Despite all the biblical catastrophes surrounding us, surely has been a gloriously beautiful week here in sanctuary Santa Clarita. Prayers and well wishes to our Southern California neighbors during these punishing times. That wished, we’ve clear and scenic trails ahead, filled with adventure and wonder.
This morning, as we make our way back into yesteryear, there’s epic earthquakes, Monkey Trees, the valley’s only First Lady, snowstorms and heatwaves to inspect.
What say we sit back in the saddle, offer an “if you please” to our noble steeds and take a trail ride into the Santa Clarita of yesteryear?
WAY, WAY BACK WHEN
SHAKE, RATTLE & ROLL — While we didn’t repeat one of the biggest earthquakes in recorded history, we more than made up for it in floods this month.
Back on Jan. 9, 1857, at 8:13 a.m., a major continent-busting earthquake that would have registered off the modern Richter Scale was centered in the Fort Tejon area. There were reports of yawning splits in the ground 10 feet wide. It was the third-largest quake on the North American continent and expelled 5.5 times the energy of the Great San Francisco earthquake of 1906.
It knocked over just about all of the few buildings here in the Santa Clarita Valley. Cows, horses and men were knocked over. A Newhall woman was killed when her house collapsed on her.
One mountain man up in the Frazier Park area reported losing his mule when the earth split and he almost fell into the chasm himself from his bedroll. It’s a good story, but we wonder what self-respecting mountain man is doing sleeping in at 8 in the morning …
CAMPING OUTSIDE, IN JANUARY? BRRRRR … — One of the West’s more controversial characters, John C. Fremont, camped out here at present-day Castaic Junction on Jan. 10, 1847. A few days later, he led troops through a pass that would later bear his name: Fremont Pass. Today, we call it, Newhall Pass.
Fremont had an interesting relationship with the 11th president of the United States. In the 1840s, James K. Polk ran for the Oval Office on one issue and one issue only: Manifest Destiny. Polk said that if elected, he would bring much (if not all) of the North American continent under American rule. He essentially annexed a good chunk of Canada (he wanted more, up to the old 54/40 line) and Mexico. He also set out to obtain Mexican-owned California.
Eventually, Polk would send the rapscallion adventurer Fremont to help conquer the western slice of the land mass.
The explorer and his 100 “geographers” were sent to start a rebellion here. Fremont even passed through Newhall several time. Polk never liked Fremont, even though they shared the same politics and appetite for empire. Polk liked Fremont even less because Polk married the president’s apple of his eye, his daughter, Jessie. The conqueror of California was 11 years older than his girl.
ALL OF THE SCV, FOR JUST POCKET CHANGE — Jan. 15, 1875, was when one of the state’s most amazing citizens slammed down a chunk of money to buy a little real estate. On this date, Henry Mayo Newhall bought most of the Santa Clarita Valley at a sheriff’s auction sale. He paid a little less than $2 an acre.
FUN WITH REAL ESTATE MATH — On a whim, I got out the calculator. There are about 104 million acres of land in California. At $2 an acre, you could buy the whole state for $208 million. I got more than a few pals who are members of the Worthless Sons of the Wealthy Landowners who could swing that kind of real estate deal …
MOVING DAY — Same day, three years later, after Henry Mayo Newhall bought the whole valley, the entire town of Newhall began its massive exodus. Newhall was actually founded on the site near where the Saugus Cafe sits today. There’s a few reasons offered why the little town of 1876 moved from its original location to around where Downtown Newhall is today. Some say it was a lack of water. Some write it was too windy. Some reported it was because it was too far from the Newhall Train Tunnel. Personally? I’d like to blame scary monsters for the move, but, alas, have absolutely no info to back that up.
FITTING. USING MONKEY TREES TO MAKE NEWSPAPERS — We’ve long been home to a rich mining history. But one of the most unusual items “mined” in the valley was Joshua trees. The Atlantic and Pacific Fibre Co. of London was run by Los Angeles attorney J.A. Graves. He acquired thousands of acres in the Santa Clarita and Antelope valleys. Under Graves’ order, they mowed down thousands of the California trees to make — sorry — news pulp. A crew of Chinese laborers worked to cut the trees into 2-foot lengths and then hauled them to a plant in Ravenna (a 19th century thriving community of about 1,000 souls located between Acton and Agua Dulce). The Joshuas were also called “Monkey Trees” then because monkeys would have trouble climbing them. I know. You’d think they’d call them Anti-Monkey Trees. The big flood of 1886 wiped out the Ravenna factory.
