Page 4 - califbusiness1989july

ingjust another enclave for the wealthy and comfortable. the precious cargoes of ships that had rounded the Horn. The
"I thought there was a chance we could work things out," rancho was a remote speculation, at the time, but Newhall ex-
sighs a pained Darell Phillips, a representative of Georgia-based pected Southern Pacific's new railroad to fill the Santa Clarita
Morris Newspaper Corp. who is the unfortunate bearer of Valley with settlers. Henry Newhall was, in fact, a visionary. But
Newhall's wrath. Phillips, 53, is a burly, bearded man who ac- he miscalculated by roughly 100 years. When he died in 1882,
cepts the angry outpouring because he owes his position with the vast plain still lay empty.
Morris to Newhall. And because he makes it his business to get Now the enduring traditions of Mint Canyon, Sand Canyon,
along wherever he goes. Phillips publishes Morris' six Northern Canyon Country, Newhall, Saugus and Valencia are atlastgiving
California newspapers in Manteca. He is strong, competent, way. From the imposing Magic Mountain amusement park to
conciliatory. But amid this electrical storm, he is lost. the fast food restaurants on nearby "Hamburger Hill," a new
Scott Newhall is angry because 11 years ago he was forced to order is taking hold. To better direct these forces of change, the
sell a controlling interest in his small old frontier towns incorporated them-
country newspaper, the Newhall, CA, Sig- selves into the city of Santa Clarita, popu-
nal, to Charles Morris, a soft-spoken lation 147,225, in December 1987, and
Southerner he has come to revile. Deep SCOTT NEWHALL'S HELL city fathers are busily wringing their
operating losses and a family dispute cut hands now over the rapid pace of
him off from the funds he needed to AND HAIL MARY'S development, the density of traffic
carry The Signal through to its heyday and the scarcity of affordable housing.
now. As his newspaper's most visible "We see this valley becoming one of
asset, Scott Newhall stayed on over the the great cities of the United States.
years to run the show, his baroque We think we have a tremendous op-
front-page editorials appearing in portunity to create that here," says
their customary place above the fold. Thomas Lee, 46, the slight, soft-
But a 10-year non-compete clause has spoken but powerful chairman of
finally expired, and he has redis- Newhall Land and Farming, which
covered the source of his ire: If Mor- controls much of the region's
ris does not sell roughly 20 percent of development through the vast re-
the newspaper's stock back to his son mains of Henry Newhall's estate.
Tony Newhall, The Signal's publisher, Family members still own 38 percent
he will walk out and perhaps launch a of the company, including a small
rival publication. As the grand, ele- stake held by Scott Newhall, a Newhall
gant old man rails on, Phillips and Land director. But, in recentyears, the
Tony, 47, the earnest but devoted son, "As our beautiful valley bursts with new life fragmented heirs have ceded control of
listen in silence. we dedicate this newspaper to the ultimate their company and its vast domain to pro-
challenge of the American Free Press. It
will fight your fights. .. and shed your tears." fessional management. 'We have a very
or over 100 years, Scott Newhall's OCTOBER 31, 1963 strong economy, related to Los Angeles,
family and its corporate interests, which is clearly the most dynamic city in
the Newhall Land and Farming "Los Angeles County is a vampire, gorging America today," Lee continues. 'We can
Co., have controlled this beautiful itself on a banquet of blood from weary benefit from that great economic
F mostly barren land, which was and desperate taxpayers .•. " strength just over the hill. Yet we 're sepa-
if
JANUARY 22, 1975
known to the Mexicans as Rancho San rate from Los Angeles and the San Fer-
Francisco. California's first gold claim nando Valley, and can create something
"We have excoriated U.S. Senators for too
was registered here on March 9, 1842. separate and unique."
little legislation and too much fornication;
Mexican outlaw Tiburcio Vasquez, Already, while many Santa Claritans
and scolded Los Angeles County Supervi-
before being captured and hanged in sors for too much legislation and too little drive over the Newhall pass each morn-
1875, took refuge in the nearby Vasquez fornication; and cursed Sacramento As- ing to work in Los Angeles or the San Fer-
Rocks. To the northeast, Chinese coolies semblymen for too much of both." nando Valley, many newcomers are at-
SEPTEMBER 10, 1986
carved a mountain passage for Southern tracted to the growing local employment
Pacific Co., which in 1876 connected Los base. Roughly two new corporate offices
"Just a brief reminder that ... nothing has
Angeles with Oakland by rail. Later, Cal- relocate in the massive Valencia In-
changed in that Babylon of middle class
ifornia's first oil refinery arose on sneak thieves, loafers and fornicators dustrial Center each month. But as else-
Newhall property as did some of the known as theUnited States Congress." where in Southern California, the cost of
Golden State's most abundantly fruitful JANUARY 4, 1989 housing is prohibitive, threatening to
citrus orchards. turn Santa Clarita into a moneyed re-
An enterprising auctioneer named "For 25 years this writer served The Signal. treat. Newhall Land, which built Valencia
It is a painful experience to sit by and
Henry Mayo Newhall-Scott's great to its exacting standards, has just em-
watch [it] degenerate into just another
grandfather-acquired the Rancho San barked on the second phase of its master-
chain-owned journalistic yam plantation ... "
Francisco's dusty 47,000 acres for JANUARY 29, 1989 planned community. But, even though
$90,000 in January 1875. The Saugus, the price of entry into its paseo-style
MA, panhandler arrived in California "Newspaperingis a pleasure and a privilege neighborhoods ranges up to $450,000,
with the Gold Rush, and, though finding ... ·the best and brightest world of all." entire developments are often complete-
no fortune in the hills, lucratively em- MAY 3, 1989 l1y sold very shortly after the first spade
ployed his fast-talking skills in auctioning of dirt is turned.
22 CAL IF ORN I A BUS INES S I July 1989