@@wingdingdmetrius8025 The fuel racks where are cool tankers loaded was fairly modern for the time. The rest of refinery was like going back in time very archaic.
I worked on that property in the early 2000's. We had a plan to completely remediate and mine it for sand and gravel and use the oil residuals to make asphalt . The hills were sprayed with tar to control erosion so that place was a mess. An oil tanker trailer was filled up but was mistakenly NOT welded from the inside and burst open spilling whatever all down that road. Believe it or not, Cabella's was talking about building a giant super store there with a nature preserve park on the lower north end. We met with the Cabella's people at city hall.. The timber and cables and well heads etc are presumably still lying around the north side of the property including the Clampitt Bros well and I always wondered if that's how Jed Clampett got his name even though the spelling is different. The Clampitt's were prominent, rich folks around there and involved in LA politics I think. Those giant 80m tanks have about 2ft of standing crude oil in them. Some of those concrete, underground vaults were "gas cracking" vaults to make gasoline. There are open drill holes in the ground about 8-10" in diameter that go about 1200 ft down and there is stinky yellow sulfur chunks around that came out of the ground. THE TOLLHOUSE foundation for Beal's Cut can still be identified down the trail to the north right next to the Fwy. I recognized the property near where this dude filmed in an episode of CSI.. We found a water well just open with no cover or markings, dropped a well pump down over 700 feet and pumped water out of it, lol. There was an old machine shop building down to north that was just a barely standing frame but it had a lot of nasty chemicals in the ground around it so we knocked it down with 980 loader and performed in ground chemical remediation around that area. That machine shop was from the oil drilling days not for the refinery. The refinery buildings that are now gone were nasty. People had been living in there and I think some terrible things were going on I won't mention. We eradicated a homeless encampment and had to kick these people off the property. Don't feel bad for them they were druggie weirdo's 100%. I enjoyed working there and we had big plans that never fully materialized unfortunately. I learned a lot more about the history of that area and there's ton!!
I worked on that property in the early 2000's. We had a plan to completely remediate and mine it for sand and gravel and use the oil residuals to make asphalt . The hills were sprayed with tar to control erosion so that place was a mess. An oil tanker trailer was filled up but was mistakenly NOT welded from the inside and burst open spilling whatever all down that road. Believe it or not, Cabella's was talking about building a giant super store there with a nature preserve park on the lower north end. We met with the Cabella's people at city hall.. The timber and cables and well heads etc are presumably still lying around the north side of the property including the Clampitt Bros well and I always wondered if that's how Jed Clampett got his name even though the spelling is different. The Clampitt's were prominent, rich folks around there and involved in LA politics I think. Those giant 80m tanks have about 2ft of standing crude oil in them. Some of those concrete, underground vaults were "gas cracking" vaults to make gasoline. There are open drill holes in the ground about 8-10" in diameter that go about 1200 ft down and there is stinky yellow sulfur chunks around that came out of the ground. THE TOLLHOUSE foundation for Beal's Cut can still be identified down the trail to the north right next to the Fwy. I recognized the property near where this dude filmed in an episode of CSI.. We found a water well just open with no cover or markings, dropped a well pump down over 700 feet and pumped water out of it, lol. There was an old machine shop building down to north that was just a barely standing frame but it had a lot of nasty chemicals in the ground around it so we knocked it down with 980 loader and performed in ground chemical remediation around that area. That machine shop was from the oil drilling days not for the refinery. The refinery buildings that are now gone were nasty. People had been living in there and I think some terrible things were going on I won't mention. We eradicated a homeless encampment and had to kick these people off the property. Don't feel bad for them they were druggie weirdo's 100%. I enjoyed working there and we had big plans that never fully materialized unfortunately. I learned a lot more about the history of that area and there's ton!!
Especially if you're a native Californian, it's important. Several decades ago, Phil Howser did a series on "California's Gold." He wasn't very good at it, but what he was doing was very interesting.
I've lived in Southern California for 44 years, and I love history and exploring. Yet I keep learning about new places and stories at a steady pace. The world is big and marvelous beyond imagination. Thank you for bringing so much of it to us.
