, 2024