(Photo caption- On this date in 1921, The Signal endorsed the Ku Klux Klan. “The so-called atrocities that are being committed by the Ku Klux Klan do not seem so cold-blooded or unjustifiable when one digs down underneath the surface for the prime motives of their actions,” penned a distant Signal editorialist. “It took the hanging of three gangsters in Frisco a while ago to get the law machinery working as it should.” The Signal applauded the “…old law of the West that a man must pay with his life for the honor of a woman.” Furthermore, The Signal wrote: “If the Ku Klux Klan are going to make it their business to cope with the booze runners, kidnappers, white slave artists and others who work in the dark, we say, hop to it, Ku Klux Klan and maybe the legislature will wake up and give us a state police.” On some dark note, the editorial must have worked. We did end up getting a state police. In the 1920s, SCV had our own presence of the KKK here. They were frequently seen picnicking in the SCV and when the SCV constaple, Jack Pilcher was accidentally shot to death, the Klan sponsored his funeral in a big parade through town.)
There’s also a whole passel of interesting vistas ahead — including a visit with Charles Manson, moonshiners and epic August rains. We’ll be singing happy birthday to Valencia — they turned 34 this week. We’ve got — well. We’ve got lots of interesting history ahead so how about I stop gabbing, give a gentle click to my horsey pal and we go traipse off into former oblivion?
WAY, WAY BACK WHEN —
— Back on August 24, 1878, the Lake Hughes Post Office was dedicated.
— August 25, 1845, the Rancho del Buque was granted to Frenchman, Francisco Chari. (Chari changed his name from Francois to pass as Spanish.) Chari, a former sailor, named his big cattle spread in Bouquet Canyon the Buque Ranch after the French word for “ship.” American cartographers came along after statehood, thought “buque” was Spanish for a bunch of flowers, and renamed the canyon, “Bouquet.” It’s our longest typographical error.
— It sat at the corner of 6th and San Fernando and for years, was one of the cornerstones of the SCV. On August 26, 1926, the Newhall Sheriff’s Sub-Station was dedicated. The building is still there and is part of the Canyon Theatre Guild. No kidding, it used to be my office.
AUGUST 25, 1921 —
— The 21st major brush fire of the summer burned out of control in Lake Elizabeth. We had six different fires going at the same time this week 80 years back.
— Some things don’t change. Mothers who lost loved ones were speaking in Newhall. Long before Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), these moms were from the Anti-Saloon League.
AUGUST 25, 1931 —
— The Hauser Ranch up in the north end of Pelona Valley was raided by federal agents and local vice cops. It was a front for a huge moonshining factory. Law enforcement agents raided the ancient Hauser barn and found two epic vats of sour mash brewing — one holding 5,000 gallons, the other twice as big.
— Gardner Season? Wabbit Season? Gardner Season? Wabbit Season. Definitely, it was Gardner season. Wealthy retiree Carl Gardner went out before dinner on his large Saugus ranch to go rabbit hunting. He never made it back for supper. Police later figured out he was carrying his gun barrel up and cocked. The trigger snagged in some brush, went off and sent a bullet clean through the hunter’s head, killing him.
— The budget for the old Felton School District in Pico Canyon was released. For the school year of 1931-32, it was a staggering $3,246.99 — $1440 for the teacher’s salary.
— I’m not betting the ranch on this, but I think this was a record for August rain in the SCV. We had two rare, back-to-back late August storms roll through the SCV, dropping 1.04 in the first rain and 1.57 in the second. Both measurements were taken at the Saugus train station. That 2.61 inches was a big wallop for August. Despite the cloudbursts, there was no building damage from the local flash floods, but, the storms did damage many crops. Interesting tidbit: the rain surprised many a local. Back before air conditioning, folks used to sleep outside during the hot August nights. Hundreds of Santa Claritans were camping out when the rain hit and had to run for shelter, dragging their wet bedding.
AUGUST 27, 1933 —
— This is one of the most significant dates in local history. On August 27th, 1933, Atholl McBean was named President of Newhall Land & Farming Co. McBean may be the most influential person of the 20th century in that he essentially saved NL&F from bankruptcy and built it into one of the state’s most successful development operations.
AUGUST 25, 1941 —
— Words had different meanings back in 1941. The Signal ran a short-lived feature called, “Meet Mr. Homo.” I’ll avoid politically incorrect one-liners. It was a column about language.