@jeffalbillar7625 California is huge and lots of dreams have come and gone up n down the whole state. So much to learn about, these adventure channels are awesome to watch!
Thanks for posting this historic tidbit. It's sad that such important sites of the past are left to decay. You've done a fantastic job of researching and presenting this information...
It was closed off because the brass plaques were stolen by metal thieves. The old parking area with the plaques became a spot for illegal trash dumping. Therefore, it was fenced off.
Great job, Steve. I lived very close to the Cut from the mid '80's to '91 and remember the markers. It's also close to the hiding spot I used to duck into when (being young & stupid) attempting to evade the Sheriff for speeding on Sierra Highway. Got caught one day when the spot was blocked off and that Deputy was so excited he radioed other units excitedly yelling I caught her, I caught her. Apparently my Camaro & I had lost him a few times before.
Great episode! My Grandpa took us hiking up to that in the late 70s, and called it "Fremont Pass." I remember a lot of trash and graffiti, it seemed to be a place where high school kids would go to party. I visited it a couple of times in the late 80s as well. Apparently the Northridge quake filled it in quite a bit. My Dad told a tale of an adventure my Grandpa took him on near there in the 50s. They walked into the Newhall side of the train tunnel from the valley. There are alcoves along the way for people to duck into if a train comes. Well, about 50 feet in, there came a strong blast of wind from a train entering from the valley side, and they ran like mad back to the mouth of the tunnel and that was the end of that adventure.
I´m from Germany and I just stumbled over this video, because I love the USA and I watch a lot of videos here on UA-cam. The explanation of the history of this lost place was very interesting. Bad to see the dirt, old tires and other rubbish all around this history place. What I really like is your clear voice - and the smooth and quiet background music. Thank you - I will explore more videos on your channel. Many greetings from Germany!
The efforts you put into your videos is appreciated immensely. And the travel time by foot is grand. Love learning about old history and trying to imagine how many people trekked rough country. Which makes us where we are today. Thank you dearly for your thoughtfulness ❤ ❤
Tom Mix was my great grandfather's cousin, and I thank you for the great recognition and shout out regarding Tom. I have several old Tom Mix movies (on VHS tape), and I always wondered where Beale's Cut was located and now I know. Awesome video and great channel.
@@andrewwilliams9887 I have been to the memorial in Arizona where he died and I have also visited his grave site in Glendale, California. I also visited the car that he died in, a 1937 Cord, which used to be on display in Las Vegas many years ago.
It was my understanding that the Tommie's restaurant on Lyons Ave was named after him and they had pictures of him on the walls. I haven't been in there since the 80s.
My parents took us to Beale's Cut back in the mid 60's. We hiked the cut from the entrance with the plaques all the way through to the oil refinery that was still in operation. It's a shame the area has not been maintained.
West Texas oil guy here. Some remediation will need to be done on the site of the old refinery. But you'd be surprised: what comes out of the ground, Nature reclaims. The oil being one. Probably the worst thing to impact from oil production is the salt water that comes with. It's re-injected normally, but spills of salt water tend to be worse than oil. Since there was plenty of vegetation, doesn't appear there were any major spills of salt water, as it kills everything around and near it. Prevents anything from growing in the future unless you till and treat it. FYI!
Not forgetting La Brae. Early oil fields and refineries were built near surface pools and that's exactly what La Brae is. It wouldn't surprise me if what he saw was basically a well head that was ever-so-slowly hemorrhaging tar-like oil (heavy, sour crude is what abounds in California.) Combine this with the fact that the local vegetation doesn't seem to mind, and the sun doing a good job of solidifying it after a while, doesn't seem to be a significant problem. Just not ideal.
Rain may eventually wash the salt down into the ground, a wash and a rinse of the topsoil so to speak. But that can take decades in the desert, or perhaps never if the underlying soil is impermeable. There is a big wash north/northwest of Wink Tx. They built a dam and used it as a disposal for produced water as late as the early '80's, simply letting it soak into the ground. That practice had went on for 30 years and today you'd never know from looking. Conversely there are areas along the Pecos River near Grandfalls Tx where the soil has a high clay content and nothing will grow some 70 years later. Another West Texas oilpatch guy here.
