HERITAGE HAPPENINGS

By Meryl Adams of Acton

INTRODUCTION

This record of our Historical Heritage was complied to include the correct date and place for each episode Happening with the added information about the people who were there responsible for the Happening. Our cut-off date-1950’s, except for a few “Postscripts for Posterity.”

We have a rich source of information for our research and many pictures. We have an additional “Adventure Of Research” as I have met many of the descendants of our original Pioneers. This has reaffirmed my personal belief in the sharing characteristics of those of the past as their offspring have also shared in this Book Project.

It has taken more than eight years to put this book together. My main regret is that there are many included in these pages, just without pictures, just because, I have not had another eight years to run down some more offspring of Our Great Pioneers.

We, in this area of Acton, Aqua Dulce and the Antelope Valley are fast losing our “ruralism” which is an expected happening when more people move into the area. However, this situation is a signal for a positive approach to our “rualism past.”

To all who read of “our Rualism Past,” I share the following which I learned along time ago:

Time Is Wonderful

Conserve Our Heritage of the Past

Observe the Present as we Respect the Past

Create for the Future as we contribute to Tomorrow

We had to be “explored” before we could become known. I have chosen our “Explorer Representatives” who appear in our Episode of 1844.

Meryl Adams- 1987 Acton

TO MILDRED PITT

WHOSE SINCERE FRIENDSHIP, LOYALTY AND TRUST I HAVE FELT SINCE 1927, I DEDICATE THIS BOOK OF HISTORICAL RESEARCH IN GRATITUDE FOR HER UNDERSTANDING OF THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT.

Dedication

Original Copy 1987

Meryl Adams Approval -- 1990

FOREWORD

TO OUR TRAILBLAZING PIONEERS, WHO MADE THIS HISTORY, AND THE INDOMITABLE WILL AND PERSEVERANCE OF THE AUTHOR IN GATHERING THESE PICTURES AND CHECKING THE STORIES FOT ACCURACY OF THIS GREAT PAST.

--Mildred Pitt

Meryl Adams At Her Desk.

