Santa Clarita Valley History In Pictures

Nick Rivera's Saloon
Newhall, California


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Nick Rivera's adobe saloon in Newhall, circa 1902-1903, based on the ages of the children.

Nicanor H. "Nick" Rivera ran a combination saloon-barber shop on the west side Railroad Avenue — then also known as San Fernando Road — roughly mid-block between Market and 8th streets, just south of Mike Powell's Palace Saloon. See this image for orientation.

Photograph depicts (from left): Rose Ruiz, stepdaughter of Nick Rivera; Arthur Rivera, son of Nick Rivera; and Irene Ruiz, stepdaughter of Nick Rivera. This is the only known photograph of Arthur Rivera, who died at an early age from pneumonia.

The natural father of the two Ruiz girls was Martin Ruiz, many of whose family members died in the St. Francis Dam disaster of 1928. Rose lived to marry Ted Fosterling, while Irene (1898-1995) married Ivan "Mac" McKibben.

Nick Rivera was murdered Oct. 17, 1926, and his killers "lied their way out of convictions," according to great-granddaughter Judy Haworth. Rivera is buried in the Ruiz family cemetery in San Francisquito Canyon.

Photo provided to the SCV Historical Society by Gwen Newcomb, granddaughter of Nick Rivera. Information provided by Nick Rivera's granddaughter Rosie Luce of Porterville, Calif., and by Rivera's great-granddaughter, Judy Haworth of Woodstock, Georgia.

Further reading: Eyewitness to the 20th Century: Irene Ruiz McKibben (The Signal, 11/25/1984).


MS0194: 9600 dpi jpeg from copy print | Same as AP0220
MARTIN RUIZ &
NICK RIVERA
FAMILIES & SALOON

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10¢ Token 1890s

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Rose, Arthur, Irene ~1902

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Monarch Saloon ~1903

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Irene Ruiz's Newhall School Diploma 1914

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Irene Ruiz & Opal Mayhue 1910-1915

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Abandoned Saloon ~1930-1932

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Nick Rivera Grave

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Irene McKibben: Life Story 1984

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