On this day in 1946, William S. Hart, the original cowboy star of silent film fame and Santa Clarita Valley resident, passed away peacefully at the age of 81.

Hart died at California Lutheran Hospital on June 23, 1946, with his son, William S. Hart Jr., by his side.

His longtime physician, Dr. H. D. Van Fleet, said the famed actor “passed without a struggle, quietly sleeping away.”

Though he had only been hospitalized since June 5, Hart had been battling declining health for months at his beloved 80-acre ranch in Newhall.

Born in Newburgh, New York, in 1864, Hart grew up on the rugged frontier of the Dakota Territory. A fire that destroyed his original birth records cause some sources to erroneously report his birth as early as 1862.

He began his career on the New York stage, but in 1914, he headed west and quickly became one of the biggest stars of the silent film era.

Known to fans as simply “Bill,” Hart helped define the Western hero, stoic, moral, and quick on the draw. His portrayals shaped the genre for decades and earned him immense fame.

“Bill” lived in loneli­ness on his Newhall ranch for the last three years, since the death of his “darling sister,” Mary.

During the last weeks of his life, Hart was the center of a legal battle over his guardianship between his son and two friends of the actor. The son was named guardian by the court.

Still, Hart’s legacy endures, not only through his pioneering work in film but through the preservation of his ranch, which remains a cultural landmark in the Santa Clarita Valley today.

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

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