WAY, WAY BACK WHEN —
— On September 26, 1876, California Standard Oil’s historic No. 4 well became the first successful oil well in the West. It diligently pumped out crude for over a century. It was dedicated as a state historical landmark in 1977.
— On this exact date, 122 years ago, the Southern Hotel burned to the ground. It was considered a 5-star resort and one of the finest hotels on the entire west coast.
— On October 4, 1900, oil pioneer “Alex” Mentry died from a bite NOT from a black widow or bee sting which had been reported, but from a nip on the lip from a poisonous insect.
SEPTEMBER 30, 1920 —
— A group of the proverbial Local Concerned Citizens (same title and contorted faces over the decades — only the names change) banned together to fight moral outrage. Seems San Fernando High (which most of the kids in the SCV had to attend as we didn’t have a high school here until 1945) had invited some of the El Retiro students to attend their campus. El Retiro was the school for problem or “loose young ladies.” The Newhall contingent didn’t want their kids getting, well, loose. There were only about 500 souls in the valley then and most of them avoided the meeting.
— Little Newhall Elementary was bursting at the seams. The class of 1921 would be the largest in school history, with an even dozen predicted to graduate from the 8th grade.
SEPTEMBER 30, 1930 —
— Most of the roads in the valley were dirt or gravel and the first of October meant it was time to oil them. Big tanker trucks would spray a fine mist to pat the dirt down and make the water run off during the lighter rains of autumn.
— County road crews, Newhall Land & Farming folks and local mucky-mucks were all standing at the end of the Wiley Canyon Creek at the end of Newhall past 16th Street. They were starting to figure out how they were going to put a bridge across the wash to connect Newhall Avenue all the way through so folks would have a direct route to the airport. That’d be Newhall International, close to where Granary Square is today.
SEPTEMBER 30, 1940 —
— The biggest manhunt in Antelope Valley history stretched into the Little Santa Clara River Valley. Beloved Jim Millar, a county ag man, had been stricken with amnesia and turned up missing. The amnesia may have been a ruse to protect a troubled man. The seemingly happy-go-luck Millar was found dead 20 miles from no where in the desert — a bottle of poison found in one pocket, a suicide note in the other.
— The old Ridge Route was one of the most dangerous roads on the planet. In just a two-day period, there were 14 people seriously injured in various accidents.
— The Signal office was pretty crowded as last-minute voter registrations were held in the SCV. Sixty years back, we were primarily Democratic and 178 new voters showed that. Just 79 signed on as new Republicans with 10 not stating. There were two Prohibitionists registering.
SEPTEMBER 30, 1950 —
— What began as a not-so-innocent car race ended in attempted murder. Some Newhall yahoos were racing on old Sierra Highway. The race was close and there was a heated debate who won. That turned into a fistfight. And that turned into the loser coming back with gun and shooting at the other toughs. One was hit. The shooter was arrested for attempted murder.
SEPTEMBER 30, 1955 —
— The melancholy teen film icon, James Dean, who still haunts us nearly a half-century later, ate his final meal in the Santa Clarita Valley 55 years ago. James stopped at the old Tip’s Restaurant at Castaic Junction and had apple pie and a glass of milk before getting into his Porsche and heading up Highway 99. He died a couple of hours later in a car crash. Oddly enough, two other people who owned that Porsche or parts from it would later die in car crashes. Dean was just 24.
SEPTEMBER 30, 1960 —
— Progress reared its ugly head. The traffic on Lyons got so bad, the supervisors put in a stop sign at Peachland.
SEPTEMBER 30, 1970 —
— There was an unmarked hazard at the Valencia Golf Course. Seems a Mobil Oil pipeline ruptured and hundreds of gallons of crude formed a small lake. It’s been cleaned up since.
— Signal photographer Gina Urbina had her vacation cut short. She was visiting Chile during the national elections. The communists won and she beat a hasty retreat.
— This young pup named Tony Newhall added another title to his crown. The Signal publisher named himself editor. His twin brother, Jon, quit the week before.
OCTOBER 2, 1972 —
— We have been called many things over the years, some of them unprintable. This valley has been known over the years as Rancho San Francisco, Little Santa Clara River Valley, the Soledad Township, Newhall, New-Hell, Andrews, Surrey, Newhall-Saugus, Newhall-Saugus-Valencia, Canyon County, Valencia Valley and, believe it or not — even SClarita. On this date in 1972, locals voted to official call the place the Santa Clarita Valley. So far, it’s stuck.
SEPTEMBER 30, 1980 —
— Where is Dr. Nupuf? Lots of folks wanted to know. The Canyon Country optometrist, and his secretary, Michele Lackemann, had been gone for over a month. Patients would show up at the locked office and mail was piled up on the floor. He had earlier been charged with assault with a deadly weapon as part of a love triangle and was the target of several civil suits. He showed up much later to clean out his office with the statement that he was working on an important project with many lives at stake. Uh-huh.
— The valley population figures of 78,146 came out (a 60 percent increase over the decade). They didn’t include Castaic, Hasley or Val Verde because THOSE numbers had to be counted in Bakersfield while the rest of the valley was counted in Los Angeles. Ah, government…
— The Regional Planning Commission voted to limit the population of the SCV to 114,000. Geez. What happened to that great plan?
N Over 6,500 acres burned in upper San Francisquito Canyon. Huge winds fanned the flames for days.
— Former KABC TV anchorman Baxter Ward was running for re-election against this young fellow, Mike Antonovich. Baxter wanted to reactivate passenger trains into and out of the SCV to help alleviate transportation congestion and expense. Mike laughed at the guy and Ward’s idea was laughingly referred to as “Baxter’s Choo-Choo.”
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It was just a treat riding with you and I hope I’m not being impolite suggesting we do this again next Sunday? Until then, dear saddlepals, vayan con Dios, amigos!