(Photo Caption: One of the most significant dates in history, period occurred eight years ago this Saturday. Indiana Rubino Boston entered this plane of existence at Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital. Appreciate the good work, hospital pals…)
We’ve got an Old Testament-like prophet passing through Newhall, Buffalo Bill’s tie-in with the American Theater, my own uncle’s last night on this plane of existence, and, everybody’s favorite — statistics!
May I have a resounding, “Yippee coyote” from the leather seats, please?
C’mon. You’re varsity riders now. Everyone check your own cinches and stirrups. Let’s mosey into yesteryear…
WAY, WAY BACK WHEN —
— Tighten up on those reins and push those heels down in the stirrups. We’re in for a rough ride. On January 9th, 1857, we had what scientists later estimated as an 8.3 earthquake on the Richter Scale, centered in Fort Tejon. It knocked over cattle, horses and the few buildings between here and there. It was one of the biggest known earthquakes in history.
— Depending to whom you spoke, Col. John C. Fremont was either an epic scalawag or a colorful patriot and adventurer. Either way, he camped out at Castaic Junction a 154 years ago on Jan. 10th.
— Then, back on January 8th, 1869, Sanford Lyon, Henry Wiley and Wurt Jenkins began drilling the first oil well in Pico Canyon, using the old-fashioned springpole method.
JANUARY 6, 1921 —
— The Signal was quite the bargain in 1921 — just $2 for a year’s subscription. Of course, we only came out once a week back then.
— Our congressman, Mr. Randall, arranged for Saugus to be added to America’s free rural delivery program. The brand new route included Saugus, Soledad and Mint Canyon areas.
JANUARY 6, 1931 —
— The Automobile Club of Southern California was basically in charge of much of the minutia surrounding the gasoline-powered carriage. A memo was passed on to them from their Detroit counterparts. It was about a judge in Michigan who ordered that immigrants from Europe could not obtain citizenship unless they first passed a driver’s test.
— Heiress Elizabeth Newhall Cheeseborough died on this date after a very short illness. She was the daughter of William Mayo Newhall, son of Newhall’s founder, Henry Mayo Newhall.
— Here’s a hot one for you. On this date, Southern California Edison announced they would make refunds. SCE had a surplus and would give its customers a little bonus around bill-paying time.
JANUARY 6, 1941 —
— Saugus professional boxer Aubrey Edward, stage name of Haystack Bud, was undefeated as a heavyweight and had never even been floored. Until now. Haystack was KOed on this date by Miss Elsie Mae Bryson. They would live on a 1,600-acre ranch in Saugus.
— Work officially began on the American Theater at Spruce and 11th (today, The American Legion Hall behind all that alleged construction in Downtown Newhall). A Mr. Rollins of Contracting Engineers Co. was in charge of the project. Interestingly, he was an old cowboy and movie actor himself, having played in several bit parts and was foreman of Buffalo Bill’s ranch. He found carpentry easier on the spine than cowboying.
— Loren and Frank Clymore took over the old Ford dealership in Newhall from Jess Doty on this date. Jess had sold Fords there for over 20 years.
— Actor Harry Carey was named president of the Newhall-Saugus Rodeo Association. A national charter member, the local cowboy gang put on epic shows where tens of thousands of folks would stream into the valley to watch and participate. Carey, famed actor and friend to John Wayne, took over for Newhall cowboy and film superstar, Tom Mix, who had president the year before. Mix and another cowboy film star, Buck Jones, died the year before. Mix had a car accident in Arizona and Buck died with my two uncles in the Coconut Grove fire in Massachusetts.
— The crime stats for the previous year were out. Sheriff’s sub-station 6 had the smallest crime rate of all 12 county districts. We had one murder and one gas station hold-up for the entire previous year (someone should clip out this statistic and send to our pal, Captain Don Rodriguez). There were seven suicides all by monoxide poisoning. There were 44 runaway kids captured. Our traffic accident ratio to deaths was simply horrendous. Out of 140 accidents, there were 35 fatalities and 236 injuries.
JANUARY 6, 1951 —
— We had a paltry half-inch of rain on this date. It did little to help the three year drought. We had but 3.34 inches in 1949 and 4.83 inches for 1950. That great winter storm of ’51 pushed the rain gauge all the way up to 1.81 for the season. Needless to say, the farmers weren’t happy.
— On this date, little Nancy Boston won a parrot at the county fair, took it home and the dog ate it. Sounds like something Tom Lee’s mutt would do. Oh. By the way. Nancy? No relation.
JANUARY 6, 1961 —
— We had quite the building boom in the Little Santa Clara River Valley in 1960. End-of-the-year figures showed there were 613 building permits, which included 225 new homes. Cost of the new construction was nearly $5 million.
— Here’s some stats for you left-brain saddlepals. There were 929 traffic accidents in the valley in 1960 with 31 of them fatal.
— Deputy Dallas Basey answered a radio call that you could describe as being rather: A) Old Testament; B) UFO; C) Blair Witch Project; or, D) Other. Driving past the Eternal Valley graveyard, he spotted the small campfire up in the hills. Walking over, he spotted a small cross hanging from a tree. In front of the fire and cross was a large, elderly man. He had a red beard down to his stomach and long matching hair. After several, “excuse me’s” from Basey, the gentleman finally rose from his knees. He was wearing a long white robe, white crucifix on a silver chain hanging from his neck and a rhinestone purse attached to his waist. The prophet-like fellow informed Basey he was practicing a spiritual ritual. Basey informed him he was on private property with an illegal fire. The prophet said there was no such thing as private property on God’s earth. The pair struck a compromise. Basey would let him spend the night if he’d put out the fire. The deputy checked on the elderly man a few times during the night to see if he was OK. Next morning, he was gone.
JANUARY 6, 1971 —
— Skunks. Lousy skunks. Apiarist Earl Thompson kept wondering who was breaking into his 30 hives. Wasn’t bears. The honey was still there but the bees weren’t. One night, he staked out the hives and watched as skunks snuck in, ate his bees and left the tasty honey.
— It was a scene out of a horror movie. A hiker stumbled upon a headless, handless corpse propped up in a sitting position near Beale’s Cut. The corpse was of a male Caucasian, in his 20s, with various tattoos, about 145 pounds and 5-foot, 9 inches tall. Sorry. Don’t know if that was without the head or with.
JANUARY 6, 1981 —
— It’s hard to describe how popular the TV show, “Dallas” was. People had regular Friday-night “Dallas” parties to watch Larry Hagman and Sand Canyon resident, Linda “Sue Ellen” Gray. On this date, local liquor stores and convenience stores started selling JR Beer. It sold out immediately. And someone said history is dull and has no meaning in our everyday lives…
JANUARY 8, 2003 —
— Inarguably one of the most important dates in SCV history. Eight years back this Saturday, my daughter, the beautiful, funny, talented, kind, artistic and mischievous one Indiana Rubino Boston was born. I am keeping her.
— — —
Well. Don’t try to sneak any of the JR Beer in your saddlebags back through the time vortex portal. A buzzer goes off. Thanks for joining me on yet another year of traveling through the back canyons of SCV history. Looking forward to riding with you again next Thursday, starting right here at The West Ranch Beacon. Vayan con Dios, amigos!
(Rumor is, John Boston is writing two more SCV history books, to be launched at this year’s Cowboy Fest. One is Crooks & Heroes, a History of Crime and Lawmen in the SCV. The other is Monsters, Mutants & Mayhem A History of Bizarre Crimes & Creatures in the Santa Clarita Valley. For more terribly interesting John Boston reads, visit daily www.thebostonreport.net.)