Is it me or has the year 2025 just been sprinting by? One bona fide solution to that is to swing up on a fine steed, tip our hats to our neighbors and saddlepals and mosey toward that familiar spinning vortex that leads to the peaceful vistas of our Santa Clarita of yesteryear.
We’ve got some most interesting background information on the St. Francis Dam. We’ll say howdy to some movie stars, crooks and politicians, and visit the only clown to win a long-distance foot race in the Santa Clarita Valley.
I suspect you folks know the drill. You and the front of your horse should be pointing in the same direction. Squeeze the legs but not too tight. Reins not too loose and not too tight. Then hold onto your Stetson as you head through the time-warp continuum …
WAY, WAY BACK WHEN
GET AN ICE CREAM. READ A BOOK. — March 1, 1916, the Newhall County Library opened its first branch in the SCV. It was housed in the back of Woodard’s Ice Cream Parlor. Christine Woodard was the valley’s first librarian. Within three years, the Newhall Library would have about 500 books — including magazines. A few years later? Blanche Brown would be the head librarian. Her other job was being the editor of The Mighty Signal …
MULHOLLAND & THE SAUGUS AQUEDUCT OUTPOSTS — The population of Saugus rapidly increased. Where the north side of Magic Mountain Parkway is today (near where McDonald’s at The Old Road is today) there was an almost overnight construction boom in 1907. Reason? The flamboyant William Mulholland, the water wizard, was building the epic California Aqueduct.
Saugus had two of the 57 supply centers that stretched from Los Angeles to the Owens Valley. Down the road, near the present-day Bouquet-Valencia-Soledad junction, was a huge mule yard.
The aqueduct was an amazing project. It ran for over 225 miles.
Of course, the dollar bought a lot more back in those days. The bond issue that was passed to pay for the project was for just $23 million. That basically meant the project cost a rather stingy $100,000 per mile. It’s tough to get a long driveway paved today for that kind of money.
On Nov. 13, 1913, Mulholland, champing a cigar and carrying his patented gold-headed cane, opened a spigot on the hillside leading to the Newhall Pass. A crowd of about 40,000 watched as the first water passed from the Owens Valley to the San Fernando Valley.
Earlier, in 1910, Mulholland purchased 235 acres in Hauser Canyon, in Agua Dulce. He started what was then called a “model” ranch where he raised various grains and cattle breeds. Also built was a 60-by-110-foot home, barn and various guest cottages and buildings, all out of “local rock and city cement.” Some of the who’s who of the early 20th century visited Mulholland. Alas, when the great St. Francis Dam he built in San Francisquito Canyon burst, killing some 500 people, Mulholland never got to retire to the bucolic life in the SCV.
MARCH 1, 1925
HOW TO GET TO IRELAND — Despite the invention of asphalt, history still repeats. A good chunk of Bouquet Canyon is often closed to through traffic today. Road crews worked to reopen it 100 years back when it was a dirt road. Locals called it, “The Rocky Road to Dublin.”
ANOTHER LOCAL RUBE — H.H. Rube, local miner, broke the laws of Prohibition and Physics. He dipped heavily into his homemade hooch, which he claimed he kept only for “emergency purposes.” Must have been quite the planet-ending emergency. Rube drank a whole jug, went on a joy ride and dragged his car along a quarter-mile of concrete railing. He drew a $15 fine, which was a good piece of cash in 2025 — about $271 in today’s money.
MARCH 1, 1935
THE HIGH COST OF HEATING YOUR HOME — A cord of oak firewood went for $12 during The Great Depression 90 years ago. Today, it’s over 20 times that amount, if you could even find any or had an actual fireplace in which to burn it.
HOW BUCK & MY UNCLE DIED — Famed movie star Buck Jones and his cast of Bronc Busters were up at Vasquez Rocks, filming the oater, “The Trail Rider,” on this date. The A-list cowboy actor (born Charles Frederick Gebhart on Dec. 12, 1891, would die, along with my uncle Fred and his son, Fred Jr., in the famous Cocoanut Grove Fire on Nov. 28, 1942. The city of Boston nightclub blaze is still one of the worst in world history, taking the lives of 492 people. It was a mafia hangout and several building codes (including locking the doors) were ignored. Most ironically, Uncle Fred owned several theaters in New England. Two of them burned down in the 1930s. As a safety precaution, he built one of the first fireproof homes in New Hampshire …
MARCH 1, 1945
HOW MANY OF US? — It was guestimation at its best. Or, worst. Locals figured out that the population of Newhall was 3,000 and the whole valley — including to Piru, Gorman and the Palmdale city limits — was 7,000. We came to that conclusion by multiplying registered voters by 2.5. I’m guessing there are condo/apartment complexes today with more people than 7,000.