OUR FIRST FIRST LADY? — Speaking of that neck of the woods, one of our claims to fame is that one of our First Ladies is a native. Well. Sort of. Lou Henry’s father was manager of Puritan Mine. The precocious Lou would play in and around the mines, ride horses and live the good tomboy life. She’d end up being Stanford’s first female graduate. She would marry Herbert Hoover (the two would be caught in China during the Boxer Rebellion of 1900). Before, during and after his presidency, Mr. Hoover and his bride would return to Acton to stay either at the famed Acton Hotel or with Lou’s parents. It was reported the president enjoyed fishing in the Santa Clara River. Mrs. Hoover was a lifelong member of the Acton Community Church.
JANUARY 18, 1925
WHAT THE HECK! JUST GO BUILD IT!! — I’m sure this will bring a smirk to the faces of all the school superintendents in the valley. On this date, a local citizens committee announced their bids to build a brand new campus for Newhall Elementary (at its present location). The eight construction bids ranged from $32,421 to $44,300.
THE IMAGINARY TURKEY FISTFIGHT — Folks in the sleepy little hamlet of Newhall were also grinning over the Smith-Cunningham case. Bob Cunningham of Bouquet Canyon claimed A.E. Smith bought a passel of turkeys from him, but never paid. Then, when Cunningham went to collect the money, unkind words were exchanged and Smith beat him up. The jury threw the case out. Seems Smith’s attorney was present at the fistfight, which never occurred.
AS DAVID BOWIE USED TO SING, ‘LIKE PUTTING OUT THE FIRE, WITH GASOLINE’ — The road to hell is paved with good intentions. A passenger bus caught fire near the Newhall Tunnel and the driver safely evacuated all the passengers. He did have a problem convincing two Japanese ladies in the back that the bus was actually on fire. A passing motorist rushed to help and grabbed a large can to douse the flames in the engine. Alas, it wasn’t water in the can — it was gasoline.
TNT, FOR THEE, NOT ME — Professor T.J. Tieje, his wife and a truck load of dynamite stopped in Newhall en route to Mojave. They were leading an exhaustive study that would later determine that the desolate stretch was once a fertile plane, filled with lakes, trees and grasslands.
JANUARY 18, 1935
THE FRENCH WERE ON THE MOVE — Gene Autry led a 16-piece orchestra at the old French Village nightclub at the end of Newhall Avenue, across from today’s Starbucks. They showed a “moving picture” and held screen tests for locals. The French Village actually started out closer to where Highway 14 is today, burned down, was rebuilt about a half-mile north, burned down, then was rebuilt yet another quarter-mile north.
CAN FIGURE OUT WHERE TO PUT THE COW, BUT DON’T KNOW WHERE I’D PUT THE STOVE — You don’t see this kind of ad in The Signal classifieds much today: “Will trade for good milk cow a Coleman Gasoline Range in perfect condition. Inquire at Bricker’s Radio Store.”
JANUARY 18, 1945
NO WAY! NOTHING COULD BE WORSE THAN THE RIDGE ROUTE!! — Lt. Col. Charles Kelley just came back from duty in Asia and commented on the legendary Burma Road: “If you can remember how the old Ridge Rute used to be, and then imagine something about twice as steep and crooked, with no paving and the sketchiest kind of bridges, you can understand the Burma highway.”
JANUARY 18, 1955
NOT EXACTLY FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT AWARD MATERIAL — If you think that original design to Hart’s administration building is a bit retro, you’re right. The front buildings and administration wing were dedicated 70 years ago this week.
THE SCV BLIZZARD OF 1955 — A winter tempest punished the valley and left up to 3 feet of snow to the north and east of us. Up by Lake Hughes, a girl became lost in a blizzard after she got off her school bus. She was found a few hours later with just a few injuries.
JANUARY 18, 1965
UNITE!! OR, MAYBE? NOT? — A move to unite all the school districts in the valley into one failed resoundingly by a 60-to-40 percent mark.
TOO SCALY? — Teamsters might offer a collective sneer here. On this date, the state cut the ribbon for the new $140,000 Castaic Commercial Inspection Facility. Street name: the truck scales.
