Today in SCV History, May 25, 1966, the Mustang Drive-In theater flickered to life for the first time in what was then a quiet stretch of Soledad Canyon Road.  Nestled in the rural area known as Honby, now part of modern-day Canyon Country, the drive-in became a beloved local landmark and a nostalgic piece of Santa Clarita Valley history. Located ...

On this day in 1860, Col. Thomas Finley Mitchell, a veteran of the Mexican-American War, settled in Soledad Canyon, establishing himself as a foundational pioneer in the Santa Clarita Valley. Mitchell was born in Robertson County Tennessee on 24 Dec., 1825, as the second son. Together with his younger half-brother, Robert, Thomas Mitchell left home in 1843, bound for Texas, ...

Today in SCV History, the site of the St. Francis Dam Disaster, one of California’s deadliest tragedies, was officially registered as a California Historical Landmark.  Located in San Francisquito Canyon, approximately 9.2 miles north of Saugus, the St. Francis Dam was part of the Los Angeles Aqueduct system.  Construction began in August 1924, and the 185-foot concrete dam was completed ...

Today in SCV history, May 18, 1978, the rock band KISS transformed at Six Flags Magic Mountain into a surreal battleground of music, monsters, and mayhem.  The band was filming one of the most iconic scenes for the infamous NBC movie KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park at Magic Mountain in Valencia. The scene, captured in the shadow of ...

On this day in Santa Clarita history, Tiburcio Vasquez, one of California’s most infamous outlaws and fugitives, was captured. Vasquez, the namesake of the Vasquez Rocks near the Santa Clarita Valley, was captured at a ranch house in present-day West Hollywood, following a lengthy manhunt by Sheriff William Rowland and a posse of armed men. The Californio Bandido was long ...

On this day in 1825, Henry Mayo Newhall—the man whose legacy helped shape the Santa Clarita Valley—was born in Saugus, Massachusetts. If you live in Santa Clarita, the name “Newhall” is everywhere. It’s on signs and schools, hospitals and highways, parks and neighborhoods. It’s a name woven into the very fabric of the community: Newhall Land, Newhall Avenue, the Newhall ...

On May 12, 1958, Los Angeles County took a bold step toward tackling juvenile delinquency with the dedication of the Joseph Scott Boys Camp.  Situated at 28700 Bouquet Canyon Road, this state-of-the-art facility became the second of eleven planned rehabilitation camps aimed at guiding troubled youth toward brighter futures. The dedication ceremony, held at 10 a.m., was attended by local ...

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 1861, the California State Assembly greenlit a new infrastructure project to carve a toll road through the Newhall Pass, birthing the main thoroughfare for travel into the Santa Clarita Valley. On May 7, 1861 the California State Assembly authorized Charles H. Brindley, State Senator Andres Pico and former Assemblyman James R. Vineyard a 20 year contract ...