Well. We could all use a little more beauty sleep. But nothing invigorates the soul like a ride into yesteryear on a noble steed.
Or, you could settle for a big weekend brunch that leaves you comatose and in need of a nine-hour nap. What you do on your own time I leave between you and your personal trainer.
This morning, we’ve a most interesting trek ahead. There’s con men stretching the centuries, a look at our first major trial here and a passel of other adventures, including the valley’s first swimming pool.
C’mon, amigos and amigo-ettes.
Into the magic of yesteryear ride we …
WAY, WAY BACK WHEN
PLEASE. DO YOU MINE? — On May 3, 1842, the San Francisquito Mining District was established, commemorating the discovery of gold by Don Francisco Lopez, possibly in Placerita Canyon. His relative, Ignacio del Valle, was named chairman. Old Iggy owned most of the Santa Clarita Valley back then.
AND DON’T CALL THE GUY ‘TEDDY’ — We had a pretty big celebrity staying at the Acton Hotel on May 4, 1903. President Theodore Roosevelt stopped off to visit some friends and do a little hunting.
ONE OF OUR HISTORY’S MOST INTERESTING SOULS — On May 8, 1875, a year before Newhall became a town, John F. Powell was appointed judge of the newly formed Soledad Judicial District. In 1900, he’d move into a big yellow house on 8th and Chestnut. The north part of the house started in the late 1870s. It was a board and bat number built by the Drew family. Drew was an oil rigger up Pico Canyon. Drew would later rent his home to a Dr. Kutch, an early physician here. The Mayhue family lived there in the late 1890s. Judge John Powell had been a storekeeper up at Resting Springs when the mines closed. Powell’s very first case was Krazynski vs. Sam Harper. Sam Harper was brother-in-law to Sanford Lyon. Sam’s cows had broken through a fence and had grazed up Krazynski’s pasture. (Krazynski was manager of the Lyon station.) The Powells had homestead up Dry Canyon, running cattle and sheep. Used to be a reservoir there and was home to the San Fernando Valley Gun Club. Old Johnny Powell was one of 48 names on a petition to start Newhall School District. Powell moved his judicial district office to Newhall house property in 1900 and held court until Jan 12, 1923, when he retired. Port C. Miller took over. It wasn’t ever what you’d call a full-time job. His court only held three people. One hot day, he moved his court outside and a small crowd was stung by a nest of angry bees. The district attorney from L.A. was rather miffed about holding court under a big shade tree. Powell held court at a temporary construction warehouse on the Ridge Route. Forty workers had been arrested for gambling and, instead of bringing them into town, Powell drove out at 10 p.m. and held court in the building while other workers pelted the building with rocks. When Powell and the deputies got back to their cars, all the tires were flat. Mrs. Powell ran a room and board house next to Newhall’s General Merchandise store on Market and Main opposite the Southern Hotel. Other end of the one-block street, Mike Powell ran the Palace Saloon, just south of Campton’s store, across from 8th and Main. The good justice Powell died in 1925. Fittingly, it was in court, right in the middle of his hearing a case. His old house was torn down in 1960. Glad you asked?
MAY 10, 1925
BUCKING THE ODDS — On this date, Buck took over the Woods Garage in Saugus. That’d be Buck Cutrell, not McKeon.
THE SCV’S FIRST SWIMMING POOL — Best as I can recall, the very first public swimming pool opened up a century ago. It was built by H.P. Radamacher and was at the corner of Bouquet and Soledad. The unofficial name of the spot was the Saugus Plunge. It had a cement bottom, diving board and dressing rooms. “This new plunge will be quite an innovation for the district and will save the human fishes around here a lot of long hikes to the river,” noted The Mighty Signal. Bathing suits were required, but, if you didn’t own one, you could rent one for a nominal fee. Think I’d make the investment. Don’t particularly like wearing another man’s wet drawers, thank you.
HE PUT THE ‘GR’ IN APES — Scott Resley had the biggest vineyard in the valley. On this date, he planted 14,000 new plugs to his Mint Canyon ranch.