OLD-TIME CENSUS NUMBERS — Continuing with that as a model, the 1945 population of Castaic would be 294; Saugus 318; Canyon Country (then, Solemint/Mint Canyon) 332; Agua Dulce 145; Acton 313; Gorman 137 and, believe it or not, Neenach, 81. Neenach is actually a community about 15 miles east of Gorman. It was named Neenah, Wisconsin, home of a thriving Danish community. Actually, when the post office was established there in 1881, the feds goofed up the spelling and for years, the place was labeled, Neech. Over the years, an odd compromise was reached and the place was called, Neenach. Gold was discovered there in the 1930s and the “Oh Susanna” mine gave up over $7 million in ore and another operation did even better, giving up $22 million. Betcha didn’t think you’d get an earful on Neenan/Neech/Neenach, did you, saddlepals?
MORE FUN WITH NUMBERS — There were 733 homes and businesses with telephones in Newhall in 1945. That was up from 232 phones in 1939.
NO KA-BLOOEY TODAY — Ex-Marine Bob Morrill saved the day at Bermite. The brake lines to a large transport truck sprung a leak and the behemoth, loaded with high explosives, started rolling toward the cafeteria. Morrill jumped on board and slammed on the brakes before the moving bomb could do any damage to either the Saugus munitions plant or the lunch-goers.
MARCH 1, 1955
THE WIND BRINGS DEATH — A violent wind gust was blamed for the death of Dan Hetzel. His plane was slammed against the side of a mountain a few miles north of the 6S Ranch and airstrip on the Schultz Ranch in Canyon Country.
SAN FELICIA NO MORE — Work continued on the Piru Dam. Back then, it was called the San Felicia Dam.
FOUND THE TRUCK, NO CARGO — The Highway Patrol was trying to clear up a big mystery. A double rig truck went over the side of the Ridge Route and fell 500 feet. The vehicle was estimated being worth around $20,000. But there was no cargo and no driver. No one reported the accident and the owner, Morris Taylor, was never found.
WHEN ALL THE KIDS WERE INDIANS — Even 70 years back, we were wrestling with overcrowded schools. All the junior high and high school-age kids fit into Hart High, forever home of the Mighty Indians back then. The combined student body held 950 students — for the whole valley.
MARCH 1, 1965
LAST I LOOKED, LOTSA BUSINESS IN CANYON COUNTRY — Since 1940, Sierra Highway was the main road to Palmdale and Las Vegas. The new two-lane highway seriously impacted business in Canyon Country. Many businessmen and women were forced out of business and forced to sell their property and livelihood. Local merchants actually picketed the road. Know what? The state didn’t tear it out. They only widened it and made a freeway.
MARCH 1, 1975
CASPAR & THE TOXIC LEAKS — Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger waded into the Space Ordnance Systems zoning woes. SOS was in hot water — or, perhaps some rarer liquid — after being cited for 87 counts of mishandling and storing of hazardous wastes. SOS had various contracts with the Department of Defense.
WHEN THE L.A. RAIDERS ALMOST MOVED TO COC — College of the Canyons made the short list for summer training grounds for some NFL team called the Los Angeles Raiders (remember them?). There were 100 sites on the original list. It was whittled down to three. And yup. COC didn’t make the final cut. The Raiders went back up to my second home, Santa Rosa.
MARCH 1, 1985
THE ICE CREAM 8K — On this date, a runner known only as Mackey the Clown won the LABC’s 8K road race. He was the mascot for the local MacFarlane’s Ice Cream parlor on Lyons. I’m guessing if you can even finish an 8K, you can pretty much eat as much ice cream as you wanted.
• • •
Well. Here we are, back where we started. Don’t forget to unsaddle, brush down your steed and don’t give them any ice cream, no matter how much they complain. See you back here at The Mighty Signal hitching post in seven, and, until then — adios, muchachos y vayan con Dios, amigos!
Local historian and the world’s most prolific satirist/humorist John Boston hosts an eclectic online shop, bookstore and multimedia & commentary website at johnlovesamerica.com.
