In the early morning hours of March 3, 1882, an explosion shattered the quiet of Newhall, jolting the family of local storekeeper and postmaster George Campton awake.

Campton’s general store was engulfed in flames after what newspapers of the day described as an act of arson. The blast came from gunpowder stored in the rear of the building, ignited as the fire spread.

George Campton’s path to Santa Clarita began far from California. Born in the West Indies in 1839, he moved with his family to Toronto, Canada, where his father, a British Army officer, later opened a mercantile business.

At just 16, Campton launched his own butcher shop, beginning a career in entrepreneurship that would shape his role in Newhall. He later emigrated to San Francisco in 1861, worked in mining and ranch management, and in 1875 was hired by Henry Mayo Newhall to serve as superintendent of Rancho San Francisco.

When the Western Development Company, a subsidiary of the Southern Pacific Railroad, founded the town of Newhall in 1876 near today’s Saugus area, Campton left ranch management to open his own general store at the junction of present-day Bouquet Canyon Road and Magic Mountain Parkway.

On January 16, 1877, the Newhall Post Office was officially established, and Campton was appointed its first postmaster.

Two years later, when the entire town relocated south to its current site along Railroad Avenue, Campton moved his business to 8th Street and Railroad Avenue, with the family home behind at 8th and Spruce streets (now Main Street).

From there, his store became Newhall’s commercial and civic center, offering dry goods, groceries, clothing, boots and shoes, farm implements, lumber, and household goods. The post office operated inside the store, making it an essential gathering place for residents.

That general store was destroyed in the early hours of March 3, 1882.

The Los Angeles Herald reported on March 4:

“About one o’clock yesterday morning the family of George Compton [sic]… was awakened by an explosion and found the house on fire, which had made such headway that they barely escaped with their lives… in less than five minutes after they got out the whole building was a mass of flames.”

The fire was believed to be the work of an incendiary, starting in the rear of the store before reaching stored gunpowder. The explosion not only scattered flames throughout the structure but likely also saved the family’s lives by waking them in time to escape.

With no water supply available, nothing could be done to stop the blaze. The loss was estimated at $10,000, with only $4,000 insured.

But Campton’s story did not end in ashes.

By late April 1882, the Los Angeles Times reported that he had “completed and taken possession of a better built and more commodious store building on the site of the old one.”

In June, property records show he purchased additional lots in Block 25 for the new store and in Block 24 for a rebuilt family home, securing his continued presence at the heart of town.

Tragically, history would repeat itself in 1891 when another fire ignited ammunition stored inside, causing a second explosion. Over roughly 15 years, Campton would operate four different versions of his store.

Around 1900, Frank Landell succeeded Campton as Newhall’s postmaster and, in partnership with Nick Lindenfeld, took over the store’s operation. After 1914, the store was purchased by H.W. Bricker, who renamed it H.W. Bricker General Merchandise and reoriented it to face Spruce Street (now Main Street).

The circa-1914 building burned down in 1961. The site of Campton’s old store, now 24336 Main Street, served as Abe’s Pawn Shop for over 40 years before closing.

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

KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.