Aptos History Museum Needs a New Home

By John Hibble

Editor’s note: The building at 7605 Old Dominion Court where the Aptos Chamber and Aptos History Museum has been located for 29 years has been on the market for two years and has finally sold. The Chamber and Museum must move by Oct. 10.

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Aptos is an amazing place today, and it has an amazing past. These great stories come alive at the Aptos History Museum.

Back in the day, in the 1950s and ‘60s, Aptos had a historical society. Members met monthly at the Bay View Hotel for lunch. They called their group “Le Club Rafael,” (after Rafael Castro,) and they had their own cups, saucers, plates, and ash trays with logos. We have a cup, saucer, and ash tray in the museum collection thanks to Karl Mertz of the Mangels family. Members of pioneer families reminisced about the past and sent out newsletters to members. Vincent Leonard, who grew up in Aptos, wrote history stories in the local newspapers. And then, Vincent Leonard retired to Calistoga and “Le Club Rafael” faded away. Historian Carolyn Swift visited him to retrieve his historic collection of Aptos photographs.

The rich history of our community has always been subject to the ebb and flow of the stewards who carry that history with them. That is why the Aptos History Museum has become so important. For the first time, there is a place to preserve the stories, photographs, and artifacts locally.

The museum began as a community service of the Aptos Chamber of Commerce.

About 1985, Bob Bailey, the father of Robert and Paul Bailey, had a real estate office in Redwood Village and so did the Aptos Chamber. One of Bob’s clients was moving away and gave Bob a great old photograph of the Aptos railroad station. Bob gave that photograph to my wife Karen and me, and we put it up on the wall in our Redwood Village office. The photograph drew much attention from visitors and locals. Soon people were offering us more historic photographs and items of historical significance and the museum grew from that original donation.

We went to a very entertaining presentation on Aptos history by Sandy Lydon, one of the leading experts on the history of Santa Cruz County, also known as “The History Dude,” who, at that time, was the history professor at Cabrillo College. Sandy is great at making history fun and interesting.

“Aptos History” page 25