@@dfirth224That's one of the main problems I see with California is they will allow a corporation to sell land that was destroyed. They allow corporations to file bankruptcy when they're supposed to be all about the environment. Because if they were all about the environment they would force the corporations to do clean up, they would put every single member of the business in jail until it was dealt with. And then you wouldn't have these problems because business men wouldn't want to go to jail so they would make sure they cleaned up their f****** mess.
Thanks again for taking me back home to a place i used to go a long time ago. The place hasn't changed. Hiked over the mountains to Mission Peak down into the San Fernando Valley from there. Had a friend pick me up when I got down. Good Times.
It's sad to see it caved in as it is now. I lived in Newhall in the late 70's and made the short hike to Beale's Cut from Sierra Highway (the oil refinery was still operational then). It was cool to see it when it was still in good condition. You might consider doing a video on the original/actual "Ridge Route". I believe you can still drive the complete route from Castaic to Hwy 138 near Quail Lake and I5 (north of Pyramid Lake).
Excellent as always. You're filling a good portion of the hole left by Huell Howser's passing more than a dozen years ago. This one gave me chills as I realized this must have been the route taken by my great grandparents when they moved from the Central Coast down to Los Angeles in the 1890's. This is now on my must see list for weekends. Thanks very much for the research and travel. I half expected aged derelicts left from the Charlie Manson Family to appear at the abandoned refinery.
Years ago i read a book called ' Blue Highways' by William Trogdon . He toured the entire US in a campervan taking the back roads of America using the 'B ' roads on a map coloured blue ..thus the title . The people he met , the sights and sounds and experiences of his epic journey has stayed with me vividly 40 some years later and every time I see one of your highly educational videos , it brings the memories flooding back . I am a big ,big fan of Hidden History and the fantastic entertainment provided by you Steve ...best wishes from Scotland .🌍🌎🌏
I remember when they blocked this off and took down the markers, so sad. My oldest kiddo did a report for school about Beale’s Cut, my other kids weren’t able to access the area. Thanks for the video!
My grandma grew up in Newhall. There was a railway but no real road to the San Fernando Valley at the time, so this was the travel path walking or by horse. She was in the crowd in 1913 when Mulholland opened the dam gates bringing Aqueduct water to LA.
Used to pass by there with my grandparents every Sunday. I worked there once on a television production and miss my now unaffordable LA. Thank you so much
The Tollhouse for Beal's Cut was located a ways down the trail to the north east right next to the 14. You can still see the foundation if you know what to look for.
I grew up in the SFV then later the SCV. I took Sierra Highway many a time and passed the historical marker for Beale's Cut when there were still markers. If you know where to look and what to look for, you can spot Beale's Cut from Sierra Highway. It's a taste of home and childhood. Thanks for the video, Steve!!
I lived SCV for 35 yrs. and have heard of this place. You have done the best documentary on this place. Just subscribed, love stuff like this. Great job.
Thanks for the information on the Butterfield Overland Trail. I have hiked this trail along Lee's Creek in Arkansas and have followed it in places all across the country. I need to make it down and check this spot out. Great history.
Thankyou for reminding me, back in the early 80's, my mom, the adventurer took me up there, but I don't remember the refinery, most likely they had a way around it, hey! I was 10yrs old, but she took me all over Cali.
I took my 4 year old son up there, after showing him the footage of Tom Mix jumping Tony. He was super excited to crawl over some of the ruins there. Then I drove over to the giant "water tower", and actually pulled my SUV inside so we could shine the headlights on the interior. Out of the corner of my I saw a dark figure get up - prolly a homeless person or tagger - and I calmly made our exit. Freaked me out, tho. That car at the foot of the cut is "new" since I was there, though the camper isn't. There used to be other cars there too, so it looks like there was some cleanup in the last few years. Also, you can see the actual cuts in the "cut" where they dug it out. There are a couple visible in your video as you entered the cut. Tom Mix eventually built his own studio out there, incorporating the old ranch house where he lived. There are still a number of large filming locations in the area, including a 400 acre ranch recently on sale for a cool $35,000,000. Beautiful country out there...but yeah, that area in the old oil facility has bad vibes.
