Please join local author Deborah Osterberg who will discuss her first book,   Historic Tales of Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park – Big Trees Grove   (The History Press, 2020).  

Deborah began her research to compile background material for her role as a volunteer docent at the park. She planned to conduct living history to tell the story of the site’s original Big Trees Grove resort (1867-1930).

When Joseph Warren Welch purchased the Big Trees in 1867, he became the first person to preserve a grove of coast redwoods for public enjoyment. As she commenced her research Deborah was disappointed to find so little, specific information about the resort and virtually nothing about the experiences and impressions of the resort’s visitors. As she conducted research using online newspaper and digital book collections, the groundbreaking role of the grove emerged. Visiting the redwoods in 19th century California meant coming to Big Trees Grove, the original redwood resort. As the most visited redwoods of the nineteenth century, Big Trees Grove resort played a crucial role in the growing recognition of these remarkable trees. Since no single book told this engaging story, Deborah believed that her research could help fill that gap in the written works on the park. Through extensive documentation, she was able to dispel a few myths, confirm some long-told park stories, and discover several new stories and characters who were essential in the resort’s success.

Fires in 2020 damaged nearly 40% of the magnificent redwood forests of this region. Fire touched the area’s two state parks which contain old growth redwoods: Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park and Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Though fire, sadly,  devastated Big Basin, California’s first state park, it left untouched the historic heart of Henry Cowell, the site of the historic Big Trees Grove resort.

Deborah not only wanted to make the resort era history of the park more widely known but also intended that her book would be a benefit to the park. Proceeds from her book will be shared with the Mountain Parks Foundation to help support programs at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. Deborah also continues sharing the stories of Big Trees Grove through her blog at   bigtreesgrove.blogspot.com .    

Deborah volunteers at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, where, in period dress, she interprets the resort-era history of Big Trees Grove. Deborah worked for the federal government for 27 years, including work in the museum field with the National Park Service and with the National Archives at San Francisco where she specialized in Bureau of Indian Affairs and federal land agency records.  Since June 2021 Deborah has been the Museum Curator of the Capitola HIstorical Museum.