KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
On July 13, 1884, oilmen Wallace Hardison and Lyman Stewart began drilling Star No. 1, a venture under the California Star Oil Works, in Pico Canyon, just west of modern-day Santa Clarita.
Though less well-known than the more famous Pico No. 4 strike of 1876, Star No. 1 played an important role in sustaining the region’s growing oil industry.
The Star No. 1 well operated until March 28, 1885, contributing to the expanding energy economy of 1880s California.
As part of their local expansion, Hardison and Stewart also established a warehouse in downtown Newhall, located across Railroad Avenue from Campton’s General Store, supporting logistics and storage for their oil operations.
Initially operated by the Hardison & Stewart Oil Company, Star No. 1 was part of a broader effort that eventually led to a three-way merger in October 1890. The company joined forces with Thomas Bard’s Sespe and Torrey Canyon interests to form the Union Oil Company of California, headquartered in Santa Paula.
The early efforts of pioneers like Hardison and Stewart—drilling wells such as Star No. 1—laid the groundwork for Union Oil’s growth into a major oil company. That legacy ultimately culminated in Union Oil’s acquisition by Chevron Corporation in 2005.
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