•1835-1875 Tiburcio Vasquez, The Lady Who Really Tracked Him Down!
•1844 Mrs. John C. Fremont Sends Husband To Wilds Of California
•1852 & 1858 Covered Wagons Through Soledad Canyon, Fryer Family Ancestors
•1853 Respectful Desert Indians Through The Soledad Canyon
•1861-1863 Soledad City Became Ravena City Town Site
•1864-1868 Mexican Miners- Another Gold Rush- Ravena City Post Office
•1869-1887 First School In Soledad District- Ravena City
•1870-1877 Ravenna Had The Town (Including the Saloon) Acton Area Became Heritage Happenings Cedar Mining District (1877)
•1876 Golden Spike At Lang- Our Railroad Connection!
•1876-1877 Railroad Business- Names For The Way Stations
•1880-1885 John Duehren & R.E. Nickel Made Their Acton Plans In Kansas
•1880-1890 Acton Railroad Stations
•1884-1886 Paper Mill At Ravenna
•1885-1887 John Duehren Family, Arrival Acton, Christmas 1885, First House In Acton 1887
•1885-1903 Ed Brough, McPhertridges, & The Red Rover Mine
•1886 Mr. & Mrs. George Melrose, Red Rover Canyon/ Mr. & Mrs. Norman Melrose, Mt. Gleason
•1886-1888 Five Branches Of The William Melrose Family, Acton Pioneers
•1886-1892 A. B. Mellen Family Brought Experience, Knowledge & Community Service To Acton
•1887 Nickel Family In Kansas- ”Acton, Here We Come!”
•1887-1986 Acton Postmasters, From Official Records
•1888 April 29, The Union Moral & Religious Association Of Acton Used The Little White Schoolhouse For Meetings
•1888 George Washington Clingan Took A Special Trip To Acton
•1888 May 20, First Sunday School Organization In Acton
•1888 Rev. John E. Robbins, Frontier Preacher, & Family
•1888-1889 Courtship On Acton Lake, Mattie Robbins & Arthur Hubbard
•1888-1889 Floods Stop Trains & Mail
•1888-1889 Homemade Bricks For Building In Acton Town
•1888-1889 Travel Between Elizabeth Lake & Acton- For Several Reasons
•1888-1891 Gustav Kruger, Cattle Range Camper, Joined The Acton Town Builders, First Saloon In Acton, 1889
•1888-1898 Frank Hubbard Goes After The Girl Of His Dreams
•1888-1938 Fifty Year Record Of Rural Education In Acton
•1888-1938 Soledad School District Acton California
•1889-1898 The L.K Rayburn Family
•1890 April 21, The Deed Was Done, A Gift For Acton!
•1890 October, Dedication! New Brick Soledad School At Acton
•1890 The Farmer Family In The Mint Canyon. Indian Trouble
•1890-1892 Bruno Nickel- Eugene Nickel- Build Their Homes
•1890-1901 Railroad Business At Ravenna
•1890-1909 Schulte Family- Home By The Chicalopes
•1891 Acton Supply Center For Big Tujunga Miners
•1891 Lou Henry Met R.E. Nickel At Acton, California
•1891 Magdalena & George Blum Take A Trip-To Acton
•1891-1912 Blum Family Homestead In Aliso Canyon
•1891-1913 R.E. Nickel’s Acton Rooster Newspaper
•1891-1958 Acton Roadmasters- In Residence
•1891-1987 Blum Ranch-Aliso Canyon-Acton-96 Years- Heritage Enrichment As The Years Progressed
•1891-1987 The Famous Blum Ranch Of Acton, California
•1892 Fourth Of July Picnic In The Acton Country Park
•1892 R.E. Nickel Laid Out Downtown Acton- Surveyed And Recorded
•1892-1901 Cooperation In The Acton Cooperative Store
•1893 Mr. & Mrs. Gustav Kruger- Their Ready Made Family
•1894 Gipp Family Settle Nine Miles West Of Acton -Agua Dulce
•1894 Salute To Our Flag- Fourth Of July At Acton County Park
•1894-1903 Paul Bachert- The “Cheap For Cash” Merchant
•1895-1896 Miss Julia Finney & Her Students/ Red Brick Soledad School Acton
•1895-1896 R. E. Nickel Builds His New Home
•1895-1903 Horatio Nelson Newton Makes His Choice
•1897 A Happy Summer At Acton For Nora Melrose
•1897 Henry Renkin, The Joyful Acton Blacksmith
•1897 John Robbins, Guest Reporter, R.E. Nickel’s Acton Rooster Winter 1897
•1897 New Hotel Acton Mr. & Mrs. Gustav Kruger, First Proprietors
•1898 Flossie Melrose, First Lady Postmaster In Acton
•1899 Cedar Mining District, Acton
