Oh. And regarding the headline? Not to forget the birthday of Newhall Land (& Farming Co.) Eesh.
O the months turn into years. Seems like we were all making our New Year’s resolutions and here it is, a blink until June.
Fortunately, we are possessed with a magic elixir that turns years into a smile. It’s called the weekly time ride into Santa Clarita Valley history.
As usual, we’ve a most interesting trail ride into the back canyons of SCV lore. There’s the outlawing of speeding on Castaic Lake, a look at our old two — count them — semi-pro baseball teams and, in the not-so-long-ago, the story of a bald eagle flying off with a baby deer.
For you SCV newbies to the saddle, there should be this leather handle sticking straight up. If it’s in front of you, you’re off to a 50-50 start. Move ’em out …
WAY, WAY BACK WHEN
AS BOB DYLAN ALMOST SAID, ‘AIN’T GONNA WORK ON HENRY’S FARM NO MORE’ — Easily the most influential company in the history of this valley, The Newhall Land and Farming Co. was founded on this date, June 1, 1883. Margaret Jane Newhall, widow of Henry Mayo Newhall, and their five sons (kinda, it’s a complicated family) founded NL&F Co. with the offering of 10,000 shares of stock. The boys took 1,250 each and Margaret kept 2,500. The original company included 143,000 acres — or 225 square miles — of prime California real estate. The boys, at the time, were from 21 to 30 years old. Not a bad inheritance for being so young. Happy birthday today, all you Newhall Landers and to the tens of thousands — plus — who live in the homes you provided.
BIG FARMING — Few know this, but NL&F owned the million-acre Luis Maria Baca Grant No. 4 in Saguache County, Colorado, for 11 years. They sold it in 1962.
AND THE FIRST ONE WORKED SO WELL, THEY NEVER SAW A NEED TO START A SECOND ONE — Back on May 31, 1891, the Rev. F.D. Seward formed the First Presbyterian Church on Newhall Avenue. It would be the community spiritual beacon for years. Prior to the construction of the church, the Presbyterians and Methodists held their services at the Newhall Elementary School house. They sometimes joined together for joint services.
PALS WITH THE PRESIDENT — Back at the end of 1890, President Benjamin Harrison signed over a big chunk of San Francisquito Canyon to Frank Lebrun. The American rancher married a local Indian woman and homestead a good portion of the famed canyon. Lebrun also mined gold in the area before selling his real estate in 1922 to the city of Los Angeles. They built the ill-fated St. Francis Dam.
MAY 31, 1925
‘BUMPING THE OLD PILL ALL OVER THE LOT’ — Long before there were Hart or Canyon highs, or even local men’s softball leagues, we had a pair of semi-pro baseball teams. The Saugus Bobcats pretty much murdered the Newhall Tigers on this date, 25-1. I guess that counts as a sports homicide. The game was more like a track meet for Saugus. I truly love the peppy sports writing style of the Roaring ’20s. Note Signal Editor Thornton Doelle’s partial recount of the contest: “The Bobcats played a snappy game all the way through. Their fielding operations were almost air tight, and when at bat, they bumped the old pill all over the lot.”
BATSMEN, THOU LISTENEDTH NOT-ETH — By the way. After the Newhall squad lost by two dozen runs, their manager, Lee Carson, resigned. He cited that his players would not: “Lend him their ears.”
AND A CENTURY LATER, IT’S STILL A GREAT DRIVE — The Signal’s editorial was mighty simple 100 years back. It was essentially a suggestion that locals travel up Soledad Canyon to Acton (although we’re not sure the outdoorsman meant via horse or flivver). It’s such a wonderful piece of writing from editor Thornton Doelle, we thought we’d run most of it:
“Ever been through the Soledad Canyon? If not, you have missed something more than the 24 times you drive through the water where the road crosses the stream. The crosses are easy, and fun for everybody.
“The springtime green, fresh, ethereal, deep, wonderful, is now upon the trees. The canyon walls change from easy slopes to sheer cliffs. The railway runs not far away for miles. At one place, a freshet one time washed away the track for some distance, leaving a tunnel lonely and without approach … At the heart of the canyon you are shut in entirely between two tunnels through which the traffic passes, with no outlet apparent.
“The road this way is not paved — far from it. But it easily passable, and you have not seen California until you have passed from Acton down by the way of the railroad track. Go up through Mint Canyon, if you wish, but come back once or twice by way of the canyon which in early days figured in history, for it was through this canyon that the cattle were driven from the little Tujunga when the thieves found it safer to get north that way.”
MAY 31, 1935
FIRE SEASON ARRIVES EARLY AND WITH A VENGEANCE — Ninety years ago, we had 14 brush fires in Canyon Country alone in the last two weeks of May.
I’LL TAKE ONE HOUSE FOR $12.50 A MONTH ON 10 ACRES — For less than $25 a month, you could rent two unfurnished houses on 20 oak-shaded acres a couple of minutes from town.
MAY 31, 1945
MAKING WAR ON SANTA CLARITA? — Highway 99 was the main artery linking Northern and Southern California. In the closing days of World War II, many were wondering if this was a last-ditch sabotage effort, an accident or sick mayhem. A fisherman reported finding several military “booby traps” near Piru Creek. It forced the shutdown of 99 while the Army searched and collected all of them.
THE GATHERING OF GREASE — The SCV narrowly met their war-time goal of collecting 390 pounds of grease. They turned in 391 pounds. Animal fat was used to make everything from lubricants to munitions. There was the old Catch 22 joke going around town. Meat was strictly rationed, so housewives couldn’t buy meat to cook to get the grease to recycle back to the government.
