We’ve got some interesting vistas, including ancient Indian treasure caves, some not-so-nice views about our African-American saddlepals, nifty rodeo tidbits, church-goin’ scoundrels and a two-headed calf.
There’s marauding mountain lions, deadly freak snowstorms and, well. Get in the saddle and see for yourselves…
WAY, WAY BACK WHEN —
— On May 2, 1884, one of America’s most significant anthropological treasures was unearthed in a cave above what is today’s Chiquito Canyon Landfill in Castaic. Two teen-aged brothers, Everette and McCoy Pyle, discovered the cave in a treacherous 500-foot climb up a steep cliff. Inside were hundreds of Tataviam Indian artifacts. The boys sold their loot to a controversial and colorful Ventura preacher, Dr. Bowers, for $1,500 Bowers was also a newspaper editor who once punched out a person about whom he had written an editorial. Bowers in turn sold the loot to the Peabody Museum at Harvard where it still languishes today. Last we spoke with them, Harvard said they’d give the goodies back, but not until we had a better security system at the Historical Society.
— California’s first mining district was formed on May 3, 1842 at Rancho San Francisco. Ranch owner and Los Angeles mayor Ignacio del Valle was appointed chairman.
APRIL 29, 1920 —
— After World War I, lots of homesteading and homesteading nullification were going on in the SCV. Some folks were just laying claim to acreage on the outskirts of the valley and setting up farms. Other lands were being purchased after folks abandoned homesteaded lands from years earlier. The federal government was selling land under something called the Timber and Stone Law of 1878. That allowed people to buy land based on the estimates of how much the value of, well, timber and stone were on the property. The average price of around 20 acres under this law was about $100.
APRIL 29, 1930 —
— Henry Kreig, owner of the Kreig Ranch (today, Vasquez Rocks) circulated a petition around the valley, urging people not to sell their property to Negroes. Said one resident: “Out of consideration for the feelings of the community, quite a few of us have refused pretty good offers for our property from colored people, but it seems that some others have no such scruples. We, who know the pinch of hard times, sympathize with any effort to realize cash when it is possible, but to turn the neighborhood into a Mecca for Central Avenue isn’t fair to those who try to remain and make their homes here.” It should be pointed out we had a local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan here from the 1920s up to the war years.
— Two tourists from Los Angeles were reported to have driven up to Bouquet Canyon, in search of prune orchards. They were pointed further up the road by a ‘helpful’ farmer. Cripes. I suppose I should explain because we have so many condo monkeys on our history trail rides. Ready? Prunes are dried plums. Well. Usually. You can make prunes from other fruit (except for bananas).
— We were just coming out of a gas war and prices returned to normal (about 20 cents a gallon). One of our local garage owners kept up an old sign with various prices crossed out. He got quite a run of customers. Seems his last price was 1-cent a gallon. How would you like to own that sign 80 years later?
— On this date, our local booze squad destroyed 196 gallons of illegal moonshine.
APRIL 29, 1940 —
— For some, the historic 1940 Newhall Rodeo was a huge success. To others, it was a nightmare. Over 6,000 people were turned away at the gates. A county inspector showed up at the last minute and ruled that 6,000 bleacher seats were unsafe and could not be used. About 13,000 were allowed in the approved bleachers.
— Monty Montana was the grand parade marshal and it was noted that there was more equestrian finery than in the Rose Parade. Cowboy film stars Tom Mix and Buck Jones — both 60 — thrilled patrons with a chariot race. (Tommy won.) There weren’t too many pictures of the big rodeo. Seems A newspaper photographer was in the arena during the bull rides and got chased by a big Brahma. He nearly clawed down a gate trying to get away and broke his camera with all the film in it.
— On this date, actor Walter Brennan was ticketed for speeding through Newhall by local CHP officer, Bob Meyer.
APRIL 29, 1950 —
— Rawlin Bilby of Forrest Park (don’t forget last week’s lesson: Forrest is a long-standing typo; The place was called For Rest Park and a signmaker ran the letters together nearly a century back) went next door to clear up an altercation between his daughter and a teen-age boy. Voices were raised and the 17-year-old ended up whacking Rawlin with a kindling ax. Rawlin chased the boy a good distance, then dropped from a lack of blood. Despite the gruesome encounter, Rawlin recovered nicely and had some rather fetching dueling scars for his adventure.
— Ollie Taylor from China Gulch/Towsley Canyon parts saw a scene nearly reenacted from the La Brea Tar Pits millions of years ago. One of his steers had wandered into an oil bog, partially covered with water. The cow was moaning and slowly sinking toward Australia. Charlie lassoed the pitiful beast, tying one end around his Jeep and SLOWLY pulling the steer free. Charlie learned his lesson. A time earlier, he had another steer caught in the mire but pulled the creature’s head clean off with his Jeep.
— While we’re on the topic of bizarre 4-H projects, a double-headed calf was born on the TC Wood Ranch in upper Castaic Canyon. The little bovine had two perfect and moving heads. It did well for about two weeks, as well as a two-headed calf can in a world of single noggin creatures. Finally, the creature passed, unable to absorb nutrition. The only question was how did the creature pop into this dimension? Well. There were reports of uranium in the Castaic hills…
— OK. This is the final cattle saga. On this date, a mountain lion tore off half the hide of one of Roy Crocker’s prize Herefords on his Sand Canyon ranch.
APRIL 29, 1960 —
— Newhall Land and Farming Co. offered up a site to the Dept. of Water and Power on this date. The DWP had plans to build a $20 million nuclear power plant. Before the days of EIR reports, DWP got clearance to build the reactors just six weeks later. The plant was never built. To our knowledge.
APRIL 29, 1970 —
— We could fill a book with bozo hunter stories. On this date, rancher Fred Gregg found one of his cows in distress, wandering about the pasture with an arrow in its side.
— Congressman Barry Goldwater Jr. addressed 4,000 people at Arroyo Seco’s Earth Fair. BGJ lectured eloquently on saving gas and alternative uses of travel. When asked by a young and waggish yours truly reporterwhat kind of car HE drove, Jr. mumbled something about a big ol’ Cadillac…
— Pull up your collars, saddlepals. Odd as it may seem, we had a blizzard on this date. Thirty years ago, the Golden State Freeway was closed from north of Castaic to the other side of the Grapevine. An unusually late storm dumped enough snow to slick up the roads with ice cause two traffic deaths in two separate accidents. You know, we’ve had snowfall on the hills around here as late as June…
— Newhall Ford closed its doors on this date. Owner Al Colia disappeared, along with several dozen new cars. The dealership would open up with a new name and owner — Magic Ford. Years later, one of the best kept secrets in town was that Magic Ford owner Norm Gray loved the ponies and regularly wagered small fortunes at the paramutual windows. Norm once won a huge Pick Six payoff of around $1 million. Sorry. Can’t recall if it was Hollywood Park or Santa Anita…
APRIL 29, 1980 —
— As the old Church Lady from Saturday Night Live might have said: “Well isn’t THAT special.” On this date, First Southern Baptist Church of Canyon Country treasurer Doris Rendahl and the church’s financial advisor, Bill Mahoney, were arrested for grand theft. The pair surrendered after $40,000 in missing church funds somehow turned up in Bill’s checking account. Now that’s financial advice…
Thanks so much for the company this last April episode of The Time Ranger. See you in seven with a brand new Santa Clarita history adventure in the West Ranch Beacon and, until then, vayan con Dios, amigos!
John Boston not only knows pert near a complete ton of local history, he knows all the interesting stuff.