— On this date, Signal editor and publisher, Fred W. Trueblood, tossed his hat into the ring for the state assembly race. He didn’t finish first. Fred wasn’t the only Signal editor to get bitten by the political ambition bug. Legendary wordsmith and dear pal, Scott Newhall, ran for mayor of San Francisco. He, too, lost.
AUGUST 25, 1951 —
— Signal editor Fred Trueblood lamented progress and over-development. Several of the old wooden buildings had been destroyed, replaced by “modern ones.” Trueblood recalled when half the main street in Downtown Newhall didn’t have sidewalks and there was a lake in front of Newhall Hardware.
— One of the causes of Fred T’s lament was the razing of the historic Soledad Hotel in downtown Newhall. Locals crowded the streets to watch the deconstruction and noted that the ancient 2-by-4s actually measured 2 inches by 4 inches. That building was originally constructed in the early 1880s by Mr. Hardison and a Mr. Stewart as a warehouse. It had actually been built about 200 yards up the road, by the old train station in Newhall and the partners moved it. After Hardison and Stewart moved to Santa Paula to start a new company (Standard Oil of California), the building was used as a residence for a number of families — the Waldies, Larkeys and Bryants. The Newhall post office, which had been in the old Campton General Store, was moved to the abandoned warehouse during the Cleveland administration, then moved back to Campton’s after Grover left office. It became a boarding house, operated by George Ashbridge. In the early 1920s, the place was bought by Mrs. Frances Phillips (credited with owning the first auto in the SCV). She ran it as a boarding house for years and then, it was turned into the Hotel Soledad. It was abandoned in the 1930s. Today, our beloved cowboy coffee shop, The Way Station, sits on the foundation.
— Over 9,000 acres in the Lake Hughes area burned and along with it, the fire look-out tower in Grass Valley. Exhausted firefighters battled the blaze for a week.
AUGUST 25, 1961 —
— Longtime community leader Ted Kornelissen died 50 years ago this week. Ted delivered the first-ever supply of gasoline into the Antelope Valley around the turn of the century. He delivered the gas in wooden barrels on a wagon pulled by mules.
AUGUST 28, 1962 —
— A great fire roared through Placerita Canyon, burning the historic Gene Autry Melody Ranch to the ground and all the sets inside. The movie studio was later sold to the Veluzat family, who placed ads in the Hollywood trades, asking for people who might have photographs of the old set (where hundreds of movies and TV shows were filmed, including the opening of “Gunsmoke.”). The Veluzats then carefully rebuilt and restored Melody Ranch from scratch (using photos of John Wayne as a measuring stick) and today, it’s one of show business’s most thriving movie locations.
AUGUST 20, 1967 —
— On this date, the planned community of Valencia was dedicated. New homes sold for about $25,000. They’ve gone up 30-fold in the past 34 years, then obviously fell to more sane levels. An interesting tidbit — former Signal publisher, Scott Newhall, came up with the name of Valencia. In an odd coincidence, Scotty had no idea that Valencia, Spain, was the birthplace of the first white man to set foot in the SCV — Gaspar de Portola.
AUGUST 25, 1971 —
— Forty years ago, Ken Como escaped from the L.A. County Hall of Records. Como had been pulled from Folsom Prison so he could testify against an old ‘sort of’ family member. The ‘sort of’ family member? Charles Manson. Como, by the way, had been arrested in Newhall three years earlier for attempted murder on a local motel owner.
AUGUST 25, 1981 —
— For years, hot rod enthusiasts used to motor all the way down to Van Nuys Blvd. in the San Fernando Valley for Cruise Night. On this date, 30 years back, some hot rodders tried to make Lyons Avenue the SCV night spot for muscle cars. Highway Patrol and local Sheriff’s rode shot gun on the kids, making sure no one loitered or bumped the speed limit. About 200 young folks lined Lyons. No arrests were made, but the Sheriff’s controversial Special Enforcement Bureau handed out 92 citations, including jaywalking and broken tailights. They also roughed up some decent citizens.
— — —
That seems to be our valley coming into focus. Looks like were back in the here-&-now. I’m headed back to Scared O’ Bears Ranch for a nap and grape soda, and not in that particular order. What say we try this time traveling again next Thursday, saddlepals, and meet back here under the warming glow of The West Ranch Beacon? Until then, vayan con Dios, amigos!
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