JANUARY 18, 1975
OUR WEIRD SCV WINTER WEATHER — December and January can be such odd ducks. Some years, they are wet, snowy, cold and dreary. Every once in a while, a rare hot Santa Ana blows through and we’re near triple digits. On this date, the winds raced through, knocking over trees and uplifting barn roofs. One oak split in half and crashed onto a Bug — of the Volkswagen ilk.
YOU BET YOUR BRITCHES — Besides naming a Castaic prison after him, L.A. County Sheriff Peter J. Pitchess was famous for his pants. Well. Actually, his women’s pants. It was Pitchess who handed down the edict 50 years ago that female deputies no longer had to wear skirts and could wear trousers like the guys. Local deputy Annie Allen had to endure a lot of ribbing. She had evening patrol during freezing nights and after Pitchess issued his edict, borrowed an old pair of britches from Capt. Bill Fairchild for her rounds. The other cops kept asking: “So whose pants did you get into?”
DUMBBELL BOYS & TRAIN TRACKS — Two boys and a train engineer were dealt a major scare. The kids were climbing up the front of the Newhall Train Tunnel when they dislodged several rocks and dirt onto the engine of a train coming out the exit. The engineer thought someone was trying to roll boulders onto the cab and called the police. Deputies quickly found the kids, read them the riot act and life went on.
TOO MANY PEOPLE. NOT ENOUGH SCHOOLS — Residents of Pinetree were decrying an attempt to bus their children. It wasn’t to meet racial quotas. Canyon and Sierra Vista were just too crowded. Hate to point this out now, but they built the valley too fast and advertised it as a family community without considering how to handle the staggering influx of students.
THE DAYS OF JAGUARS AND BALD EAGLES — Today, the tiny spiny stickleback has reached cult status as our local endangered species. Many of us have watched, in our lifetimes, as many creatures vanished. Gone are the local badger, chipmunks, prairie falcon and even the bald eagle. We had a good-sized population here up until the 1950s. When DDT came in as a pesticide, the last American bald eagle was spotted in around 1956. Federal wildlife people were here to investigate reintroducing our nation’s symbol into the hills of Castaic. By the way. We had spotted jaguars here in the valley back in the 1870s.
JANUARY 18, 1985
SHALL WE BRING BACK HANGING AND HORSE-WHIPPING? — Randy Gregg made the record books under dubious circumstances. He became the first person arrested in the Santa Clarita for illegally dumping toxic materials. A CHP officer spotted the teamster dumping 100 gallons of gasoline from his tanks in order to make weight. The Sacramento trucker was also charged with illegal possession of a firearm.
TOO MUCH WATER IN CASTAIC LAKE — We had some big rains at the end of 1984 and beginning of 1985 that caused Castaic Lake to overflow. That caused Castaic School to flood and be shut down for a smidgen.
AH, THE OLD COUNTRY SONG, ‘SWITCHBLADE IN MY PURSE’ — Kids. A girl had to be hospitalized after an accident on a Magic Mountain roller coaster. Seems the youth had held her purse so tightly between her legs during the ride, a broken switchblade knife cut through the purse and dug into her inner thigh. Ah, those good old days before metal detectors and strip searches at schools and playgrounds …
JANUARY 17, 1994
A BIG QUAKE IN 1857, A BIG QUAKE IN ’94 — Hard to believe, but it’s been 31 years since we had the great Newhall Quake (some misguided souls call it the Northridge Quake). A 6.7 magnitude tumbler rattled many of us out of bed at 4:31 a.m. to greet the day. It was one of the costliest disasters in American history, resulting in damage as high as $50 billion, with 9,000 injured and 57 dead. From observations at Oat Mountain, measurements indicated the Santa Susana mountains were uplifted 16 inches and in parts of the San Fernando Valley, upthrusts raised the ground nearly a yard. I remember in Placerita, all the stars were out, unaware this little portion of earth was shaking.
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As always, I surely appreciate you spending part of your Saturday mornings with me. I’ll be meeting up with all you saddlepals next week, same bend in the road, same Mighty Signal, with another exciting Time Ranger adventure. “¡Vayan con Dios, amigos!”
Local historian and the world’s most prolific satirist/humorist John Boston hosts an eclectic online store, bookstore and multimedia & commentary website at johnlovesamerica.com.