Over the past couple of weeks I have been listening to stories of bootleggers, outlaws, gamblers, and kitchen fights. I have been happily researching the history of the oldest building in Felton, California.

The Cremer House, built in 1875, has recently reopened as a locally-sourced restaurant and alehouse. (I'm ashamed to admit I have not yet actually tried this new alehouse but I'm dying to!)

I have learned through this piece, and others written for local blog site Mobile Ranger, that Santa Cruz County is incredibly rich in local history. There is a fascinating story behind almost every old building, but unearthing these stories takes passionate folks who dedicate hours of their time to poring over old newspaper clippings and piecing the stories together.

The story I wrote about the Cremer House came to be because a local historian, Randall Brown, was kind enough to talk to me for over an hour and then answer numerous emails about the old hotel's history. The only comprehensive history out there of the Cremer House (previously known as the Creamer Hotel) is Brown's book, The Ghosts of the Creamer Hotel, Felton: a history and it is currently only available as a reference book at the Felton branch of the Santa Cruz public library system.

The stories of so many places only resurface because of people like Brown who are fascinated by the colorful characters of the past.

I don't think I could ever rise to the level of determination that historians like Brown dedicate to their work, but after my talk with him, I do find myself itching to learn about the history of individual buildings.

Who built it? Why? How has it been used over the years? What unsolved mysteries surround the space?

There are so many questions to ask and so many places to investigate. Once you start looking at every building as an untold story, it makes the world a much more interesting place.

For the full history of the Cremer House, check out my piece on Mobile Ranger:

"The Cremer House: Scandalous Stories from Felton's Oldest Building"