Awaiting us this fine June Santa Clarita morn is a most interesting trek, filled with ghosts, local movies and the local Uth Am River. We’ll also tip our cowboy toppers in a teary adios to not only one of the most influential people in valley history, but modern world history as well.
C’mon, saddlepals, saddlepalettes, saddleboys, saddlegirls and saddletykes. Atop a tall steed with pals and family, and nothing but time to waste — it doesn’t get any better than this …
WAY, WAY BACK WHEN
BABYLON. IT’S NOT IN SAUGUS. — Apologies up front for my tardiness, plus, this flirts with being non-local, but I stumbled upon these little tidbits a while back on the subject of Father’s Day. Which was LAST weekend. Think of it as a slightly belated gift. Anywho. The first known tribute to a dad was written by Elmesu of Babylon about 4,000 years ago. Elmesu implored the gods to grant his dad “good health and enduring days.”
GEEZ, DAD. YOU MIGHT HAVE A POINT! — In some pre-Christian tribes, it was considered a crime, punishable by death, to disagree with one’s father.
SORRY, POPS. LOOKS LIKE IT’S OFF TO BUILD A BIG HUGE TEMPLE IS IN THE CARDS FOR YOU — The father, in some cultures even today, is in charge of arranging marriages for his offspring. They have no say in it. But in India, the daughter can get revenge. If a father got too deeply into debt, the daughter could sell him into slavery.
SOMEHOW, HIGHWAY 4 BECAME HIGHWAY 5 — The state began construction on the historic “New” Ridge Route in June of 1912, linking Castaic with the San Joaquin Valley and beyond. Originally of course, the road had been a gaming trail and it wasn’t until 1855 you could take a wagon across. The first non-Native American we know to have traversed it was Don Pedro Fages, who hiked it in 1772. Today, it’s a 90-minute romp up Interstate 5 to Bakersfield, but back then, it was a two- to three-day ride on horseback (less for us grizzled time travelers) and don’t even think about crossing it during the winter. The road had 3,500 curves in it from Castaic to the Grapevine and cost a whopping $3 million to build. It opened in July 1915 and was christened State Highway 4.
DIDN’T LIVE LONG ENOUGH TO ENJOY IT — This wasn’t a great week for the health of Santa Clarita Valley giants. Antonio del Valle, who was deeded the entire valley in lieu of military wages, died on June 21, 1841, less than two years after being deeded all that land.
UTH AM. SORT OF A CROSS BETWEEN ‘RUTH’ AND ‘TRANS AM?’ — Before it was the Santa Clara River, the Chumash called that on-again, off-again body of water, the mighty “Uth Am.” It originated in the Aliso Canyon area, southeast of Acton and ends 84 miles later in the Pacific Ocean.
THE SCV: A VACATION MECCA — A Dr. Baer used to own a good chunk of Whitney Canyon and turned it into a resort, complete with cottages, a clubhouse, water slide, swimming pool and dance area. That was in the early 20th century. Alas, it’s not there anymore, but you can still see some of the old building foundations.
JUNE 21, 1925
THE DEADLIEST JOB IN THE SCV — The valley was still mourning the loss of constable Jack Pilcher, who was accidentally shot between the eyes when his partner’s revolver fell out of his shirt pocket and hit the floor. Old-timers recalled that the office of local constable was fraught with bizarre endings. One lawman of the later 19th century (and before Prohibition) was shot through the heart in an altercation with an outlaw outside a saloon. I’ve heard a similar story that the constable was shot in the back of the head by the bad guy. Then, in September 1924, Ed Brown was killed by Gus LeBrun in a violent shootout. Constable Pardee died in Los Angeles when he was hit by a car. And then, there was Jack Pilcher’s demise. Four lawmen in a community of 500 souls all met violent deaths.
GLADYS SET US STRAIGHT — Speaking of Pilcher, you might recall how I mentioned last week how Jack’s son, Johnny, died in a freak accident. Johnny was repairing a flagpole when the pole broke and the Pilcher boy, who was in his early 20s or late teens, fell to his death when he landed on the spike. I remember years ago, my treasured saddlepal and fountain of local information and trivia, Gladys Laney, recalled that the flagpole was at the old Felton School in Mentryville, NOT at the Pilcher ranch in Pico. She also shared another note about that haunted, poor family. A second son, Marvin, died of tuberculosis. Imagine the grief of that poor Mrs. Pilcher. BTW? Gladys lived to the ripe old age of 104 and made her transition in 2014. Ms. G was pretty much active in the community to her last days. Gladys was also the babysitter for my future father-in-law, Walt Wayman, in the 1920s …
‘DUMB ANIMALS.’ GOOD BAND NAME. — For some reason, I just love the language of this brief that appeared in the police blotter 100 years back: “Albert Hilkey, a painter, was arrested for disturbing the peace and mistreating dumb animals — 180 days.”
