On October 9, 1866, George Blum, founder of the historic Blum Ranch in Acton, was born in Beggingen, Switzerland. Blum first immigrated to America in 1880, then returned to Switzerland a few years later. In 1887, he came back to the United States, this time leading a group of Swiss travelers that included his future wife, Magdalena Greutman. The couple ...

On August 22, 1891, a 17-year-old Lou Henry, the future First Lady of the United States, posed with a rifle on a donkey outside Richard E. Nickel’s general store in Acton. The photo, taken by Nickel himself, is now preserved in the National Archives, with its date confirmed by the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum. That summer, Lou Henry ...

A man who was reported to have illegally dumped dirt in Acton was arrested after he allegedly brandished a pocketknife at a person who confronted him. Around 3:30 p.m. Friday, deputies responded to the 1300 block of Soledad Canyon Road in Acton regarding a reported assault with a deadly weapon, said Shirley Miller, a spokesperson for the Santa Clarita Valley ...

UPDATE: 06/15/2026 – 9:50a.m.: The Lemon Fire is 83% contained with all evacuation orders lifted. Previous story: Firefighters continue making progress on the Lemon Fire burning near Acton after flames scorched more than 300 acres over the weekend. The Lemon Fire was first reported at around 2:11 p.m. Saturday near Pearblossom Highway and Angeles Forest Highway, according to fire officials. ...

Two Acton residents spoke out this week against a county decision they say could pave the way for unwanted development but in the end, the project still got the green light. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 Tuesday to deny an appeal and approve a change to a recorded map for a vacant property north of Sierra ...

The founder and president of an animal welfare organization in Acton has been arrested on a federal criminal complaint charging him with the attempted kidnapping of a former employee who won a $6.7 million wrongful-termination judgment against him, the Justice Department announced Wednesday. Leo Grillo, 77, of Acton, is charged with attempted kidnapping, a felony that carries a statutory maximum ...

On January 24, 1888, Richard E. Nickel, widely regarded as the “Father of Acton,” was officially appointed postmaster of the young settlement. Nickel had arrived in the area the year before, relocating the former Soledad Post Office from the small mining camp of Ravenna in Soledad Canyon to his newly built general store in Acton. At the time, Nickel, then ...

Los Angeles County firefighters are drawing a firm line against battery storage projects near communities — a stance Acton residents say strengthens their fight against the massive Prairie Song proposal. In a cease-and-desist letter dated Jan. 2, Los Angeles County Firefighters Local 1014 formally urged county fire officials to halt any consideration or approval of energy storage system, or ESS, ...

On December 2, 1972, a violent confrontation shattered a quiet Saturday night at the ’49er Saloon in Acton when members of the Vagos outlaw motorcycle gang stormed inside and opened fire, leaving five injured, including one man kidnapped and slashed with a knife. The incident reportedly began as a daytime dispute when, earlier that afternoon, Acton gas station owner Tommy ...

A person was trapped after their vehicle overturned and struck a tree in Acton Monday afternoon. Around 1:25 p.m. first responders received reports of a traffic collision with persons trapped on Sierra Highway and Juniper Valley Road in Acton, said Kaitlyn Aldana, spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Fire Department. A vehicle overturned and struck a tree, according to the ...