Salz Tannery

Salz Tannery (HM16N3)

Location: Santa Cruz, CA 95060 Santa Cruz County
Buy California State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 36° 59.265', W 122° 1.793'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 1785 views
Inscription

History of the Tannery

For 145 years, Santa Cruz was a leading source of tanned hides, first in California and later throughout the world. After the Gold Rush, people were clamoring for leather goods - boots, harnesses, and machinery belts for farming and mining equipment. The Santa Cruz region with its ranchos and cattle, abundant water, tanoak forests, limestone deposits, and access by sea was well suited to support the growing industry.

Three tanneries have operated on this site where Pogonip Creek meets the San Lorenzo River. The earliest was Grove Tannery, a small operation started in 1856, which was almost entirely washed away in the flood of 1861. Then came Kron Tannery, which by the 1890s employed 50 workers. Kullman Salz Company, which later became Salz Tannery, took over in 1918. By the 1960s Salz Tannery employed 400 people, processed about 13 million square feet of leather a year, and sold to customers around the world. By the 1990s much of the leather industry had shifted overseas and Salz, the oldest, longest running tannery in California closed in 2001.

Today this site along the San Lorenzo River continues to bustle with activity. Artists have moved into the historic, refurbished buildings where leather tanners once worked. The Tannery Arts Center, part of a long tradition of local craftsmanship and industry, continues as an integral part of life and work in Santa Cruz County.
Details
HM NumberHM16N3
Tags
,
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Saturday, October 18th, 2014 at 12:51pm PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)10S E 586332 N 4093953
Decimal Degrees36.98775000, -122.02988333
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 36° 59.265', W 122° 1.793'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds36° 59' 15.90" N, 122° 1' 47.58" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)408, 831, 650
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 1060 River St, Santa Cruz CA 95060, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Nearby Markersshow on map
Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. Does the marker have a number?
  8. What year was the marker erected?
  9. Who or what organization placed the marker?
  10. This marker needs at least one picture.
  11. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  12. Is the marker in the median?
© 2025  Historical Marker Project.  All Rights Reserved.
All registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
HMP is owned and operated by 3RiverDev (Fort Wayne, Indiana).
Terms and Conditions   |   Privacy Policy   |   Disclaimers   |   About   |   Contact Us