Davenport & the North Coast
Whaling Station, Cement Town & Wild Coast · Santa Cruz County
Davenport, a tiny community on the wild coast north of Santa Cruz, has cycled through boom and bust with remarkable resilience. From whaling station to cement company town to quiet artists' outpost, Davenport's story reflects the broader evolution of the California coast from extraction to preservation.
Timeline
Whaling Days
Captain John Davenport establishes a shore-based whaling station at the cove that bears his name in the 1860s. Crews launch boats from the beach to hunt migrating gray and humpback whales. The whale oil industry declines by the 1890s as petroleum replaces whale oil, but the whaling legacy gives Davenport its name.
The Cement Years
The Santa Cruz Portland Cement Company opens a massive limestone quarry and cement plant at Davenport in 1906. The plant operates for over a century, making Davenport a company town. At its peak, the plant employs hundreds and the town revolves entirely around the cement industry. The plant closes permanently in 2010.
Artists & the Wild Coast
Post-cement Davenport has become a quiet outpost favored by artists, surfers, and coastal hikers. The Davenport Roadhouse serves travelers on Highway 1. The beaches north and south of town — Panther Beach, Bonny Doon, Shark Fin Cove — are among the most dramatically beautiful and least crowded on the Central Coast.
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