Before Beale and Pico cooperated with the cut, they found themselves on opposing sides during the US/Mexican War. Andres lead his Californio Lancers against a contingent of the Army of the West lead by Stephen Kearney at the battle of San Pasqual in 1846. Beale along with Kit Carson were scouts for the AofW. Excited for this episode since I grew up in the northeast region of the San Fernando Valley. We use to go crawling around that area.
Thanks Steve! I’ve been curious about the history of Beale’s cut for a long time. Glad you were able to dig up so many details. And thanks for braving the weeds to get the southern view! Good stuff, as usual!
@@ufc990 be kind. A lot of people don't realize or know the history oil plays on the growth of Southern California. Beverly Hills that's why people buy the houses with the oil rights and why they're so expensive. Also, people think Sutters Mill was the only place gold was initially found in CA. Gold was found in 1842 in SoCal. Look it up.
There are some seeps along the 14 not far from there. They're always building new ways to catch the oil at the bottom of the cut. Anyone driving north can see it. Also not far from there is the "new" refinery.
Great video. We used to take Newhall Pass to visit my grandmother. We were all aware of Beale’s Cut growing up. We explored it after the 2/9/1971 Sylmar earthquake. The Cut had a lot of dirt and rock that had freshly fallen from the quake. The quake had knocked my grandmothers house off its foundation. It hit Newhall/Saugus, Sylmar and San Fernando very hard. Thanks again for your video!
I remember that quake. There was a VA hospital in Sylmar that was not very old but was completely wrecked. Before they tore it down they let Hollywood studios go in and film stock footage to use in future disaster movies.
That quake is one of my earliest memories. It woke me up way out in Torrance, and I still remember the dull thud of one of those christmas cookie tins falling from the top shelf of my Mom's closet. My Grandpa lived in Granada Hills barely a mile from Sylmar. His account was harrowing but a bit long for here. I remember neatly stacked cubes of bricks salvaged from the walls that toppled and got replaced by cinder blocks, that ended up completely grown over by shrubbery as I grew up.
I thought the world was ending. My house was towards the top of a hill that had a view of the VA hospital and the brand new County hospital that the entire hospital fell on top of the collapsed first floor. The night of February 9th, all power was out in the area and the only light came from the emergency lights at the VA as the search through the rubble for survivors and body recovery continued with large cranes. Very surreal and emotional times with over 60 lives lost.
I was just in Truxton AZ and stood on the corner of Beales Wagon Road and Will Rogers highway Nice to see where I would have wound up if I had taken a detour Thank you for your vlog lesson...
I grew up in the oil fields of east Texas long after the oil boom was over. I'm VERY much aware of what exploring old oil refinery and containment sites looks and smells like. I could almost smell this video.
My grandfather drove the ridge route in the 1930s when his family moved from Texas to San Joaquin valley. Thanka for shining light on this HUGELY forgotten piece of road that was pivotal to connecting California, and I’ve had the pleasure of traversing the sections of the ridge route that are still passible, and sites like Kelly’s Halfway Inn, the Tumble Inn and Reservoir Peak have always faacinated me. It’s amazing such an important landmark goes so overlooked, and the views are beyond incredible.
Thank you once again for a nice sidetrack into history. Travellers back in that day didn't get out of there that easily. From Newhall, as I understand it, the stage went up one of the canyon routes to the desert, and then had to cut back toward Gorman and Fort Tejon. The Ridge Route cut miles and miles off that route. For those interested, a search of "Newhall Pass plaques" brings up photographs of at least one or two of the old plaques. You mentioned the highway US 6, too. From LA it traveled through this area, and on up the east side (currently US 395 ), turned right at Bishop, and went all the way (with different numbers occasionally) to Massachusetts.
The "canyon routes" you speak of is most likely Soledad Canyon which the 14 follows more or less to the Antelope Valley where you can then cut back west to Gorman. I think so as it is also the route of the first railroad connecting the SCV to the AV.
