Hey saddlepals. Absolute vainglorious weekend in late summer to be having a trail ride through local history’s back canyons. While it’s pleasant in the here-&-now, you might want to take along a genuine Western portable saddle air conditioner that some old-timers like to call a, “… damp kerchief.” We’re heading into temperatures more familiar with Hades than Santa Clarita.
We’ll visit with one of the most powerful and influential women in local history. And, there’s the usual serving of dumbbells, misanthropes, heroes and gee-whiz after-the-rodeo cocktail party trivia that you can pass along as gospel.
That swirling time portal up ahead has our name on it. Give an extra tug on your toppers and duck your heads as you ride through to yesteryear …
WAY, WAY BACK WHEN
BIRTHDAYS ABOUND — Shall we raise a glass (of milk) and sing a birthday song to Saugus? The town was founded on Sept. 1, 1887. Don’t put down that glass. Same day, the train depots at both Saugus and Castaic were officially dedicated. If you’re thinking about commuting into L.A. or elsewhere via the rails from the northernmost part of the valley, forget it. The Castaic depot shut down eons ago.
AUGUST 31, 1924
THE GOOD OLD DAYS OF $300 NEW CARS — Mr. and Mrs. Kulick of Detroit, accompanied by W.D. Carroll, called upon J.W. Doty on this date, 80 years back. Signal Editor Blanche Brown later joined the visitors at a soiree at the home of silent film star, William S. Hart, who was decked out in his finest cowboy regalia. A Mr. Chapman, also of Detroit, joined the festivities, but was extremely nervous and didn’t want to leave his car, despite the fact it was parked at the top of Hart’s mansion. Hart made a call and asked a couple of local deputies to stand guard over the new Ford. It seems this was no ordinary vehicle. It was the 10 millionth Model T to come off the assembly line. It was making a cross-country public relations tour and Newhall was on its list of stopovers. A Model T (other than the aforementioned) cost just $295. New. Total price.
READ INTO IT WHAT YOU’D LIKE — Rural postal deliveryman Bert Tysall went on vacation, citing job fatigue. He quipped he was getting tired reading so many postcards.
AUGUST 27, 1933
OUR FORGOTTEN MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSON — This is one of the most significant dates in local history. That’s when Atholl McBean (after whom McBean Parkway was christened) was named president of The Newhall Land & Farming Co. McBean may be the most influential person of the 20th century in that he essentially saved NL&F from bankruptcy and built it into one of the state’s most successful development operations. His legacy is that instead of much of the valley being developed hodge-podge, like in the San Fernando Valley, he helped create the future Valencia communities and shape the face of Santa Clarita for decades.
AUGUST 31, 1934
MOSQUITOS. MOSQUITAS. WHATEVER IT TAKES. — It was just several years ago when county health officials were checking for outbreaks of West Nile Virus in the Santa Clarita Valley and were looking for the mosquitos that carry it. Ninety years ago, county officials (different ones) were inspecting the valley, making sure no standing pools of water were left where the little buggers could breed and spread malaria.
RE: THE ABOVE — My dear and beloved 10th grade biology teacher, Mr. Stanford, gave me extra credit back in 1965. On my own, inspired by a lecture of his, I was hiking through Placerita Canyon and came back with a shovel to break up several pools of standing water. I’m not a science guy by nature, but he was one of the best teachers I’ve ever had.
AUGUST 31, 1944
CHICKEN-KILLING WEATHER — A torrid heat wave punished the valley with thermometers hitting 120 degrees — plus. Along with the heat was near zero humidity. There were dozens of small fires around the valley. While the flames didn’t do any significant damage, the heat did. Lots of poultry farmers lost their chickens. Ouch. A hundred twenty-PLUS?
MAKING A BIG, AHEM, STINK — Judge Art Miller shared a story about a man named Joe Stink who appeared in court to get his name changed. When asked, “Why?” he replied: “I got tired of people coming up to me and asking, ‘Whadya know, Joe?’”
LOCALS DINE ON SEAFOOD — Locals were eating exotic on this date, 80 years back. A truck filled with canned abalone and cases of soy sauce crashed going through Newhall. Passers-by helped themselves to the goodies.
PAPERBOY MAKES GOOD — Joel McCrea starred in the American Theatre’s lead movie — “Buffalo Bill.” A little trivia. When McCrea was a kid, he was William S. Hart’s paperboy when Hart lived off of Sunset Boulevard.
