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 ...

Today in history April 19, 1880, California’s first commercially successful oil well was patented, just west of present-day Santa Clarita.  That moment put the region on the map and helped usher in California’s oil boom. The well was more than a stroke of luck, it was also a moment of innovation. The success of Pico Oil Spring Mine Section Two ...

Courtesy of SCVNews.com State Sen. Fran Pavley authored a bill recently calling for more comprehensive and transparent reporting of oil and gas well drilling activity. Don’t miss a thing. Get breaking Santa Clarita news alerts delivered right to your inbox. This is the first step in addressing the serious deficiencies identified in how, for example, post-drilling wastewater is disposed of in underground ...