US 6 still runs most of its course. For a time it was the longest US highway, and ran from Cape Cod to Long Beach. It is named the Grand Army of the Republic Highway. In 1963, California asked that it end in Bishop, because the state wanted each highway to have just one number. The section from Bishop to Long Beach is the 395 and the 14, and whatever is now south of the 14. There's an article about it in the Federal Highway Administration website (FHWA.DOT.gov)
Keep up the awesome videos, since I live up here in San Jose I would never of known about Beales Cut. I have a soft spot for Southern California since my dad's family has been in Ventura since the 1860's and every time we go down there it feels like home, Keep up the great work!
I'm 60 the last child. My parents moved there I was a sophomore. Came back to SJ in 2004. I'm a California kid you might say. So much fighting between "Nor Cal" and "So Cal" I appreciate both.
Crazy to think such an insignificant looking cut by todays standards played such an amazing role in the development of California. Keep bringing us history please Steve, you do it so well & seem so suited to the role.
Loved this. you are correct, most of the silent Westerns were thrown away and not saved. My grandfather appeared in a few Tom Mix films as a boy. He pained himself and rode bareback, playing an Indian. He made $3 a day, good money then. I buy every one of them I can find, but probably will not be able to see gramps.
It's crazy when I heard you say in one of John Ford's movie's they were in Monument Valley then going through the Cut, not even in same State. I love when I can identify places and catch stuff like that. Thanks Steve for the very interesting history, never knew this. Somewhere in the past I've seen that still shot of the horse and rider jumping over the gap, now I know where it was taken.
On a motorcycle ride with a friend, I visited Beale's Cut in the mid 1970s. At that time it was significantly deeper than shown in your video, more like the images shown in the old movies.
Thanks! I live at the north end of the SF Valley these days and have been aware of Beale's Cut for years, but never have got over there. It's truly an important part of our state's history, as you pointed out. I'd like to organize a clean up of the area. And yes, I remember reading back in the 1990's that a landslide had closed/blocked it.
Thanks for this h8ke Steve! I've seen Beals cut, (like many of us) in multiple Westerns and until now, I had no idea this was an important piece of L.A./California history..... Another Historic Gem! Thanks for trooping through the weeds and snakes to show these! Next time I watch Stagecoach with friends, I can pause the CD and say "That's historic Beals Cut!"😁
California is a very interesting place. I've always been impoverished by immigration best I can tell so I've really never had a chance to really explore it
Thank you for the history lesson on my beloved Newhall. I grew up in Newhall, i a loved every moment. I miss it every day and wish I could move back. Newhall is rich with history. I hope the residents appreciate where they live is special.
I remember the 6.6 earthquake said to be centered in Newhall from 1971. They now refer to it as the San Fernando quake but it was a real jolter. Great video!
Thanks Steve. I grew up in southern California and had never heard of Beale's Cut. As you were working your way through the brush, all I could think of was, "rattlesnake!".
Excellent video Steve!! Thanks - I was born in Hawthorne, Calif in 1952 and left Calif. with a job transfer in 1996. Been on Hwy 14 many, many times, and NEVER knew such a pass or "Cut" was made. At certain times of the year, the Palmdale and surrounding area is so beautiful I suppose heavily populated now vs. the 1970's and my motorcycle days. My Uncle worked in Palmdale working on "secret" stuff for Northrup back in the day. It probably was the beginnings of the F-117 and B-2 bomber and now the Global Hawk. Thanks again!!
That oil on the ground is not pollution it’s actually natural. Oil was discovered here as a natural oil spring. In January, 1865 Ramon Paria, a Mexican hunter, while hunting for deer he wounded, he followed a trail and found it dead near the spring. The quality of the oil in the spring attracted his attention. Per Wikipedia.
Not sure if the oil leaking from the pipe is natural or not, but there are natural oil seeps all over California. There are written records of this as far back as the 1700s.
That's the thing, people talk about this pollution and that pollution, but, they do not realize ( or know ) that at one time it was all in the ground to start with.
