History
The river was impounded in 1863 on what is now Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. A tunnel was dug 1200 feet to convey water to the California Powder Works adjacent to the river three miles upstream of Santa Cruz. The powder works made gunpowder for California mining after normal supplies had been interrupted by the American Civil War. During dry weather, all flow was diverted through the tunnel and a system of flumes to provide water power for powder mill machinery. The powder mill was dismantled in 1914.
Read more about this topic: San Lorenzo River
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“Regarding History as the slaughter-bench at which the happiness of peoples, the wisdom of States, and the virtue of individuals have been victimized—the question involuntarily arises—to what principle, to what final aim these enormous sacrifices have been offered.”
—Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770–1831)
“When the coherence of the parts of a stone, or even that composition of parts which renders it extended; when these familiar objects, I say, are so inexplicable, and contain circumstances so repugnant and contradictory; with what assurance can we decide concerning the origin of worlds, or trace their history from eternity to eternity?”
—David Hume (1711–1776)
“All history and art are against us, but we still expect happiness in love.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)