•1899 Escondido Grande Mine
•1899 The Woodside Family In Acton
•1900-1901 Acton Oil Boom “As It Has Never Been Boomed Before!”
•1900-1901 Mr. W. H. Broome & Family Of Vincent
•1900-1901 Presidential Election, Wm McKinley Assassination, Theodore Roosevelt Our President
•1900-1901 School & Town Of Acton Had A Good Year
•1900-1903 School Books, Teacher Institutes, Pupil Grades & Democracy
•1900-1905 Acton Improvement Club, T. G. Shafer First President
•1900-1918 Adventures On Our Mt. Gleason
•1901 Acton On The Line, Long Distance Telephone/ 1906 Local Telephone Service. “Don’t You Want To Join?”
•1901 January 18, Grandma Melrose Buried On Mt. Gleason Ranch Of Her Son Norman Melrose
•1901-1902 “Zack” Davidson, Handyman With Imagination
•1901-1904 Ladies In The Mining Business
•1902 A Trip On A Summer Day
•1902 The Actonoma Oil & Development Company
•1902-1912 The Blacksmiths Of Acton, Ravenna & Ranches
•1903 Honey Harvest, Pure Mountain Honey
•1903 January 20, W. H. Broome & N. M. Melrose
•1903 Traditional Acton Hospitality
•1903-1904 Fred Gross, Sr. & Family, Farmers. Ravenna Railroad Pumping Plant of 1904
•1903-1904 The Busy Reverend Robbins
•1903-1904 Transportation- Auto Or The Railroad?
•1903-1905 L.K. Rayburn, Southern Pacific & Wells Fargo Acton Agent- Plus Local Editor & Manager Acton Rooster Newspaper
•1903-1906 Building Newton Store Business
•1903-1908 Albert W. Freese, Railroad Section Foreman Acton
•1903-1908 Gipp Family Succeeded In Agua Dulce
•1904 Christmas Program In Acton “Best Ever!”
•1904-1905 Acton Roadmaster, Arthur Hubbard
•1904-1905 Paul Bachert Sets Up Business In Lancaster
•1904-1911 Ethel Clingan, “Lightning Slinger” & Horsewoman
•1904-1928 Mark Kreppel & Herman Mellen Worked Together For Education In Antelope Valley Schools
•1905 Captain Mitchell, A Big Chicken Ranch In Lower Soledad Canyon
•1905 July 4, Independence Day - All Day - All Night!
•1905 Mail, Eggs, Or Chickens?
•1905 Six Months Of Business Changes In Downtown Acton- Time For A “Hop” - And Then “Another Shake The Foot!”
•1905-1906 Water For Los Angeles & Acton?
•1905-1908 Deer Hunters Of Acton Area
•1905-1909- Blum Family-Work At Acton, Leona Valley & Los Angeles
•1905-1912 That Dashing Young Bachelor, Fred Gross, Jr. & The Fred Couse Family
•1906 Debate: Shall The Government Own & Control The Railroads?
•1906 Frank Hubbard And Will Clingan Back To Acton
•1906 Independent Literary & Debating Society - Canada Or Mexico?
•1906 Mrs. Averill, Our Happy Teacher
•1906 October 6, Brother Slayton & The Lang Station Fire
•1906 Thanksgiving! Weather & The Republican Administration!
•1906 Walter Duehren In Charge Of Mt. Gleason Road-building
•1906-1911 Belle Murdy Smith, Lady Farmer
•1907 Train Wrecks, New Block Signal System
•1908-1911 Red Rover Mine, Preparations To Boom Again
•1908-1912 Cement For Blum Ranch Water Line
•1908-1922 Burro Influence As We Grew Up In Acton
•1908-1922 The Sterling Borax Company, Industry And Mining Camp Of Soledad Township- Agua Dulce
•1909 Acton Provided Pure Mountain Air For W.P. Whitsett
•1909 Charles Fletcher Lummis Featured In R.E. Nickel’s Acton Rooster
•1909 Dorothy Mellen Drove To Acton On Family Business
•1909 The Busy Bees Of Soledad School At Acton
•1909-1912 Rosebine Summer Resort
•1909-1915 Captain L.G. Loomis- Big Tejuna- Alder Creek Homestead
•1910 Ex-Governor Gage To Portugal By Way Of Acton Red Rover Mine
•1910 First International Air Meet Held In America Dominquez Field, California- Rayburns Of Acton Attended
•1910 Honey Loading Day- An Annual Fall Event
•1910 W.P. Whitsett Ready To Build Van Nuys
•1910-1911 Wells Fargo Business- L.K. Rayburn Acton Agent
•1910-1912 Acton Rock Crusher
•1910-1912 Mr. H.L. Heffner, New Owner Of The Gross Ranch At Ravenna
•1910-1913 High Jinks At Hubbardville