THE EAGLE HAS LANDED — One of the most amazing animal stories happened 80 years ago. An oilman witnessed a giant bird, probably a bald eagle, flying just west of Castaic Junction with a fawn struggling in its claws. (We still had bald eagles here in the SCV, as late as the early 1960s …) The predator hit a downdraft and started to plummet. Close to the ground, the bird was forced to drop its prey and fly off. The oilman hurried to the wounded baby deer, wrapped it in a jacket, took it home and tended to its wounds. It was turned over to the Forest Department where it became a mascot.
WE NEEDED SOMEONE TO PROTECT US FROM OUR OWN MILITARY — May sure was the month for brush fires, at least in this particular groove of decades. Remember in 1935 we had 14 brush fires in two weeks? We had 16 blazes in ONE week 80 years back. One idiot smoking motorist was spotted flicking a cigarette into a ton of cut alfalfa on the Newhall Ranch. Interestingly, most of the brush fires were started by servicemen. They dotted the highways, hitching rides home. While waiting for a lift, they started small campfires, then left them burning.
MAY 31, 1955
THE DEVELOPMENT NAME CERTAINLY DIDN’T INSPIRE CONFIDENCE — On this date, a Los Angeles developer purchased 20 acres of former hay fields to put up some cheap housing. The name of the holding outfit? Biltrite Quality Homes Co.
HIGH-FLYING BOBBY — Hart High’s Bobby Avant, one of the school’s greatest track stars of all time, set a CIF “B” record for the high jump: 6 feet, 3.5 inches.
MAY 31, 1965
LOS ANGELES/SANTA CLARITA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, PART II — Hard to believe, but a major airport was proposed 40 years back. It was to be built in the flatlands by the Santa Clara River, just east of the present-day Interstate 5 offramp at Highway 126. Newhall Land investigated the possibility of donating the land for the strip. At the time, Van Nuys’ private airstrip was the second busiest in America (after Long Beach). The additional strip would have relieved some of the 331,000 yearly aircraft landings and takeoffs. Best I can tell driving by there the past four decades, they haven’t gotten around to building it yet. Running out of room, too. FYI? The state OK’d the construction of the future LAX right here in the SCV in the late 1930s. Bonds were passed, too. But, World War II came along and California ended up putting LAX where it is today, in Inglewood.
ANOTHER GREAT REAL ESTATE DEAL — You know how I’m always harping on you saddlepals about bringing your checkbook along? I wished I would have brought mine. Some 75 acres in lower Placerita Canyon was up for sale. Asking price was about $200,000. On a foggy day, you’d have to squint to see your neighbors …
MAY 31, 1975
KEEP YOUR SPEEDBOAT UNDER TRIPLE DIGITS — On this date, speed-testing your boat at Castaic Lake was outlawed. Seems a guy brought his drag machine to the water and flipped it doing nearly 100 mph. A gust of wind sent the expensive boat airborne. The pilot luckily escaped with minor injuries.
THE BIRTH OF MODERN COUCH POTATOES — On this date, 50 years ago, physical education became an elective.
AS THEY LIKE TO SAY, “WE DON’T WANT TO SEE YOU BACK HERE!” — Happy anniversary to Henry “Hold The” Mayo Hospital. Memorial Day weekend 50 years ago, they had their big grand opening. John Fire Lame Deer, an 80-year-old Sioux, offered the invocation. Ironically, John Deer lit up and smoked a peace pipe during his ceremony. It was blisteringly hot and smoke from a big brush fire silhouetted the ceremony. If Mr. JFLD stayed away from the hospital food, he might be 130 today …
MAY 31, 1985
AMONG THE USED CARS — Some might say, “break wind.” Others closer to the subject prefer “break ground.” On this date, 40 years back, The Mighty Signal started grading a former potato field on what would be 24000 Creekside Avenue and the world corporate headquarters. (We’ve moved a couple times and are over on Avenue Stanford today.) Must be something about Memorial Day. In 1951, TMS moved its offices from San Fernando Road to the little redwood enclave on 6th Street. The new post office would take over the old Signal building. We’d stay in those 6th Street offices until our move to Creekside on Sept. 8, 1986. Another note: We rented for 66 years. The very first Signal office was in the old wooden Swall hotel in 1919. It burned down shortly thereafter and we relocated in the new, brick Swall Hotel. The new Creekside building was the first time since 1963 The Signal had its presses on site. The paper burned again in 1963, along with its old presses. Another small tidbit: then-publisher Scott Newhall wanted the new HQ to be built on a hill overlooking the Valencia Industrial Center. There’s still a big water tower up there.
WATCH CAREFULLY, THE CHILDREN — This is a most sobering statistic. In California, drowning is the No. 1 cause of death for children under 5. Statistics for 1983 showed 139 kids under that age drowned. Gov. George Duekemejian proclaimed June as “Drowning Prevention Month.” According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, a child that age can drown faster than it takes to answer the phone. Let’s all be extra careful to watch the young ones…
• • •
Well. These being able albeit stable ponies, no need to worry finding your way back to the stalls. They’ll lead you back as if they have the path memorized. Thanks, as always, for the wonderful and fun company and looking forward to seeing you SClarita-ites back here at The Mighty Signal hitching post next weekend with another exciting Time Ranger adventure. Until then? Vayan con Dios, amigos!
Local historian and the world’s most prolific satirist/humorist John Boston hosts an eclectic bookstore and multimedia/commentary website at johnlovesamerica.com/bookstore. Pick up his two-volume set on SCV ghosts, maniacs, murderers and monsters about America’s most-haunted town — the Santa Clarita Valley — and other books.