JUNE 21, 1935
LIKE THE OLD PATSY CLINE SONG, WITH A QUESTION MARK: ‘CRAZY?’ — On this date, Gladys Carter was ruled insane by a judge. Mrs. Carter was married to a sheriff’s deputy and suspected that her teenage housekeeper was having an affair with her husband. Mrs. Carter shot the girl dead and was tried for murder. All that awaited was sentencing to see if the woman would be set free or be institutionalized.
EXCUSE OUR DUST — The Mighty Signal was having a time of it. The main drag (Spruce Street then, Main today) was being widened again. This newspaper, along with other storefronts, had to suffer through trying to keep in business while workers rearranged everything from all the walls to plumbing.
JUNE 21, 1945
LIZ MUST’VE LOST A STEP IN THE MOVE — I can’t imagine why anyone would purposely move FROM Aspen TO Newhall, but that’s what Elizabeth Rule did in 1922. She taught seventh and eighth grade here for 23 years at Newhall Elementary and retired on this date. Funny note. She taught in Aspen for just a year and, in recalling her career, was asked if any students stuck out in her mind. Ralph Carr became the governor of Colorado. As for any Newhall alum? She couldn’t think of nary a one …
JUNE 23, 1946
ADIOS, DEAR PARDNER — A respectful tip of the O’Farrell terribly expensive albeit beau coup cowboy hat toward the mansion on the hill. On this day in 1946, famed silent movie star William S. Hart died, leaving most of his fortune and estate to Los Angeles County — and $1 to anyone who would contest his will. His son and ex-wife did, starting a decade-long series of court dramatics to rival the Michael Jackson trial. Obviously, with the long-lasting impact he had on this community going back a century, I’ve often put forth that the Western actor is one of this valley’s most influential citizens. That ripples out to the entire planet. Hart created the modern cinematic cowboy, the Good vs. Evil hero that even though doomed to failure and against impossible odds, will always do the right thing. That ideal shaped the entire American persona around the globe and to this day, other people see this country as a cowboy, who behaves not in nuances, but in black-and-white morality.
JUNE 21, 1955
OVINE. BOVINE. WHATEVER IT TAKES — You don’t see want ads like this anymore. On this date, in the classifieds of The Mighty Signal, this advertisement appeared: “WANTED: Herd of Sheep to clean up two large fields, lots of feed and water, Murphy Ranch in Saugus.” Geez. I used to be able to look out my office window and see every spring the Renta-Herd of ovine, nibbling away at the dried grass next hill over. (I put in the occasional ag term like ‘ovine’ just to annoy Signal Editor Tim Whyte so he has to look it up …)
JUNE 21, 1965
BOB THE GHOST — They say his ghost still haunts the confines of his old theater. On this date, Robert E. Callahan held the grand opening of his Indian Village Theater way up Sierra Highway. Callahan originally started his eclectic set-up in Los Angeles in 1943, calling it the Mission Village. He bought some property 7 miles up from the Mint Canyon Junction and built the theater and oddball museum/tourist trap. Silent screen star Francis X. Bushman was the guest of honor at the opening. Later, Callahan would sell the property and it would be home to the Canyon Theater Guild.
TEE FOR MORE THAN TWO — June 21 marked the grand opening of the Valencia Golf Course.
DOUBT IF THERE’S GOING TO BE A REUNION GET-TOGETHER — This week also marks the anniversary of the first graduating class of Sierra Vista Junior High.
JUNE 21, 1975
CAN’T SAY I MISS ’EM, BUT — On this date, due to state budget constraints, the $9 million yearly PVI program was killed by the state. PVI stands for Personal Vehicle Inspection. That’s when the California Highway Patrol could randomly pull over a vehicle and give them a 15-minute once-over.
RICH MAN, NEWHALL MAN — The cast and crew of one of TV’s biggest miniseries, “Rich Man, Poor Man,” took over part of downtown Newhall for filming. The old post office and the corner of 8th and today’s Main Street were turned into a 1940s used car lot for a few scenes.
$18,000. THAT’S LIKE ONE LIVE AUCTION ITEM TODAY — Our local Boys & Girls Club just held a fairly successful auction. Fifty years ago, the B&G auction took in a “very successful” $18,000. Geez. I had a string of about 30 years of working the auction …
WITH OR WITHOUT A CLU — One of my favorite actors who never really made the big time was Clu Gulager. He was named the grand marshal for our Fourth of July parade.
JUNE 21, 1985
END OF AN ERA — Thatcher Glass, once the valley’s largest employer, made its final death gasps. After filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the company founded in Elmira, New York (home of Bob Becker and Mark Twain), ended up selling all their holdings for about $50 million (not including the land). Thatcher’s founder had invented the glass milk bottle in the 19th century and turned that idea into a multi-million-dollar business. The Saugus plant was built in 1954 and was Thatcher’s No. 1 profit-maker. Up until the early 1980s, it averaged about $80 million in sales. What caused the manufacturer’s demise? Plastics, man. Plastics.
• • •
Hate like heck always when we come to this part of our trail ride — the farewell. Thanks again for the company, dear saddlepals. Look forward to seeing all y’all next week 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.