•1911 The Benedict Bill- No School Census This Year
•1911-1914 June 29 -Mr. & Mrs. Fred Gross, Jr.
•1912 Emile Gipp Leased Heffner Ranch
•1912-1920 Prevention of Population Loss In Antelope Valley
•1912-1923 Frank Wright Family, Farmers In Mint Canyon
•1912-1929 Antelope Valley Joint Union Highschool Lancaster California
•1913 January 15, Two Newspaper Editors- Acton & Littlerock
•1914 First School In Agua Dulce- Property Of The “Dad” Johnson Family
•1914 The Ulysses Sumner Grant Johnson Family Arrived In Aqua Dulce
•1914-1931 Nail Homestead, By the Chicalopes, North Crown Valley
•1915-1946 W. B. Johnson, Railroad Telegrapher- Served From Vincent To Lang- Ravenna & Acton
•1915-1949 Acton Branch Los Angeles County Public Library
•1916 (The Early Days) The Buda Family Of Soledad Canyon Road, U.S.A.
•1916 Blum Ranch Party- Large Stone House Completed
•1916 Lydia Duehren Newton, Postmaster, Represented Acton At Carmel
•1916 March 26, Acton Community Presbyterian Church Organized
•!916 March 26, Organization Of The Acton Community Presbyterian Church, Pastors Of The Church
•1916 October 1, Calling The Roll- Sunday School Rally Day
•1916 San Diego California Panama Canal International Exposition- Held over From 1915
• 1916-1921 Mint Canyon Road- The Owens River Aqueduct
•1916-1933 Platz Family On The Heffner Ranch
•1917-1980 Heritage Legacy From Virginia Platz Dryer
•1918-1923 Captain & Mrs. J.J. Haish, Traditional New Year Oyster Dinner At Red Brick School In Acton
•1918-1946 The War Years
•1919-1924 Donkey Duty- At The O’Briens’
•1919-1924 Mr. And Mrs. R.E. Nickel Retire To Acton
•1920-1938 Well Equipped- HIgh Speed- Antelope Valley High School Buses
•1920-1947 Those Early Pioneer School Bus Drivers
•1920-1958 Blum Ranch CIder Mill, “Comin’ Over By The Hill!”
•!921 Fred Roth Family
•1921 Hikers Follow Historical Trail On Mt. Gleason
•1921 Mr. Franzen, Acton Barnstormer, Brought ‘His Jenny” In For A Landing
•1921-1922 Miss Gorchakoff- Our Teacher In The Red Brick School At Acton
•1921-1924 Rev. Hugh B. Sutherland Accepts His Call To Acton Community Presbyterian Church, Dedication June 8, 1924
•1922-1938 James W. Fryer, Senior, & Family Settle In Soledad, Canyon
•1922-1938 Lena McClaflin, Our Teacher, 16 Years Of Service
•1923 Record-1890-1938 Meeting The Water Needs, Soledad Brick School
•1923-1928 Maurice H. Rowell Of Antelope Valley Union High School
•1923-1963 Dola And Frank Strong- Acton Week-enders For 40 Years On Grandfather Strong’s Homestead Of 1886
•1924-1950’s On Easter Hill In Acton, Sunrise Tradition
•1925 Movie Making & The Theater In Acton
•1925-1929 The Sand Paper-A.V.H.S. Newspaper-Respected In The Antelope Valley
•1926 December 14, “Swimming Pool Nearly Finished”
•1926 Rev. Hugh B. Sutherland- Soledad Track Coach
•1926 September 21, “Wet Prospects On Dry Ground”
•1926-1942 Acton Hotel, Private Residence, Mr. & Mrs. Ellery L. Henck
•1926-1980 Mint Julip Club- Agua Dulce & Acton
•1927 Acton Cemetery, Gift To Acton From The Duehren Family
•1927-1928 Antelope Valley Fair & The Junior Farm Bureau/ Byron Chase Of Acton, Clara Reese Of Littlerock
•1927-1928 Blum Ranch Pear Packing Crew With A Field Trip Idea
•1927-1928 Lively Go-Getters - Ladies, Please Bring Cakes
•1927-1931 Mildred F. Pitt- Physical Education- AVJUHS
•1927-1931 Miss Lois M. Bennink of A.V.J.U.H.S.
•1928 June 5, News From The Sand-Paper
•1930 April, Valley Of Sunshine Church Society
•1930 May, The Saugus Ladies Honored in Acton By Acton Members Of The Saugus Community Club
•1930 May 11, Farewell Church Service For Brother Evans School At Agua Dulce
•1930-1946 Valley Of Sunshine Participating Members During The 1930’s Through 1942 No Meetings During War Time
•1931 December 24, Christ Faith Mission Mountain Home- Forty Acres Of God’s Beauty- Memorial To Mary Off-Acton
