On what would be his 203rd birthday, we take a look back at the life of surveyor Edward F. Beale, who owned the land through the Newhall Pass where the Beale’s Cut Stagecoach Pass sat, providing a route between the San Gabriel and the Santa Susana Mountains.

Edward Fitzgerald Beale, born on Feb. 4, 1822, in the nation’s capital, led a life marked by military valor, pioneering expeditions, and influential public service. The son of a decorated Navy paymaster and the grandson of Commodore Thomas Truxtun, Beale’s path to prominence began with his appointment to the Naval School by President Andrew Jackson, graduating in 1842.

Beale’s naval career was defined by daring missions during the Mexican-American War. He played a pivotal role in the Battle of San Pasqual, bravely slipping through enemy lines with Kit Carson to secure reinforcements, a feat that saved General Stephen Kearny’s beleaguered troops.

Who distinguished himself carrying dispatches in California in December 1846, during the Mexican War. Engraved portrait published in John C. Fremont: Memoirs of My Life, Volume I, page 580. Note Midshipman Beale’s Mexican style jacket, wide-brimmed hat and the brace of pistols worn on his belt. (U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.)

After his military service, Beale embarked on six transcontinental journeys, including a covert mission across Mexico in 1848 to confirm California’s gold discoveries. His management skills led to his appointment as Superintendent of Indian Affairs for California and Nevada in 1853, where he negotiated peace treaties and improved conditions for Native American communities.

Beale’s adventurous spirit continued with his 1857 survey of a wagon road from New Mexico to California, famously employing camels for transportation in a bold, albeit short-lived, military experiment. During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln appointed him Surveyor General of California and Nevada, a role critical in maintaining California’s loyalty to the Union.

During his tenure in public service, Beal maintained the toll rights to the preexisting “San Fernando Pass,” maintaining and expanding it for approximately 20 years, largely through hiring  Chinese immigrants as laborers. Thus the stagecoach pass between the San Gabriel and the Santa Susana Mountain ranges was kept open, connecting Los Angeles to the north as a main inland route, allowing the passage of mail, goods, and people.

Following his public service, Beale settled on his expansive 270,000-acre Rancho Tejon estate in California and later acquired the historic Decatur House in Washington, D.C. His diplomatic career culminated with his appointment as U.S. Minister to Austria-Hungary in 1876.

Edward Fitzgerald Beale passed away on April 22, 1893, leaving behind a legacy of courage, leadership, and dedication to his country.

Edward Fitzgerald Beale, Brigadier General, U.S. Volunteers, and former Lieutenant, U.S. Navy Engraved portrait published in Bonsel: Edward Fitzgerald Beale. U.S. (Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.)

The U.S. Navy has named two destroyers in honor of Edward F. Beale: USS Beale (Destroyer # 40, later DD-40), 1912-1934; and USS Beale (DD-471, later DDE-471), 1942-1969.

Beale’s Cut continued to be used as a transportation passage until the Newhall Tunnel opened in 1910, which in turn was later demolished and developed into modern-day Sierra Highway.

Before it partially collapsed in the 1994 earthquake, the 90-foot Beale’s Cut appeared in many silent Western movies. Famed director John Ford used the location in at least four films over twenty years, beginning as early as 1917 including a famous shot of a horse and rider leaping over the gap.

Tom Mix “jumps” over Beale’s Cut in Newhall in the 1923 John Ford 5-reeler, “3 Jumps Ahead,” from Fox Film Corp. (SCV History)

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