I was on the Butterfield Overland Road myself today-but many miles southeast of Newhall, in Riverside County. Always makes me smile when I recognize I’m traveling along a historic road, sharing in some small way in the adventure.
I've walked through Beals Pass once before, and its amazing to think this was "the" road in and out of the Los Angeles area. What I've never figured out is where the tunnel was in relation to this location. I believe it was filled in, so it definitely would be hard to identify the area now.
You have shown the old and the new, not hiding the good, the bad, and the ugly. We are connected to the past without knowing how we got here, until researchers and explorers take the time to lay it all out before us. I used to investigate the ruins of old settlements here in South Africa, but this was long before affordable, light cameras were available. Old bridges and their remnants stand out as monuments of the people that travelled here before me. Thank you.
Terrific. I really enjoy your videos. I love these old routes. I always wonder about how people moved around back in the day. Often I've found that the old route is where the modern route is. I learned about the railroad that was Sunset for a couple of years during the 1860s. Started at Sister's Hospital, split at Sunset Junction (Silverlake), one went along Santa Monica Blvd to the 'Old Soldiers Home,' The Veterans' Cemetery in Westwood. The other through Griffith Park to the Ostrich Ranch. (This one I've followed on a bicycle, it's almost flat. There's a curious hump in the street behind Marshall High School that might be a storm drain. It continues on across Los Feliz Blvd, up a side street and then ducks into the scrub brush and into Griffith Park. In West Hollywood about 20 years ago they tore up and re did Santa Monica Blvd. I could see some of the old tracks buried about four feet below the current roadway. I see a lot of up and down 'roads' usually above modern roads, they parallel some of the main highways. I always wonder if these are the old roads before machines could knock down hills, in fill the hollows and level it out. There's one of these in the Tejon ranch along the 5. I've got some maps and things on the Pacific Electric Line if you ever do anything on it. You're welcome to them. I also have some old Map books for Los Angeles and CA. You're welcome to those as well.
We found your Route 66 video on Budville, and after watching it, immediately subscribed to your channel. Well done! This has quickly become a favorite! Looking forward to many more enjoyable watches!
I am so glad i found your channel a few years ago. You continue to show some of the most interesting content out there. Even tho we live in Austintown ohio theres a history teacher here at the local middle school that uses your video's in some of his classes. Im glad i was able to share your channel with them and im even more happy that kids are learning from what you've been showing. Thank you for taking us along.
Another excellent video, and I’m glad to see you are in my stomping grounds with these latest videos. I feel like you might be going to the St. Francis dam disaster sight soon. Thanks for taking us viewers to all these interesting places. Keep up the good work!
So much interesting history in this one. I froze the video to study that 1854 map. Such arduous travel routes! I love how you show us the road improvements over the decades; now everything is smooth sailing on the freeway (except for traffic, etc.) This shows how small towns and roadside hotels/rest stops were vital to survival. My parents grew up in Los Angeles, and as a kid going to visit my grandparents, I though it was weird to see the bobbing heads of oil pumps at random spots in the city. The La Brea tarpits are fascinating and worth a visit. Tom Mix also filmed in the Prescott, AZ area, and stayed at what is now called the Hotel Vendome. You can book the room where he used to stay. An old friend of mine was also a Mix relative. You have established a great community here, Steve!
My family traveled to the Los Angeles area in 1850, it's a surreal thought to think they very well may have known about the construction of the cut, and possibly traveled through it after its construction.
One of the nicest videos I've watched, you have a lovely voice, a measured delivery, and you are concise. The old maps and photos were key to understanding the area. I've very much into history, so the material was fascinating for me. Thank you.
I really enjoyed seeing this look at Newhall Pass and Beale's Cut especially the many films and television shows that filmed on location here and this was really nice hearing the history of it and until next time Thank You. 🤠🖖🇺🇲
When Captain Kirk beamed down from the enterprise, it was usually to Vasquez Rocks. There's always been almost nonstop filming there - series, movies, music videos, and commercials.