•1932 August 6, Mrs. Ellery L. Henck, Hostess For A Tea Party At Her Home In Downtown Acton
•1933 June 11, Switzerland! Here Come The Blum Ladies Of Acton
•1933 Mrs. Herbert Hoover Told It Like It Was To Meryl Adams Of Acton
•1933-1973 Grandad’s Rifle Range- The Corwin Family In Aliso Canyon
•1934 September 17, Captain Haisch Of Acton & The Antelope Valley
•1935-1956 Columbo Lilac & Peony Ranch Located On The Old Moody Ranch, Mt. Gleason - The Early Years
•1936 Vincent Fire Station-80- Acton, Los Angeles County
•1938 March 2, The Flood of 1938
•1938 November 24, Thanksgiving Reunion- Henck Family Home In Acton
•1938-1955 New Soledad School Board Of Trustees/Duty Dates, Seventeen Years New School- Soledad School District Board Of Trustees
•1939 James W. Fyer, Sr. Acton Roadmaster 1933-1958
•1939 The Droste Family Volunteers For Acton
•1939-1955 Lee’s Happy Acres On Sierra Highway- Acton Junction
•1940-1941 School Board Sold Red Brick Soledad School For $301.00
•1940-1952 Herman Mellen Of Acton Wrote “Reminiscences Of Old Calico”
•1942 Honor For The Soledad School Bell At Acton
•1942 Mabel & Johnny Boston Of Agua Dulce
•1944 Opal & Ben Sciarra, Agua Dulce Merchants
•1945 Nonnie Platz & Hal Chamberlain
•1945 October 20, Acton Hotel Burned Down
•1945 Viola & Shelton Gordon Of Palmdale
•1947-1948 Goldie Dawson Of Agua Dulce, School & The Home Talent Show
•1948 Agua Dulce Property Owners Association (Civic Association)
•1948 The Agua Dulce Women’s Club
•1949 Ground Breaking, Second Wing Of Acton School On Crown Valley Road
•1949 November 10, Acton Littlerock Greater Parish (Twin Parish) Presbyterian Church-Acton Pastors
•1950 Emil J. Kosa Jr., Nationally Known Artist, Painted In Our Acton And Ravenna Area
•1950-1951 Los Angeles City Garbage For 50, 000 Hogs At Acton?
•1950-1952 Francis Gage, His Hi-Grade Mine At Acton
•1950-1958 The Palmdale Rotary Club With An Acton Connection
•1950-1959 The Acton Community Church Club, Interdenominational, Incorporated
•1950-1962 Sir ‘Kegian Gem Beds- “The View Alone Is Worth The Price!”
•1951 August 10, United Christian Church Of Agua Dulce Canyon Gift Of Mrs. Lula E. Johnson Of Agua Dulce
•1952 Easter Sunrise Service, Vasquez Rocks, Agua Dulce
•1952 June 8, News Of Acton By Olive Blum
•1952-1954 Vincent Railroad Station, George Duncan, Telegrapher
•1953 The Indian Influence- Respect For Our Land
•1955 October 25 Groundbreaking For Palmdale High School
•1955 September 3, Acton Community Club Panel Party Work Day
•1955-1987 Verda Small- Her 300 Third Grade Girls & Boys Of Acton School
•1956 Mr. & Mrs James W. Fryer, Sr. Family Reunion
•1956-1984 Hazel L. Krueger, Acton Postmaster-Welcome Mat-Acton Chamber of Commerce Guest Book For Pacific Crest Hikers
•1957-1976 The Bell Of Agua Dulce
•1958 Acton Women’s Club
•1958-1962 The Building Of Hedgecock Hall
•1963 Postscript For Posterity- Jerry Fyrer Home On The Bill Blum Ranch- Aliso Canyon
•1968 Emma Blum Of Acton & Arthur B. Perkins Of Newhall
•1971 April 5, Old Timers’ Homecoming Reunion, Hedgecock Hall
•1976-1982 Dale W. Schrader- Foothill
•1977 Postscript For Posterity- The Way It Was Written!
•1978 Annual Homecoming Church Celebration- Ninety Years
•1980 Postscript For Posterity- A Gift For All Of Us
•Blum Ranch Hospitality- An Acton Tradition
•Picture Credit List
•Research Sources
•Sharing Our Recent Past-A 1980’s Problem
•Sharing Our Recent Past- Idea For Our Future-Now?
•Sharing Our Recent Past- A Look To Our Future
•Sharing Our Recent Past- Programs Were Fun
•Sharing Our Recent Past- Edward Adams, “The Man With The Hoe”
•Sharing Our Recent Past- Meryl Came Home To Acton
•Sharing Our Recent- Acton Postmaster- Some Of Life’s Extras
•Sharing Our Recent Past- We Look To The Future
•We Have Learned Of Our Past Now- A Part Of Our Future From The 1980’s