On this day in California history, the notorious bandit Tiburcio Vasquez and his gang carried out one of the most sensational robberies of the 19th century, raiding the settlement of Kingston along the Kings River in what is now Kings County.

While far from Santa Clarita geographically, the raid remains part of the broader regional history tied to Vasquez, whose criminal exploits stretched across much of California and left a lasting imprint on communities statewide.

At the time, Kingston was a busy river settlement and an important stop for travelers and settlers heading into the Mussel Slough region. 

Nearly all early Kings County settlers of the 1850s, 1860s and 1870s passed through the town, which served as a trading post, mailing point, school center and place of recreation. Known as the gateway to the Mussel Slough country, Kingston represented a “land of promise” for many pioneers. 

Today, little remains of the once-thriving community beyond a few piers from the old toll bridge and the rotted remains of the Butterfield Stage depot. 

A permanent historical marker was later placed by the state Department of Natural Resources recognizing Kingston as the first white settlement in Kings County and the site of Vasquez’s infamous 1873 holdup.

The raid took place on the day after Christmas in 1873, as a toll bridge across the Kings River neared completion. With the bridge gates not yet installed, Vasquez seized the opportunity. According to historians, he was accompanied by a dozen men — eight native Californians, two Americans and one Black man. 

The gang left their horses on the north side of the river, crossed the bridge on foot and quickly took control of the town, tying up residents and placing guards at key locations.

One of the most detailed accounts of the raid comes from Mrs. E.D. Morton, eldest daughter of pioneer Perry C. Phillips. 

She recalled that the robbers entered Kingston around dusk, first confronting O.H. Bliss, the operator of the ferry and toll bridge. Bliss was forced to the ground, tied hand and foot and searched. When he complained that his head was uncomfortable, the bandits mockingly brought him a blanket for a pillow.

As the gang moved through town, several men were stopped, ordered to lie face down and robbed. Guards were stationed at the stores owned by E. Jacobs, Louis Einstein and Sol Sweet. In the hotel saloon, more than ten men were forced to the floor and stripped of their money and watches. 

In the dining room, a guest from Visalia who refused to comply was struck with a revolver. A stage operator who attempted to defend the hotelkeeper was also beaten after knocking one of the bandits down with a chair.

At Jacobs and Einstein’s store, the safe was forced open and $800 was taken. Sweet was then marched back to his store, where an additional $54 was stolen. By the time a posse organized at the Phillips home arrived, one excited member fired a shot, alerting Vasquez and his men.

A brief exchange of gunfire followed as the gang escaped across the river. Morton later recalled watching the shooting from the upstairs porch of her family’s home, noting that one member of the gang appeared wounded and was later rumored to have died.

In all, 39 men were tied up during the raid, and Vasquez’s gang escaped with an estimated $2,500 in cash, jewelry and other valuables. The bold holdup cemented Vasquez’s reputation as one of California’s most notorious outlaws and accelerated efforts to bring him to justice. 

Though Kingston eventually faded into history, the events of December 1873 ensured the town would forever be remembered for the night it was overtaken by Tiburcio Vasquez and his gang.

To read yesterday’s Today in SCV History, click here.

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