Olive Trees
Olive trees were planted on the east end of Santa Cruz Island under the direction of Justinian Caire in the 1880s. Caire’s intent was to make maximum use of the island’s resources. By 1917 olives were still being harvested, and by 1922 picking was abandoned. [See letter book. 1922 abandoned. See Symes.]
Map of the Historic Olive Grove, Smugglers Cove, Santa Cruz Island
Olive Information from SCI Company Historic Records at Santa Cruz Island Foundation
In the News~
1905: “Grapes, olives, wine, poultry, sheep and wool are shipped in large quantities…” [Sunset Magazine, Another Treaasure Island by Heatherwick Kirk, 1905 (239)
February 14, 1917 [SCICo]: “At Scorpion there are but two men and the cook. They are engaged in picking olives at Smuggler’s and repairing fence.”