Thank you for bringing this history to life. I can remember seeing the oil refinery from the road as we drove up to the central valley when I was a teenager. The oil on the hillside looks like oil from a natural seep. You see patches like that in other areas of SoCal where there are natural oil or asphalt seeps.
I read and studied some traqic history about the Newhall incident. In 1970 four CHP Officer were gunned down during a car stop. This is a rugged area and has a historical significance some tragic. I don't know if you did a segment about the incident but it would be great to visit the sight and honor the fallen officers. Their sacrifice changed police tactics on car stops and is a big part of California's history.
There was a movie called the Onion Field about it. Not sure how accurate it is. There use to be a plaque, I remember seeing it, but that was in the late 70's
@@0159ralph there’s 4 pine trees planted for the officers. The place where they were killed is Right on the way to magic mountain. Hilton garden inn now. The trees are at the new CHP office off the 126. Great books out there and some UA-cam videos on it also. Right next to I5 now
That's right near the train tunnel. We'd head into the tunnel (which was about a mile long), on the Newhall side, then pop out under the overpasses where the 5 and 14 split. It was like entering a portal and coming out in a new planet. If a train came while we were in the tunnel, it was narrow so we had to run away from the train and jump into what we called "cubby holes." Or if we were daring (read: stupid), we'd run TOWARDS the train and get to the nearest cubby hole before it got to us. The train would suck oxygen along with it, but it was never strong enough to deplete all the air (even the longer trains). SO FUN. Thanks for jarring loose some good memories. Cool video.
We have 2 small communities north off the 14 and Sierra Highway. Acton and Augua Dulce. They are little Western Nuggets. Bedroom communities for folks working in the movie industry. We were part of the horse community. Augua Dulce boasts it's local vineyards and winery. Vasquez Rocks Park was named for Vasquez the notorious outlaw. We have a nature center there. Montie Montana entertained us with stories and roping tircks.
Gosh, just found this. So glad I did. What a great video on this piece of history. Thank you so much for your hard work and efforts in getting this produced.
I enjoyed the Newhall refinery as much as Beale's Cut. That refinery was still in operation when I got my current job. I wonder how many refinery workers even realized they were working near a piece of history.
Steve, I really enjoy your tours. I love learning the history of these places. Your presentation is calm, witty and respectful. I can tell you really care about the subjects and places you visit. Keep up the great work!
Hope you get a chance to visit the Santa Paula creek oil seeps / extraction caves as well as the Union 76 headquarters in Santa Paula, CA. PS - with all the natural oil seeps in the area, not sure to what standard they should spend money to remediate the land around the old refinery. Depends on future usage.
Steve! I don't know how you find so many interesting stories about early days in the West. Your historical perspective and honest presentation, not to mention humor (Newhall Oil Refinery, haha!), make Sidetrack Adventures one of my favorite channels. Thanks!
I’m a retired truck driver. I loaded oil products out of that refinery back in the 80s. Very interesting video thanks for sharing
how did it look back in the day? :)
@@wingdingdmetrius8025 The fuel racks where are cool tankers loaded was fairly modern for the time. The rest of refinery was like going back in time very archaic.
@@wingdingdmetrius8025 Correction my phone placed the wrong word in there… Arco tankers.
I worked on that property in the early 2000's. We had a plan to completely remediate and mine it for sand and gravel and use the oil residuals to make asphalt . The hills were sprayed with tar to control erosion so that place was a mess. An oil tanker trailer was filled up but was mistakenly NOT welded from the inside and burst open spilling whatever all down that road. Believe it or not, Cabella's was talking about building a giant super store there with a nature preserve park on the lower north end. We met with the Cabella's people at city hall.. The timber and cables and well heads etc are presumably still lying around the north side of the property including the Clampitt Bros well and I always wondered if that's how Jed Clampett got his name even though the spelling is different. The Clampitt's were prominent, rich folks around there and involved in LA politics I think. Those giant 80m tanks have about 2ft of standing crude oil in them. Some of those concrete, underground vaults were "gas cracking" vaults to make gasoline. There are open drill holes in the ground about 8-10" in diameter that go about 1200 ft down and there is stinky yellow sulfur chunks around that came out of the ground. THE TOLLHOUSE foundation for Beal's Cut can still be identified down the trail to the north right next to the Fwy. I recognized the property near where this dude filmed in an episode of CSI.. We found a water well just open with no cover or markings, dropped a well pump down over 700 feet and pumped water out of it, lol. There was an old machine shop building down to north that was just a barely standing frame but it had a lot of nasty chemicals in the ground around it so we knocked it down with 980 loader and performed in ground chemical remediation around that area. That machine shop was from the oil drilling days not for the refinery. The refinery buildings that are now gone were nasty. People had been living in there and I think some terrible things were going on I won't mention. We eradicated a homeless encampment and had to kick these people off the property. Don't feel bad for them they were druggie weirdo's 100%. I enjoyed working there and we had big plans that never fully materialized unfortunately. I learned a lot more about the history of that area and there's ton!!
