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Goldies 2004 Historical Index: Santa Cruz Now and Then Oct. 17, 1769: Portola Expedition discovers area we call Santa Cruz. Oct. 17, 1989: Loma Prieta earthquake destroys over 200 buildings and kills 2 people in downtown Santa Cruz. Ethnic Distribution, 1768: 100 percent Indian. Ethnic Distribution, 2004: 0.6 percent Indian. Most Important Crops, 1768: acorns, grass seeds, hazelnuts, strawberries, blackberries and soap plant root. Most Important Crops, 2004: artichokes, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, celery, garlic, lettuce, spinach, strawberries. Goldies 2004 Contents: Arts & Culture (readers' choice) A-Z Index of Names/Places Economic Index Food & Drink (readers' choice) Goods & Services (readers' choice) Historical Index Lit Miscellaneous Movies Music Music & Nightlife (readers' choice) People & Places People & Places (readers' choice) Politics List of 'Stans' 1791: Mission Santa Cruz founded. 1834: Mission Santa Cruz closes, by which time 90 percent of indigenous people have been wiped out. 1854: A grizzly bear leaves a gaping hole in the skull of Mountain Charley, which he henceforth covers with two silver dollars. 1885: Last grizzly bear shot in Santa Cruz mountains, weighing 642 pounds. 1879: Anti-Chinese referendum of 1879 passes in Santa Cruz County. 1955: Year in which the fourth and last Chinatown burned to ground. 1920s: Decade in which the Ku Klux Klan established a chapter here. 1948: Year in which a local chapter of the NAACP formed here. Percentage of population that's African American in 2003: 1.1 percent [ Santa Cruz Week | Metroactive Central | Archives ]