BIG CREEK

The history of Big Creek Lumber is an integral part of what the company is today and extends back much further than the seventy-plus years we have been in business. In the spring of 1863, Joshua Grinnell, along with his wife and young step-son Vid Trumbo, started the journey west via wagon train from their home state of Iowa. Grinnell, already familiar with the central coast of California from his time spent working on whaling ships in the area, settled his family in Santa Cruz County at the end of the year and a half long journey. By 1869 he was able to mine enough gold along Major's Creek and its tributaries north of Santa Cruz to buy a 147-acre tract of land and start a small farm along Big Creek in the area now known as Swanton. Seven generations later, his descendants, the McCrary's, still call the area home... Big Creek Lumber is a family-owned and operated company that has been serving Central California since 1946. We currently operate five retail lumber yards, a sawmill,..

Also known as: Big Creek Lumber

Primary location: Watsonville United States