AUGUST 31, 1954
THE POWERHOUSE MRS. PHILLIPS — On this date, Santa Clarita pioneer Frances Amanda Phillips was laid to rest. Next to The Newhall Land & Farming Co., Frances probably owned more real estate in the valley than anyone else. She was born in Buffalo Township, Iowa, in 1877 and came to Saugus in 1898 to work in the Swall Hotel. Later, she bought property and ran a couple of boarding houses, including the old Powell building and the Campton’s room and board. She was married twice, first to Sam Smith and then to Charles Delano.
No disrespect to Mrs. P, but both men died early in the marriages. She made a comfortable living leasing out land and paying men to farm it for her. She married Harry Phillips in 1913 and had two more children. She purchased the old Hardison & Stewart building (they’d go on to form Standard Oil) in 1917 from Alec Duncan back when it was called the Ashbridge Hotel.
Later, it would become the Soledad Hotel and on that site, the present-day Way Station sits. Mrs. Phillips also holds the honor of owning the first known motor vehicle in the Santa Clarita Valley — a 1908 Cadillac.
AUGUST 31, 1964
PRE-INFLATION REAL ESTATE — I’ve said it so often. It’s too bad we can’t take the past back home with us to the present. And if not the past, then at least the real estate. A huge, newly built Sand Canyon mansion on a knoll on five grass-covered acres, with a second guest house, barn and riding stables, went for $46,500. Same house today would probably be probably more than eight figures …
AUGUST 31, 1974
YOUNG JACK COULD’VE USED ONE OF THOSE WALK-IN TUBS — Jack Uhey came home for an unscheduled vacation. The Chicago Cubs rookie and Hart High graduate had a rather embarrassing injury. The recent Mighty Indian hurler slipped in the shower and broke a wrist. Fortunately, it wasn’t on his throwing arm.
AUGUST 31, 1984
AS MONTY PYTHON ONCE QUIPPED, ‘BRING OUT YOUR DEAD!!’ — We’re going to steer our steeds around this particular site. On this date, campers were warned to set up tents at their own risk up at Pine Springs near Frazier Park. Seems there was a bubonic plague warning in part of the Angeles National Forest. Several squirrels, chipmunks, mice and rats were reported carrying the Black Plague.
OUR BOYS WERE BEST IN THE WORLD! — We won the World Series 40 years ago. That would be our team from William S. Hart Boys Baseball, Bronco division. The local group of 11- and 12-year-olds defeated the Philippine national team, 7-5, in 11 innings, in St. Joseph, Missouri. Pretty much the same group won the 9- to 10-year-old World Series the year before.
OUR GIRLS WERE BEST IN THE WORLD!! — Speaking of diamond heroics, locals Samantha Ford, Lorie Fausett and Jody Schwartz played on California’s AAU team in the national championships. The girls crushed the 20-team tourney, scoring 30 runs in four games while only allowing three. Impressive.
YOUR PIE-THROWING SLAPSTICK GOVERNMENT AT WORK — That humorous (or not so) government agency, the Northwestern Los Angeles Resource Conservation District, was awaiting the final death blow from the state Legislature and a governor’s signature. The band of crooks running the environmental board had run up a fortune in self-serving expenses, from buying themselves convertible Mustangs to a house. Throw in matching racing 10-speed bikes and trips to Europe. To the bitter end, they tried to keep the agency alive. Some hoped to go on to higher office. It’s not such a far-fetched idea. Signal Managing Editor Ruth Newhall pointed out that a semi-retired “B” movie actor got himself elected to the Topanga-Las Virgenes Resource Conservation District to start his political career and he ended up being president. Yup. It was Ronald Reagan.
• • •
Well you dear folks enjoy this Labor Day Weekend. I’m reining my trusty steed directly south for the annual Boston-Peters family reunion, complete with nachos, margaritas, heated political arguments and the throwing of small children for distance and prizes. All y’all stay out of jail but if you don’t, see you back here at The Mighty Signal hitching post with another exciting Time Ranger adventure. Until then? “¡Vayan con Dios, amigos!”
If you love local history and reading about ghosts, myths and monsters, visit Boston’s bookstore at johnbostonbooks.com. Pick up JB’s two-volume set of “MONSTERS” on local horror and macabre …
