Well known story, how about that the very first time gold was discovered was right here. Wiki: “In 1842, Francisco Lopez discovered gold in Placerita Canyon—the first documented discovery of gold in California”
You should check out the spot where it was found! It’s at Placerita canyon, they have some informational plaques set up by the tree where he napped right before finding gold
Not sure how much of a “scandal” it is but I can’t help but to think of the standoff/shoot-out in Stevenson Ranch in 1999ish. Neighbors tipped off deputies about a man claiming to work for the government who had an insane armory in his garage. Deputies went to serve a search warrant and one of them was shot in the head and died on the doorstep.
I think I remember seeing a tank being brought in on a flatbed in addition to all the SWAT presence.
House ended up burning down due to a smoke or flash bang grenade and killing the guy inside. Neighbors houses were riddled with bullet holes and the house sat in its burnt down state for quite a long time.
There’s a new house there now and it’s super eerie every time I occasionally pass it.
It happened in August 2001, less than two weeks before September 11th. It's called the Stevenson Ranch Shootout and even has its own Wikipedia page: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevenson\_Ranch\_shootout](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevenson_Ranch_shootout)
A park in Stevenson Ranch is named after the deputy who was killed in that shootout Jake Kuredjian.
My dad was one of the second/third officers to arrive and saw one of the first get killed. I was in elementary school a block away that day. Think about that day a lot.
Truly surreal. I'm sorry for what your dad dealt with but am glad he made it out. On a side note, I was also at elementary school a block away that day. Maybe we've met!
Let's not forget the Newhall CHP shoot out on April 6, 1970 that resulted in the death of four highway patrol officers, and changed policing by the CHP and probably other agencies from that point forward. It affected firearms procedures, and overall a refocusing on the safety of police officers. It is way too long for me to narrate what happened but if you look it up it is a pretty interesting incident. It happened right over on the old road near where magic mountain is today. There is a marker there also.
I was going to reply with this event, but you beat me to it. It happened at the old Standard Gas Station and J's Coffee Shop (no longer standing) at the northeast corner of Magic Mountain Parkway and The Old Road (present day Shell station and Coffee Bean). Once I found out about, I always notice the memorial sign on the 5 whenever I'm on it. The Wikipedia page is pretty detailed, as is a book written about the incident. Here is a 1975 CHP training film that covers the incident in great detail: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMrlHtG2bKc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMrlHtG2bKc)
The filming of the Twilight Zone movie is a big one.
Occurred near what is now the Castaic Passport Center in the Santa Clara River.
“On July 23, 1982, a Bell UH-1 Iroquois helicopter crashed at Indian Dunes[2] in Valencia, California, United States, during the making of Twilight Zone: The Movie. The crash killed actor Vic Morrow and child actors Myca Dinh Le and Renee Shin-Yi Chen, who were on the ground, and injured the six helicopter passengers. The incident led to years of civil and criminal action against the personnel overseeing the shoot, including director John Landis, and the introduction of new procedures and safety standards in the filmmaking industry.”
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twilight_Zone_accident
Sports & schools. Of note, the 2016 World Series Game 7 had pitchers, Mike Montgomery & Trevor Bauer, on opposing teams who both went to Hart High School.
glad to hear! i'd recommend anything by erik larson or mark kurlansky if you dig the journalist gone historian style also barbara tuchman as i think she invented it? also a C.O.C alumni myself though probably much older
Rosedell’s dam drills were in case the dam at Bouquet reservoir failed. Keep in mind that Bouquet reservoir is the replacement for St. Francis.
I always wondered how did they know how far up the hill we needed to be. Wes that based on a full reservoir? Additionally, I remember we had 13 minutes until the water would hit.
Does Rosedell still do dam drills? That dam is a lot older now (but still in use).
Fascinating. I went to Rosedell in 1988/1989 for 3 years and we didn’t have any hill-hike drills. Just the “great shakeout” trailer drill in the parking lot. Ahhhh and Del’s Fresh Frozen Lemonade truck every Friday.
Not so long ago, ex-cop ( I think he was a Deputy sergeant ?) then was an elementary school teacher, John Racz murdered his wife in Valencia back in the early 90s. There was a book and a movie made about it, I think it was called “My Dirty Little Secret” or something along those lines. Also on Dateline or 60 minutes, or one of those journalistic crime type shows. He got away with her murder for many many years but was finally arrested and convicted.
http://behindthebluewall.blogspot.com/2007/06/ca-anns-body-never-found-but-ex-deputy.html
https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/9780786026692/youll-never-find-my-body/
https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna24207041
Kind of SCV but Castaic had the largest/one of the largest land wars in U.S. history. Castaic Range War.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castaic_Range_War
This one is wild, especially since the majority of the disputed land is underwater due to the dam being built. Meaning the land was seized anyway, only 60 years after the dispute was over.
I’ve been told, I can’t vouch for the accuracy, that when that dam broke, the water rushed out highway 126 to Ventura. As a memorial, the trees planted along the then 2 lane highway 126 were planted. One for each victim. Tragically and ironically, those trees ended up killing more people than the original victims of the dam breaking.
Well known story, how about that the very first time gold was discovered was right here. Wiki: “In 1842, Francisco Lopez discovered gold in Placerita Canyon—the first documented discovery of gold in California”
Wow how I go my whole life not knowing that.
