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Page6 The Signal/Fourth of July July 1,1988
a
.. · · · · .. · · .. · · · .. ~ Spirit of Fourths Past ~ · .. · · · · · · .. · .. · ·
Conrimu:d from 1"'8' 4
prizes. A 11 one h:id to do was 10 throw a pointmenL of his followers and 10 the
dime ·o th:11 1t landcd and ·1aycd in one relief of the carny running the game.
of the glass plat s affixed 10 the heads When asked why he had quit. the young
of the bears. man grumped, "I ran out of chewing
gum!"
No one won un1rl Dale came along
and hitched up his pants in trucNcwhal· Saxonia Park! The very name brings
lian fashion. He won a bear and people a tear of nostalgia toanyof us who have
yelled with glee. I-le won ru . . thcraod a enjoyed the Fourth of July in Newhall
crowd tarted to gather. He quit after over the last thirty or so years. Located
winning his third, much LO lhc disap- on the north end of Quigly Canyon
S-p,a/F•PfJ(/fO
71!.JamlUar "clop clop• q/manlJ ~ ln the: J977 ~ lcd to it
bdrlg ,--.f the "Plop pfoJ> .Parade.·
Road in Placeri1a Canyon, it was stancd blcs. As early as 1927, the Sheriff was
by a dowmown German Club for polka prepared to send rcinforcemerus to
dancing and beet drjnking. Ewda Vil.la if need be. He even put
some of them up at Castaic just in.case
Nothing could mateh the Fourth of
July in lhaL beautiful oak tree setting. IL they were nccclcd. They weren't W~t
is now called Val Verde stayed
was 001 unusual for the Lions Club LO
feed 2,000 fol.lcs beef from a pit peaceful.
barbecue dug days in advance. Ten However, it might have been a diffe-
times that many cups of beer and soft rent story for the Cub Scouts in 1948, if
drinks were sold. If one listens careful- it ,wm:o't for sympathetic Highway
ly. the suains of western music can still Patrol Captain Jack Miller. The CUbs
be heard wafting through the IICCS, found an old Model T rusting in a field~
inLCnninglcd with the shouts of happy They pulled it to one of their member's
kids running sack races and making backyards and got it running just in time
themselves sick in the pie eating for the parade. The problem was Iha! it
contests. 11 was here that high stakes (I had no license tags and no one had
once saw as muchasS4,000on theLOble thought to buy them.
in the fifties) poker games abounded.
They knew that the car couldn't be
In the 1930s it was not uncommon driven on Lhc sttect without tags but the
ror the County Supervisors to give kids didn't have enough money.
keynote si,c«hcs. Roger Jessup said, in Captain Miller. hearing of their plight,
1933, "Of course, you folks of Saugus let the word out that he was sorry but his
and Newhall, know also of the splendid men would be "too busy up on 99 catch-
work being done in Bouquet Cllnyon ing speeders Lo 'help' patrol the par:a-
which will bring lhouwtds of motorisLS de." 11.10 kids breathed II sigh of relief
through this district 10 reach Lhe west und rode in their Model T. For new
·idc of lhc Amelopc Valley. Such comers to the Sun1a Clari1a Valley, old
improvements. I am sure, meet with the Highway 99 was later replaced by
genuine approval of my people." Oh, if lnstcrsLa1e 5. the Golden State Freeway.
he had only known wha1 he wrought Although the fir t "official" parade
was in 1932, there have been years
$,v,,J Ul't>o.'O Law enforcement has had its irou-
The Oood Tfmo Clowiu cheered spcotatora In the 1972 parade. Cont&ultd Dn ~ 8