We’ve got the saga of how one tough desert oldtimer was left for dead and buried alive. He crawled out of his own grave and lived to face his attackers.
There’s movie stars and brush fires, exploding PCP labs and a bronc turning on our trail pal, Andy Jauregui.
With so many in this posse, do be careful you don’t kick your neighbor in the teeth with your spurs as you throw a boot over the saddle…
(CAPTION — SEPTEMBER 11, 1988: After 25 years of running the planet’s most eclectic community newspaper, former Signal owners, editors and publishers Scott and Ruth Newhall walked out of the paper after a legacy of confrontations with the new owner, Charles Morris, of Savannah, GA. Scott and Ruth published their first edition of the rival Citizen newspaper on this date that years later would have such an unforgettable meaning. After losing about $1 million, the twice-weekly folded less than a year later in 1989.)
WAY, WAY BACK WHEN —
— September 6, 1876, the Newhall Train Station opened where Terry Lumber sits today — in Saugus. About a year later, the Newhall Train Depot was moved a couple of miles down the road to where the present-day Jan Heidt Metrolink station rests.
— Happy birthday to our neighbors and to us! Tomorrow is California’s birthday. We were admitted to the Union on this date in 1850.
— Back on September 10, 1879, Pico Canyon oilman Demetrius Scofield started the Pacific Coast Oil Company, the forerunner of Standard Oil of California.
— September 11, 1864, Fort Tejon was abandoned. No one left a light on, either.
SEPTEMBER 8, 1921 —
— A huge fire swept through Ruby Canyon (near Warm Springs), burning over 8,000 acres and killing thousands of wildlife. This was before airplanes dropped chemicals and hi-tech fire trucks doused lines. The blaze had a 7-mile front and was battled by hundreds of men. It burned out of control since August.
— The headline on the front page of The Then-Mighty Signal from 90 years back read: “Mrs. Freeman Buried At Forest Lawn.” We’re guessing she was dead. We’re further guessing if so, she still is.
— Newhall’s Tom Mix, one of the biggest movie stars in the world later in his day, debuted his latest silent flick, “Big Town Roundup,” at the Cody Theatre in San Fernando.
SEPTEMBER 8, 1931 —
— Local work crews finished improving four miles of upper Bouquet Canyon Road. When I say, “improving,” in 1930s lingo, that means they finished filling in potholes with dirt and oiling it.
— The historic home of Judge John Powell (who led troops in seven Civil War battles and who, with Dr. Livingston, freed slaves in Africa) nearly burnt to the ground on this date. Powell had just moved out, but left a vacuum cleaner. The modern appliance was stuffed with dust and lint, which overheated in a closet and caught fire. Volunteers put the blaze out before the entire house could burn.
— Newhall Elementary’s student body saw something unusual for this early in the school year — grass. A rare August rain caused the lawn to sprout early.
SEPTEMBER 8, 1941 —
— Joe Carlton “went haywire” in the Newhall courthouse on this date. He was in for a routine traffic violation, started yelling at the judge, grabbed his file and tore it to shreds. Then he gave a lengthy speech about not being able to be an air cadet because of the ticket, knocked the bailiff over and ran away. The sad thing was Joe went in for a $5 ticket and came out with a $1,500 fine and jail time for assaulting an officer and tearing up public records.
SEPTEMBER 8, 1951 —
— Newhall’s Hall of Fame cowboy Andy Jauregui was badly mauled by a Brahma bull and was in St. Joseph’s hospital, listed under “grave condition.” He was wrangling for the movie, “Broncho Buster” at the Universal Studios lot in North Hollywood when the beast turned and caught Andy against a fence and gored him.
— School started at Hart and they experienced a big population explosion. There were 537 students in grades 7-12 in 1950-51 and 567 in 1951-52.
SEPTEMBER 8, 1961 —
— And then a decade later, there were 826 students at Hart. The newly-opened Placerita took in 528 kids.
SEPTEMBER 8, 1971 —
— An independent insurance study group warned companies to “use caution” in awarding policies to homeowners in certain Castaic and Saugus areas. Why? The insurance carriers were a little hinky about issuing homeowners policies to people living right below the new Castaic Dam.
— Forty years back, we had a rare August rain storm. It dumped about a half-inch of rain on the valley. Folks were commenting about the odd sights of umbrellas in August.
SEPTEMBER 8, 1981 —
— Someone lost a house in Val Verde. Seems the rental was being used as a PCP factory. The chemist put together the wrong mixture and, at 2 in the morning, the illegal and volatile hallucinogen went ka-blooey.
— Jack Gordon came back from the dead, literally, to face his would-be murderers. The 66-year-old Newhall outdoorsman had been camping in the desert of Imperial County and had befriend several teen-agers by giving them food and coffee. They came back friends, kidnapped him, stole his camper-truck, beat him unconscious and buried him alive. He crawled out of his own shallow grave and collapsed a few yards away. A Sheriff’s search helicopter found him in a pool of his own dried blood. Gordon recovered and identified his attackers. A year later, he testified against the eight teens who tried to murder him. Gordan traveled everywhere with a shotgun, but the young predators caught him in his sleep. He later said he held no grudge against them, but wished he would have been able to reach his sidearm. After recuperating, Gordon went to his beloved life of traveling the backcountry of California and camping out.
— City backers held a historic meeting that forever changed the face of this valley. Simply, after all their hard work and homework, they agreed to go ahead with holding a count-wide election that would create a new city. Directors of the City Formation Committee had one final task — what to call the place. The final two choices were the eventual winner — Santa Clarita. What were we ALMOST named? City of the Canyons.
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We seem to be heading for the home stretch vortex, dear saddlepals. Thanks so much for the company and surely look forward to next Thursday’s trail ride through time. Until then, keep reading The West Ranch Beacon — y vayan con Dios, amigos!
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