From our Archives

A crowd gathers on the deck of the SS Palo Alto, colloquially known as the “Cement Ship,” on May 31, 1954. Built in 1919 as a 420-foot concrete tanker, it was eventually decommissioned and hauled to Seacliff Beach in 1929. By 1930, it was ...

Staff at Watsonville Union High School goof off during a “Faculty Rally” in 1954.

Contestants for the Cabrillo College football queen line up for a photo on Nov. 21, 1959. Shown here are Beverleigh Jordon (from left), Lacretia Wilson, Cloren Lucini, Mary Avila, Bonnie Freeman and Nancy Jones.

These women prepare for the annual All Saints Bazaar on Dec. 15, 1955.

These folks prepare for an exhibit at Salsipuedes School by the PTA on Oct. 20, 1955. (Photo by Sam Vestal/Pajaronian file)

Rescuers had to use a tow truck to yank a cow out of a well on Linden Road on April 8, 1957.

Construction workers build one of several structures at Watsonville Union High School on Nov. 29, 1954. (Sam Vestal/Pajaronian file)

These women tidy up the grounds of the Corralitos Women’s Club in preparation for an annual show on May 1, 1957. (Sam Vestal/Pajaronian file)

A crowd gathers around a vehicle crash at Larken Road and the freeway on Sept. 4, 1954. (Sam Vestal/Pajaronian file)

These folks gather for a groundbreaking ceremony on July 20, 1954, for the Westview Presbyterian Church in Watsonville.