California Biographies, Santa Cruz County.
GEORGE LIDDELL. 


Transcribed by Peggy Hooper

Source:
History of Santa Cruz County, California 
Pacific Press Publishing Company
San Francisco, Cal. 1892
By E. S. Harrison 

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm
 

GEORGE LIDDELL. 

At the time of the gold excitement in California George Liddell left his home in England, where for a number of 
years he had followed his trade of civil engineer and contractor, and with a ship load of iron houses set sail for Cal- 
ifornia, where, in San Francisco, he hoped to find his houses m great demand. The venture did not prove a success, how- 
ever, so the following year, 1851, he abandoned the idea and turned his efforts in another direction. 

Coming to the Santa Cruz mountains at this time Mr. Liddell built a steam saw mill and also constructed a water 
mill and began taking out redwood lumber. The venture proved a complete success, prospering far beyond his ex- 
pectations, and the creek on which his mills were located finally became known as Liddell's creek. This was the pio- 
neer effort in lumbering in the redwoods of Santa Cruz county, an enterprise which finally developed into a thriving 
mdustry. Receiving an injury in the mill which incapacitated him for active service Mr. Liddell retired from business and 
thereafter made his home in Santa Cruz, where his death occurred. 

Mr. Liddell had come alone to the United States in 1850. but as soon as his milling enterprise was established on a 
firm basis he sent to England for his family, consisting of his wife, formerly Elizabeth Elliott, and eight children. They 
made the entire journey from England to California, around Cape Horn, in a sailing vessel which encountered many 
perilous storms, but finally landed its passengers safely in the harbor of San Francisco. Mr. Liddell was a man of true 
pioneer mold and the work which he accomplished in the lumber interests of this locality as well as along other lines 
of activity have been of inestimable value.