Captain Lee used to tell the quarry part of the Frye’s Harbor when heading to
Prisoners Pier from the west end of Santa Cruz Island. It was more detailed,
but it’s good to see it here.
Calm Seas,
Catherine French
Writer, mentor, naturalist
805.570.0432
We are given only so many days, make each one count.
Sent from my iPad Air
Begin forwarded message:
From: California Islands Curiosity Correspondent <info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: October 29, 2020 at 12:50:41 PM PDT
To: <cfrench1366@xxxxxxx>
Subject: Fay's, Friars, Frye's or Fry's
Reply-To: California Islands Curiosity Correspondent <info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
FAY'S, FRIARS, FRYE'S OR FRYS?
SANTA CRUZ ISLAND
Late 19th century newspapers refer to the location of this Santa Cruz Island
harbor, west of Platt’s Harbor, variously as Fay’s, Friar’s, Frye’s or Frys.
Which is it? Answer—Frye’s it is—named for Alfred “Again” Frye (1839-1902).
Alfred “Again” Frye (1839-1902) and his wife, Francena “Fanny” Pettee
(1840-1898) both from Maine, moved to this island location with their young
daughter, Alice, in 1860. The family set up a squatters’ camp from which Frye
worked as a fisherman. On November 6, 1861, their son, Lambert Pettee Frye
was born at Frye’s Harbor. He is thought to be the first (and only?) white
child born on the island. He was named for his father’s fisherman friend,
Henry Lambert of Carpinteria, for whom Lambert Road is named. After several
years, the family moved off the island, eventually settling in Arizona, where
Alfred Lambert died in 1902.
Frye’s Harbor remained a popular camping destination throughout the late 19th
and early 20th centuries. In 1903, Ornithologist Joseph Grinnell described
the canyon: “Frye’s Harbor is a narrow fiord terminating in a steep-sided
canyon running back among the hills and mountains of the west end of Santa
Cruz Island. The canyon bed is lined with willows, blackberries, and a few
cottonwoods. The canyon and hillsides for a considerable ways up are covered
with fine large live oaks, manzanita, ironwood, heteromeles and a few pines.”
In the late 1920s, the Santa Cruz Island Company agreed to allow a quarry
operation to be developed at Frye’s Harbor for construction of the Santa
Barbara breakwater. The first pay stone was produced and placed in 1927. The
original contractor soon defaulted, and operations were turned over to
Merritt-Chapman and Scott. Under the name of Seaboard Stone and Construction
Company, they paid royalties to the Santa Cruz Island Company based on tons
of stone quarried. Boulders were loaded aboard barges and towed across the
channel for placement along the breakwater.
The island quarry completed furnishing all of the stone for the Santa Barbara
Breakwater in 1930. Operations ceased and the quarry was demobilized.
Robert R Helen (1907-1998), was an employee of Merritt-Chapman & Scott
Corporation assigned to the Santa Cruz Island Quarry from June 1928 to July
1929. He sent a very informative manuscript about the quarry to Carey
Stanton, which is now in the Santa Cruz Island Foundation archives:
A Brief History of the Fry’s Harbor Quarry, 1928-1929
Santa Cruz Island, California by Robert R. Helen:
Today, remains of the defunct quarry operation lie scattered about the
harbor. The quarry scar is evident on the west-facing slope of the harbor.
Frye’s Harbor remains a popular destination among the boating community.
Its fun to realize the Santa Cruz Island flag, designed by Richard
Diebenkorn, is flying on top of stones quarried at Frye’s Harbor, Santa Cruz
Island 90 years ago!
Respectfully submitted,
Your Faithful California Islands Curiosity Correspondent
Special thanks to the curious who contribute to the CCIC Acquisitions Fund!
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