Davenport is perched on cliffs approximately 90 feet above sea level and 10 miles north of the city of Santa Cruz. The Swiss Italian dairymen who settled on the north coast of Santa Cruz County in the 1860s quickly adapted to raising cattle and farming in the surrounding fields. This thriving agricultural area began with dairies and then quickly expanded to include niche crops like artichokes and brussels sprouts. Surrounded by rich lime deposits, Davenport was, at one time, the largest cement producer in the nation. This book is an excursion through the history of this intriguing area of California.