Special Report: Inside Paradise Park
UPDATED 1/27/17 6:30 PM: Paradise Park in Santa Cruz County has had more than its share of flooding with the recent storms but there’s a lot more to it.
The area that is now Paradise Park has been in use since the Civil War. The park today is a welcoming community but also exclusive.
“We used to call it Mayberry, we’d come through the park gates and say we’re in Mayberry.” said Donna LeBeouf a Paradise Park resident.
Just off Highway 9 in Santa Cruz County sits Paradise Park, a community set apart from the nearby hustle and bustle. Some homes are big, some small – the residents though, all have one thing in common. Everyone that lives at the park is a Mason, a tradition that goes back more than 90 years. Before it was a Masonic Club, Paradise Park was a mill, producing gun powder. Lisa Robinson, with the San Lorenzo Valley Museum, has studied it for their upcoming exhibition on California Powder Works. “It was one of the early industries in Santa Cruz county” said Robinson. She says the Masonic Club bought the land in 1924 as a vacation spot to get away from the heat. “These would have been summer homes and people would have come to spend the summer” said Lisa. Much like Donna and her family have for the past 60 years. “It was my grandfather, then my parents had it we were there as children after we got married, I have three siblings we would come over with our families” said LeBeouf. Donna says the sense of community at Paradise Park is as strong now as it was 60 years ago. “Beach activities for the children, wine tasting on Thursday nights, so there’s always a neighborly get-together something on” said LeBouf. Monuments of the park’s past still remain, honoring those who died in accidents involving the mill. Including the iconic covered bridge and the Powder House. “They are very appreciative of the history being told they understand their history, they’re very willing to share their history” said Robinson.
PREVIOUS STORY: When heavy winter storms hit, they tend to hit Paradise Park in Santa Cruz pretty hard. This year, homes in the community have been flooded twice by the swolen San Lorenzo River.
As KION’s Zach Fuentes reported on storm damage this month, he learned that Paradise Park has a fascinating history. It dates back to 1924, when a group of Freemasons bought the property as a retreat from summer heat in the Central Valley. Today, homes in the community are still exclusively owned by members of the fraternal order.
Tonight at 6 p.m., in a special report, Zach gives us an inside look at a neighborhood with a unique history and a strong appreciation for the ravages of winter storms.
