The abundant fresh air and quiet beauty
of the Santa Clarita Valley has been attracting settlers
for thousands of years. This growth has recently brought
into collision those who wished to preserve the original,
uncrowded charm of the area and those who wished to
develop the valley as an answer to the expanding needs of
the County of Los Angeles.
The Santa Clarita Valley
Historical Society was founded in 1975 as a non-profit
corporation to stimulate public interest in the history
of the Santa Clarita Valley and surrounding areas, to
collect and preserve the stories and artifacts which
relate to local history, and to provide educational
services to the community. With the increasing
destruction of local historic sites, the Society realized
that it must rescue, restore and conserve those important
or representative structures within the community, or
they would be lost forever. As these structures were
threatened, they moved to land leased from the County of
Los Angeles adjacent to William S. Hart Park and Museum
in downtown Newhall. Thus came into being the idea of a
heritage park, where the community and visitors could
enjoy the rich heritage of this unique region of Southern
California.
The Society's first big
acquisition was the Saugus Train Station, which Southern
Pacific deeded to them in 1980. Monies were raised
through a variety of community functions and the Station
was moved from its original site and restored to its
original condition; it has since served as the
headquarters for the Society and as a museum of local
history.
In 1982, the
Society was given Mogul Steam Engine 1629, located at
Melody Ranch, by Gene Autry. 1629 now sits on a siding
alongside the Saugus Station; a group of Society members,
who are also railroad enthusiasts, are currently working
on its restoration to full steam operation.
In 1986, the Society
took a stand (literally) around the Mitchell Ranch, an
Adobe and a Victorian farm house in Sulphur Springs. As
the bulldozer approached the farm house, members formed a
barricade with Sulphur Springs residents and tried to
stop the impending destruction. They were unsuccessful,
but as the machinery approached the adobe on the same
property, Mother Nature intervened with a swarm of bees
coming from within the building. This delay allowed the
Society to negotiate with the property owners and
retrieve the surviving adobe bricks, removing them to a
spot across from the Saugus Station. Today, those bricks
are reassembled within Heritage Junction as the Mitchell
Schoolhouse Adobe, the second oldest school in Los
Angeles County.
Six other buildings have
since been moved to Heritage Junction. All are in various
stages of restoration, each has a project manager, and
people interested in learning about restoration and
working on the structures are always welcome to contact
them.
An extensive and beautiful
historic rose garden adds to the attractive landscape
near the visitor's center. Planted and maintained by the
Santa claria Valley Rose Society, it features over 300
roses of varieties popular between 1850 and 1950.
Vegetable gardens are also grown around several buildings
by local gardeners in keeping with nineteeth century
custom. Gardens and houses are connected by a series of
walkways constructed of bricks recycled from the original
foundations of the park's historic structures.
To further its objective
of education, the Society maintains a museum of local
history, provides guest speakers for clubs and school
groups, gives tours of its Heritage Junction Historic
Park and holds public meetings monthly with a speaker of
general historic interest. The museum is open from 1-4
p.m. every Saturday and Sunday. Exhibits include
memorabilia from downtown Newhall's heyday, the pioneer
oil and mining industries, the railroad and the discovery
of gold in Placerita Canyon. The fledgling movie industry
is also celebrated with items from early cowboy and
silent movie stars on display. Docents are available to
answer questions about the museum, the Junction, and
local points of historical interest.
