On October 10, 2018, the city officially dedicated its newly acquired San Francisquito Open Space. During the ceremony, Charles F. “Chuck” Cullen Jr. pointed out the remnants of a yellow ribbon that his stepmother, Lady Linda, tied around an old oak tree 45 years earlier when she married his father. That tree still stands along Lady Linda Lane, near the ...

On October 9, 1866, George Blum, founder of the historic Blum Ranch in Acton, was born in Beggingen, Switzerland. Blum first immigrated to America in 1880, then returned to Switzerland a few years later. In 1887, he came back to the United States, this time leading a group of Swiss travelers that included his future wife, Magdalena Greutman. The couple ...

On this day in 1858, the Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoach, carrying letters, freight, and one determined reporter, rolled through the rugged canyons of the Santa Clarita Valley on its inaugural journey from St. Louis to San Francisco. The historic run marked the first organized mail and passenger service to traverse the San Fernando and San Francisquito passes. Early travelers called ...

On this day in Santa Clarita history, October 7, 1849, the Jayhawker Party crossed paths with another wagon train making its way toward California during the Gold Rush, setting the stage for a desperate journey through the desert that would eventually bring survivors to the Santa Clara River Valley. The story begins during the California Gold Rush, after James W. ...

One of the founding figures of the College of the Canyons died on Oct. 6, 2000, when the first Superintendent-President, Robert C. Rockwell passed away on his 87th birthday. Rockwell, who was hired as the college’s first superintendent-president in July 1968, led College of the Canyons through its formative years and helped establish the institution that would become one of ...

Today in 1970, College of the Canyons (COC) held its first classes in portable buildings located just south of the future Cougar Stadium. The new college, created after Santa Clarita Valley voters approved a junior college in 1967, opened with hundreds of students and more than 160 courses across subjects including art, science, business, and police science.  Classes had been ...

On October 4, 1895, future silent film legend Buster Keaton, known as “The Great Stone Face,” was born in Piqua, Kansas. Born as Joseph Frank “Buster” Keaton VI, he would become one of Hollywood’s greatest silent film comedians, celebrated for his physical comedy, deadpan expression, and stunt work. Keaton began his career in vaudeville as a child performer with his ...

On October 3, 1967, known as the “fastest man alive,” U.S. Air Force Major William J. “Pete” Knight, set world records for speed and altitude in a piloted fixed-wing aircraft that still stands today. Later, Knight would impact the Santa Clarita Valley on a governmental level. Flying the modified X-15A-2 rocket-powered plane out of Edwards Air Force Base, Knight reached ...

On this day in 1972, the name “Santa Clarita Valley” became the official title of the formerly named Newhall-Saugus area.  The origin of the name dates back a couple of centuries to July 1769, with an expedition of the Spaniards. Led by Gaspar de Portolá, their main goal was to colonize land across the California coast and expand their military ...

On Oct. 1, 1996, Valerio Gamet Batugo, later known as Bobby Batugo, died at the age of 90 and was widely known around the Santa Clarita Valley’s hospitality scene and was a pioneer in the art of mixology. Batugo emigrated to the United States in 1926 with aspirations of becoming a prizefighter. After initially landing in Washington state, he made ...