to
return to Old Town Newhall, USA
Year-End Report From The Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society.
Old Town Newhall Gazette, December 1996.
©1996, OLD TOWN NEWHALL, USA -- ALL
RIGHTS RESERVED.
If there's one word to describe the Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society this year, it's "busy." From bringing our visitors center closer to fruition to being key players in major developments, the Society has grown in influence and importance to the community.
A fund raising letter was sent to members and interested parties late in 1995 to raise monies for roofing the Edison and Pardee houses, resulting in the completion of the Edison roof and a good start on the Pardee.
A matching grant from the City of Santa Clarita put the project "over the top," and currently, volunteer crews from Habitat for Humanity and the Handy Workers program are placing the cedar shingles on the house, which will eventually become the Society's offices, museum and visitors center for the park and the city.
Speaking of fund raising, one of the most entertaining fund raisers we did in 1996 was staffing the bars at the city's Cowboy Poetry Festival, thanks to the generosity of the Veluzat family, owners of Melody Ranch.
For three days of pouring beer, we raised more than $3,000 and made many new friends in the process. Our name has already been bandied about for the 1997 fest; it's kind of fun to be the Official Cowboy Bartenders!
We are also planning a historic tour to raise money on the second day of the poetry festival, where patrons will be picked up at College of the Canyons and taken on a whirlwind tour of our past, complete with lunch, and dropped off at the ranch.
Our own festival, Olde Towne Days, seemed to be done in this year by Mother Nature, when winds whipped at frightening speeds through the canyons and park.
The stalwarts who braved the elements seemed to have a good time, and our volunteers were in great spirits. While it was not a great fund raiser, it is a unique event that every year acquaints thousands of kids of all ages with our colorful heritage. In fact, plans are underway for next year's event, scheduled Saturday (new day!) April 26th. Volunteers are needed; send e-mail now or call 254-1275 to help.
Heritage Junction seemed to be quite the party place in 1996, as the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce held its monthly mixer there in April and the "Harvest Moon Ball," sponsored by American Movie Classics and Continental Cablevision, lit up the night sky in October.
Of course, movie crews continue to find us interesting, so much so that a crew from the American Film Institute came back to do Part II of "Homefront," a student film about black soldiers involved in World War II. They filmed last year on some of our hottest days, and this time it was no different. Actors sweated it out in woolen uniforms for the love of their craft.
This year also saw awareness of our rich history grow by leaps and bounds, with the emergence of the Friends of Mentryville as loving caretakers of the pioneer oil town, and the Vasquez Rocks Natural Area volunteer group that hopes to build an interpretive center at the county park to further educate the public about the Indian rock art and natural areas.
Placerita Nature Center celebrated 25 years of service to the community, being the site of the first documented gold discovery in California, and of visitor-friendly nature encounters. We look forward to a coalition of historic interest groups to further our collective goal of preserving the past for the future.
The restoration and revitalization of Old Newhall have also occupied a great deal of the Society's attention.
We have been key players with the city and consultants working on the focus area and, working with William S. Hart Park officials, have expressed the hope that our joint efforts will make us the cornerstone of revitalization efforts. Because we are unaffected by redevelopment funds, park projects are continuing full speed ahead.
Two important historic sites are included in major developments: the preservation of the Harry Carey Ranch is an important element of the "Tesoro del Valle" project in San Francisquito Canyon, and what has been dubbed one of the most significant historic sites in Southern California -- the Asistencia de San Francisco Xavier at Castaic Junction -- has been donated to the Archaeological Conservancy, a national group of archaeologists involved in protecting sites across the country.
The Historical Society has taken an active role in the preservation of both sites, working with the Conservancy on the Asistencia and assuming a more hands-on involvement with the Tesoro project. Both are in the permit process right now; updates will come as progress is made.
And if all that wasn't enough, the Society "comes of age" this year, celebrating its 21st birthday at an Open House on Dec. 15th from 12 noon to 4 pm.
Come visit the Saugus Train Station, stroll into Feed Trough Canyon and see the beautifully decorated school, church and houses -- especially the Kingsburry, completed and dedicated by The Questers in October --, walk through the Newhall Ranch House, and admire the new shingles on the Pardee.
Our wonderful docents -- bless them for being there, working diligently and cheerfully every weekend -- will be happy to welcome you to step back in time, if only for an afternoon.