CAPITOLA — A landing strip was first established at Capitola in the mid-1920s. It was located at what is now the Cliffwood Heights neighborhood, east of today’s New Brighton Middle School.
After improvements, the field was dedicated on April 23, 1931, as the Santa Cruz Airport. From 1926 to 1938 the site was known as Camp McQuaide, which was used for several weeks each summer as the training camp for Coast Artillery regiments. After World War II it was referred to as the Capitola Airport and was operated by Esther and Russell Rice until it closed in October 1954.
The land was leased for strawberry growing until the mid-1960s when it was subdivided for houses. Note the fairly intact Cement Ship (the former S.S. Palo Alto) and its pier in the distance at Seacliff State Beach.