MAY 10, 1935
THE PLANTS EXOTIC — J.E. Olmstead, who bought part of Henry Clay Needham’s spread on the south side of Newhall, added to his amazing collection of cactus. Olmstead brought in a 10-foot-high giant that was reported to be over 200 years old. Olmstead ran a famed exotic plant retreat at his ranch off what would be present-day Sierra Highway and folks came from all over to either relax or buy plants or both. You can still see the old gateway at Newhall’s new business center.
SAY IT AIN’T SO — Big rumor around town was that the railroad was going to take out the famed Newhall Tunnel and replace it with a cut. It was just a rumor, folks. There was never any plans to do such.
PRICES IN THE GOOD OLD DAYS — The new 1935 Fords arrived at Doty’s Garage and he was offering them starting at $495. Total, complete, price. That’s hardly a car payment these days. On the other hand, you could just about buy a house on an acre, in town, for $600 in 1935 …
MAY 10, 1945
THE NEWS NO PARENT WANTS TO HEAR — The dreaded telegram from the War Department came to the Castaic home of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Smart. So darn late in the war, their son, Ozal, was killed on the German front.
BIG PICKINGS FOR SLIM PICKENS — Recently we finished up the Cowboy Festival. Our lineage to epic Western shows goes way back to the 1920s. On this date, about 16,000 folks showed up to the Newhall-Saugus Rodeo at the present-day Saugus Speedway. Actor Slim Pickens took home second-place money ($44.10) in the wild bronc riding. He’s the guy who rode the atomic bomb in “Dr. Strangelove.” Slim started riding in the world-famous Newhall-Saugus Rodeo as a teen. He played hooky from his parents’ Kingburg ranch in the San Joaquin Valley to compete here, changing his name on the entry form from Louis Burton Lindley Jr. to Slim Pickens. Slim enlisted for World War II and told the recruiter his profession had been “rodeo” but the sergeant misheard and wrote, “radio” on his application. Slim missed action, spending his entire Army Air Force days working on a radio station in the Midwest.
MAY 10, 1955
THE RAIN IN MAY IN WHICH IT’S FUN TO PLAY — Funny how we had to wait so impossibly late in the season to get our biggest rain. Normally, May is as dry as a bone. But, 70 years back, the valley was pelted with 2.65 inches of rain in just three days. A few days later, we had almost another inch. Weird. A little late for the farmers, though …
MAY 10, 1965
PERSONALLY? I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE NAMED THE PLACE, ‘BOSTON’ — We’ve noted how Signal rapscallion and owner, Scott Newhall, came up with the name of Valencia for the big housing tract/community. Scottie also wanted give a new name the valley, “Valencia Valley.” It created a lot of heated debate. On this date, Scott wrote a letter to the editor under the fake name of Scott Valencia. His suggestion: “Why don’t we call it Newhall Valley?”
MAY 10, 1975
I KNEW THAT. — The list of things the Santa Clarita Valley is famous for only grows longer. On this date, Karen Forbes, 9, of Valencia, won a contest to name the new baby gorilla at the Phoenix Zoo. Karen came up with “Fabayo,” which means “a lucky birth is joy” in Swahili.
THE GUY HAD MUSCLES — On this date, Sierra Vista Junior High teacher Steve Davis was crowned Mr. California in the sport of bodybuilding. He would later quit teaching and open the valley’s first commercial fitness center.
MAY 10, 1985
THE LITTLEST HERO — On this date, 6-year-old Daniel Schilleci saved the life of his 2-year-old sister Leah. Little Leah dashed into traffic on busy Seco Canyon Road and Daniel rushed out, yanking her to safety as a car locked its brakes and skidded toward her. Way to go, Dan.
PRE-MAGA STATS — The SCV was out of step with the rest of the county. Of all our registered voters, 53% were Republicans. Countywide, only 34% were GOPers.
THAT AIN’T HAY. I MEAN, LITERALLY — Phil Thompson received the stiffest penalty under the law for defrauding several local banks. He had used false information to obtain loans and investors in his nonexistent Oregon hay ranch. Interestingly, when he was arrested, he was sitting in an Antelope Valley courthouse, waiting to be sentenced for yet another fraud conviction. Heck of a day …
• • •
Thanks so much, dear saddlepals, once again for the company. Ain’t it simply grand, learning about this wonderful valley of ours? Before I start tearing up, looking forward to seeing all you caballeros and caballero-ettes next week back here at The Mighty Signal hitching post 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.
