Silent film cowboy star Tom Mix appeared before a Newhall judge on May 12, 1920, after being charged with reckless driving through the town’s dusty streets weeks earlier. At the time, Mix was already one of Hollywood’s biggest Western film stars, known nationwide for his daring stunts and larger-than-life screen presence. The arrest occurred two weeks after the alleged infraction, ...

On May 11, 1920, Hollywood’s cowboy superstar Tom Mix found himself on the wrong side of the law in Newhall, California. The legendary silent film actor, known for his rugged charisma and daring stunts on screen, was served a warrant for reckless driving by Deputy Constable W. King Collins in Newhall. The incident stemmed from an alleged violation on April ...

On this day in 1875, John F. Powell, a 35-year-old Irish immigrant and military veteran, was appointed Justice of the Peace for the newly formed Soledad Judicial District – a vast, rugged territory stretching 1,200 square miles of Northern Los Angeles County. In the early 1870s, this region was a wild frontier. Outlaws like Tiburcio Vasquez roamed freely, and settlements ...

On this day in 1839, John F. Powell, future judge of the Soledad Judicial District, was born in Ireland. Born Dec. 17, 1839, in Galway, Ireland, John F. Powell immigrated to the United States with his parents at 15 months old. After a childhood in Charleston, Massachusetts, Powell took a Navy commission at age 19 as a lieutenant on the ...

On this day in 1875, John F. Powell, a 35-year-old Irish immigrant and military veteran, was appointed Justice of the Peace for the newly formed Soledad Judicial District – a vast, rugged territory stretching 1,200 square miles of Northern Los Angeles County. In the early 1870s, this region was a wild frontier. Outlaws like Tiburcio Vasquez roamed freely, and settlements ...