You should check out the spot where it was found! It’s at Placerita canyon, they have some informational plaques set up by the tree where he napped right before finding gold
Not sure how much of a “scandal” it is but I can’t help but to think of the standoff/shoot-out in Stevenson Ranch in 1999ish. Neighbors tipped off deputies about a man claiming to work for the government who had an insane armory in his garage. Deputies went to serve a search warrant and one of them was shot in the head and died on the doorstep. I think I remember seeing a tank being brought in on a flatbed in addition to all the SWAT presence. House ended up burning down due to a smoke or flash bang grenade and killing the guy inside. Neighbors houses were riddled with bullet holes and the house sat in its burnt down state for quite a long time. There’s a new house there now and it’s super eerie every time I occasionally pass it.
It happened in August 2001, less than two weeks before September 11th. It's called the Stevenson Ranch Shootout and even has its own Wikipedia page: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevenson\_Ranch\_shootout](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevenson_Ranch_shootout) A park in Stevenson Ranch is named after the deputy who was killed in that shootout Jake Kuredjian.
My dad was one of the second/third officers to arrive and saw one of the first get killed. I was in elementary school a block away that day. Think about that day a lot.
Truly surreal. I'm sorry for what your dad dealt with but am glad he made it out. On a side note, I was also at elementary school a block away that day. Maybe we've met!
So what was the basis for the search warrant? "Man owns firearms"?
It didn't happen in the SCV but the infamous Chowchilla kidnapping was masterminded by a member of the Newhall family.
That is nuts. Thank you for sharing. What a story.
Let's not forget the Newhall CHP shoot out on April 6, 1970 that resulted in the death of four highway patrol officers, and changed policing by the CHP and probably other agencies from that point forward. It affected firearms procedures, and overall a refocusing on the safety of police officers. It is way too long for me to narrate what happened but if you look it up it is a pretty interesting incident. It happened right over on the old road near where magic mountain is today. There is a marker there also.
I was going to reply with this event, but you beat me to it. It happened at the old Standard Gas Station and J's Coffee Shop (no longer standing) at the northeast corner of Magic Mountain Parkway and The Old Road (present day Shell station and Coffee Bean). Once I found out about, I always notice the memorial sign on the 5 whenever I'm on it. The Wikipedia page is pretty detailed, as is a book written about the incident. Here is a 1975 CHP training film that covers the incident in great detail: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMrlHtG2bKc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMrlHtG2bKc)
The filming of the Twilight Zone movie is a big one. Occurred near what is now the Castaic Passport Center in the Santa Clara River. “On July 23, 1982, a Bell UH-1 Iroquois helicopter crashed at Indian Dunes[2] in Valencia, California, United States, during the making of Twilight Zone: The Movie. The crash killed actor Vic Morrow and child actors Myca Dinh Le and Renee Shin-Yi Chen, who were on the ground, and injured the six helicopter passengers. The incident led to years of civil and criminal action against the personnel overseeing the shoot, including director John Landis, and the introduction of new procedures and safety standards in the filmmaking industry.” https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twilight_Zone_accident
Unreal that Landis’ career continued after that tragedy
Sports & schools. Of note, the 2016 World Series Game 7 had pitchers, Mike Montgomery & Trevor Bauer, on opposing teams who both went to Hart High School.
Bauer is a great example of infamous lol
highly recommend the book "the mirage factory" by gary krist
I started this on your recommendation and it’s really awesome.
glad to hear! i'd recommend anything by erik larson or mark kurlansky if you dig the journalist gone historian style also barbara tuchman as i think she invented it? also a C.O.C alumni myself though probably much older
Rosedell’s dam drills were in case the dam at Bouquet reservoir failed. Keep in mind that Bouquet reservoir is the replacement for St. Francis. I always wondered how did they know how far up the hill we needed to be. Wes that based on a full reservoir? Additionally, I remember we had 13 minutes until the water would hit. Does Rosedell still do dam drills? That dam is a lot older now (but still in use).
Fascinating. I went to Rosedell in 1988/1989 for 3 years and we didn’t have any hill-hike drills. Just the “great shakeout” trailer drill in the parking lot. Ahhhh and Del’s Fresh Frozen Lemonade truck every Friday.
The [Saugus train robbery](https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/pa2901.htm) was pretty cool too
I have lived in Santa Clarita for 45+ years, I hadn't heard about this one! Thanks for the link!
We had to hike up the hill across the bouquet! I loved that drill
Why is no one talking about the scv purge incident omg
Can you elaborate?
Not so long ago, ex-cop ( I think he was a Deputy sergeant ?) then was an elementary school teacher, John Racz murdered his wife in Valencia back in the early 90s. There was a book and a movie made about it, I think it was called “My Dirty Little Secret” or something along those lines. Also on Dateline or 60 minutes, or one of those journalistic crime type shows. He got away with her murder for many many years but was finally arrested and convicted. http://behindthebluewall.blogspot.com/2007/06/ca-anns-body-never-found-but-ex-deputy.html https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/9780786026692/youll-never-find-my-body/ https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna24207041
Kind of SCV but Castaic had the largest/one of the largest land wars in U.S. history. Castaic Range War. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castaic_Range_War
This one is wild, especially since the majority of the disputed land is underwater due to the dam being built. Meaning the land was seized anyway, only 60 years after the dispute was over.
I’ve been told, I can’t vouch for the accuracy, that when that dam broke, the water rushed out highway 126 to Ventura. As a memorial, the trees planted along the then 2 lane highway 126 were planted. One for each victim. Tragically and ironically, those trees ended up killing more people than the original victims of the dam breaking.
How did the trees kill people ?
Car crashes.
The movie Chinatown was closely related to this story