On Sept. 25, 1997, a 17.6-mile segment of the historic Ridge Route Highway south of Gorman was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places, recognizing one of California’s most significant transportation landmarks. Completed in 1915, the Ridge Route, officially known as the Castaic-Tejon Route, connected Castaic Junction in Los Angeles County to Bakersfield, creating the first direct highway ...

On Sept. 2, 1932, a fire destroyed the San Francisquito Canyon home of famed silent film cowboy Harry Carey, causing thousands of dollars in damage. According to reporting of the time from the “Newhall Signal and Saugus Enterprise,” the blaze began when a ranch employee entered a shed with a lit lantern to draw gasoline from a tank. The fumes ...

On this day in 1915, the town of Castaic was officially “born” with the completion of the historic Ridge Route, a winding mountain highway that transformed the once-isolated area into a vital gateway between Los Angeles and the Central Valley. Like many California communities, Castaic’s roots run deep. The Tataviam people originally called the area “Kashtuk,” meaning “eyes,” a name ...

The Santa Clarita Valley marked a major milestone on November 18, 1957, with the dedication of the Newhall Branch of the Los Angeles County Public Library, a modern, spacious facility that represented a leap forward from the small rooms and borrowed corners that had housed Newhall’s library services since 1916. The library dedication ceremony at 22704 9th Street in Newhall ...

The St. Francis Dam Disaster’s 92nd anniversary is still remembered to this day by the Santa Clarita Valley, along with other cities affected by the collapse. 92 years ago, the Saint Francis Dam broke and killed more than 400 people in Santa Clarita and the surrounding areas. Filled with water supplied by the Los Angeles Aqueduct, which allowed water to ...