Well saddlepals, whiskey and fresh horses for my men. This morning, we’ll be moseying over to check out some interesting vistas of yesteryear. We’ve got Indian rain lore and some interesting ancient battles over Valley/Calgrove. We’ll see the trial of a controversial local high school consultant who hired a hit-man to: “Bring me the head of the superintendent.”

By the way. We also have a rather interesting Signal editorial about when we came out against Gandhi. I know. Pro KKK. Anti-Gandhi. What are you going to do?

C’mon, dear saddlepals. Let’s head for that place where there are no clocks

(CAPTION — Warren Dorn, our 5th District County Supervisor — and former Placerita Canyon native — revealed he and his family had been the target of a kidnapping scheme. Police investigators reported that members of the Black Panthers had plotted to kidnap Dorn and his family so they could swap them for the release of militant, communist and former UCLA philosophy professor, Angela Davis. She was acquitted of kidnapping and murder charges of a Northern California judge, juror, prosecutor and three co-gang members, despite the fact she supplied the weapons for the crime. She is currently teaching in the History of Consciousness Department at the University of California at Santa Cruz.)

WAY, WAY BACK WHEN —

— The Tataviams had an interesting way to tell in September if a wet winter was coming. They monitored the smaller burrowing creatures and rodents. If they dug their dens higher, rain was coming.

— Back on September 24th, 1855, twin brothers from Maine, Sanford and his gunfighting brother Cyrus, bought the old Wiley stagecoach station near where present-day Eternal Valley sits today.

SEPTEMBER 22, 1921 —

— A prison gang of highway workers had camped out here, concreting a few patches of roads that used to be dirt. Leader of the gang? A county manager named A.W. Schmuck. Ain’t kiddin’…

SEPTEMBER 23, 1931 —

— Art Schleicher bought the Wildwood Fox Farm (up Wildwood Canyon) on this date from W.S. Lockwood. Schleicher brought in about 100 foxes to breed, adding to Lockwood’s total. Schleicher made coats of the little critters.

— Gasoline in the SCV was just 11 cents a gallon in 1931. If I took my truck instead of my horse through the time portal, I could have filled it up for less than three bucks…

— The Former Mighty Signal has taken some controversial editorial positions in its 82-year-history. They supported the Ku Klux Klan, the beating up of 7th Day Adventists and the interment of Jews into WW2 concentration camps. Adding to their questionable political tastes from time to time, The Signal came out against Mahatma Gandhi on this date and his work for India’s independence. Here is but a small snippet… “Mahatma Gandhi teaches idealism, all right. But his manner of living, his dress, and queer style of travel and all, is only advertising to call attention to one who represents the misery of the world.”

— Mr. and Mrs. C.E. Randall opened up the Black Crow riding academy on this date.

SEPTEMBER 22, 1941 —

— Silent film star William S. Hart added to his many gifts to the American Theatre. Besides donating the land and construction cost, he added a big marquee sign and a parking lot.

— On this date, we had a pretty good little earthquake shake the Santa Clarita. Windows rattled and things fell off shelves. Two workers who were having lunch in their car thought the wind was blowing until they noticed the trees and car was shaking, not waving.

— Locals were glued to their radio sets. Former Highway Patrol officer turned actor Thornton Edwards was doing a re-creation of the St. Francis Dam Disaster on the program, “I Was There.” Edwards was the motorcycle officer who warned residents of Fillmore and Santa Paula of the impending wall of water coming at them in 1928 from the breaking of the St. Francis Dam.

— Forestry agent Harmon Schwoob was murdered on this date. He had tried to arrest a fleeing hunter who shot a doe in the neighboring mountains. Howard McMillen, a Long Beach oil worker, when cornered, turned his rifle on Schwoob, killing him instantly. McMillen was then shot dead by another agent.

SEPTEMBER 22, 1951 —

— My good saddlepal, George Harris, who “kidnapped” Joe Kapp into playing football at Hart (George was principal and when he found out Joe had enrolled in the SFV, he drove down, walked onto campus, found Joe, took him by the hand and led him to the promised land. Who knows where Joe might have ended up? Kapp did pretty good for himself, being the only player to perform in a Rose Bowl, Super Bowl and Gray Cup, Canada’s Super Bowl.) George was voted in as president of Kiwanis a half-century back.

— Fred Trueblood wrote a delightful column 50 years back in his Signal Tower space on the front page. Trueblood waxed poetic about all the multiple uses of The Mighty Signal. Besides all the wonderful news, advertisements and opinions, Trueblood noted that your hometown paper was also great for, “…stuffing ratholes, …disciplining dogs, …starting fires, …spanking children, …making party hats and kites, (and) temporary floors for chicken coops.”

— The American Theater had an interesting double bill — “The Hometown Story” and, “The Hollywood Story.”

SEPTEMBER 22, 1961 —

— For some odd reason, Salvatore van Bustos was walking down the middle of old Highway 99 at one in the morning. He was hit by a Peterbilt doing about 70 and there wasn’t much of poor Sal left to bury.

SEPTEMBER 22, 1968 —

— If you see a Cougar, wish him or her a happy anniversary. On this date, College of the Canyons was founded.

SEPTEMBER 22, 1971 —

— Locals were literally on their knees, thanking various deities for a break in the heat wave that had punished the valley for weeks. All of a sudden, a cold front moved in, dropping the temperatures from a high of 116 in Canyon Country to a rather comfortable 76 — a staggering 40 degree drop in two days.

— Here’s a first for you. Sandy Vaugn was hired as the valley’s first woman car salesma… er, saleswoman. She worked for Canyon Ford (which would later become Magic Ford). I don’t know much about cars,” said Sandy. “I’m learning. But no one seems to care, anyway.”

— The trial of former Hart District consultant Chester Furgeson began. He had been arrested for soliciting the murder of the superintendent of the Torrance school district. Furgeson was consulting for Torrance the same time he was advising Hart. Seems Furgeson believed in aggressive management. He offered a hit man $5,000 to slit the throat of the Torrance super “…and bring me his head in a hat box.”

SEPTEMBER 22, 1981 —

— The controversy over turning the Calgrove/Valley Street route into a major highway is nothing new. On this date, 30 years back, about 100 residents of Happy Valley appeared at a special local meeting held by the county Planning Commission. Los Angeles initially wanted to cut down 26 heritage oaks for the project and widen Valley to four lanes. Local PAC member, Andy Martin, voted to remove Valley from the Master Plan as a highway alternative and shortcut for yuppies — no offense to you yuppies who are currently atop a high mount joining us this morning…

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Thanks so much for the company these Thursday mornings. Sure appreciate it. See you next week under the warming glow of The West Ranch Beacon with another exciting Time Ranger adventure, and, until then — vayan con Dios, amigos!