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 ...

On May 5, 1828, John Lang was born in Herkimer County, New York. Lang would later become a well-known settler of Soledad Canyon. John Lang was the son of James P. Lang, an Irish immigrant, and Lucy Rarick, who had Mohawk and Dutch ancestry. James Lang, a farmer in Waterloo, Wisconsin, raised a family of four sons and two daughters before ...

President Teddy Roosevelt visits California Governor Henry T. Gage at the grand Acton Hotel during a historic stop in the Santa Clarita Valley. The lavish Acton Hotel was a two-story Victorian hotel built by Richard E. Nickel, known as the “Father of Acton,” who first arrived in town on October 11, 1887.  Nickel, the town’s second resident after his father-in-law ...

On this day in 1969, the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) broke ground for construction on its Valencia campus. Construction of the new CalArts campus began May 3, 1969 with “The Great Ground Breaking.” The centerpiece of the campus would be a five-level, 500,000-square-foot “mega-building” to house the various artistic disciplines, designed by architects Ladd & Kelsey. Though CalArts ...

Today in SCV History April 27, 1971, the Lebec Hotel was set on fire and demolished by its new owners.  Once a beacon of luxury, celebrity, and intrigue along the Ridge Route, The Lebec Hotel was deliberately set on fire and demolished by the owners at the Tejon Ranch Company.  The dramatic destruction came just two weeks after the company ...

Today in SCV history, on April 26th, 1863, the steam-powered boat, SS Ada Hancock, exploded on its way through the San Pedro harbor, killing William T.B. Sanford, who helped cut through the Newhall Pass in the 1850s. The SS Ada Hancock vessel was built at San Pedro in 1859 as a tugboat and originally operated in the harbor. In 1861, ...

Today in history on April 25, 1933, Santa Clarita Valley leader and inaugural planning commissioner, Louis Brathwaite, was born in New York City. Louis Brathwaite’s influence started off with him taking on many management positions in the U.S. Air Force. He also served in the U.S. Naval Air Reserve, retiring with 38 years under his belt. In 1969, Brathwaite then ...

On April 21, 1994, future Santa Clarita business owner Eddie Murray made Major League Baseball history by becoming the first player to homer from both sides of the plate in a game for the 11th time, setting a new MLB record. The Hall of Fame slugger would later co-own the Santa Clarita Valley’s first Mercedes-Benz dealership, located in Valencia. Born ...