@@FORTYSIX_N2 damn, thanks. A comment for the library of Congress
Once again, you've taken a bleak, barren and forgotten area and turned it into a vibrant historical gem.
👏 well said
Hey, I’m a Long Beach native. Don’t often comment on the tube. But I like what you do. It’s important.
@@saxhorn1508 Kool videos
I worked on that property in the early 2000's. We had a plan to completely remediate and mine it for sand and gravel and use the oil residuals to make asphalt . The hills were sprayed with tar to control erosion so that place was a mess. An oil tanker trailer was filled up but was mistakenly NOT welded from the inside and burst open spilling whatever all down that road. Believe it or not, Cabella's was talking about building a giant super store there with a nature preserve park on the lower north end. We met with the Cabella's people at city hall.. The timber and cables and well heads etc are presumably still lying around the north side of the property including the Clampitt Bros well and I always wondered if that's how Jed Clampett got his name even though the spelling is different. The Clampitt's were prominent, rich folks around there and involved in LA politics I think. Those giant 80m tanks have about 2ft of standing crude oil in them. Some of those concrete, underground vaults were "gas cracking" vaults to make gasoline. There are open drill holes in the ground about 8-10" in diameter that go about 1200 ft down and there is stinky yellow sulfur chunks around that came out of the ground. THE TOLLHOUSE foundation for Beal's Cut can still be identified down the trail to the north right next to the Fwy. I recognized the property near where this dude filmed in an episode of CSI.. We found a water well just open with no cover or markings, dropped a well pump down over 700 feet and pumped water out of it, lol. There was an old machine shop building down to north that was just a barely standing frame but it had a lot of nasty chemicals in the ground around it so we knocked it down with 980 loader and performed in ground chemical remediation around that area. That machine shop was from the oil drilling days not for the refinery. The refinery buildings that are now gone were nasty. People had been living in there and I think some terrible things were going on I won't mention. We eradicated a homeless encampment and had to kick these people off the property. Don't feel bad for them they were druggie weirdo's 100%. I enjoyed working there and we had big plans that never fully materialized unfortunately. I learned a lot more about the history of that area and there's ton!!
Especially if you're a native Californian, it's important.
Several decades ago, Phil Howser did a series on "California's Gold."
He wasn't very good at it, but what he was doing was very interesting.
I've lived in Southern California for 44 years, and I love history and exploring. Yet I keep learning about new places and stories at a steady pace. The world is big and marvelous beyond imagination. Thank you for bringing so much of it to us.
We moved here in '78 when I was 7.
I am still discovering places here just like you
@jeffalbillar7625 California is huge and lots of dreams have come and gone up n down the whole state. So much to learn about, these adventure channels are awesome to watch!
Love your comment. I agree.
Thanks for posting this historic tidbit. It's sad that such important sites of the past are left to decay. You've done a fantastic job of researching and presenting this information...
Humans won’t inhabit this earth forever
@@Group_Anonymous And the earth won't inhabit the universe forever. Your point?
Thanks.
It was closed off because the brass plaques were stolen by metal thieves. The old parking area with the plaques became a spot for illegal trash dumping.
Therefore, it was fenced off.
@@SidetrackAdventures Thanks for showing this. How about showing us where gold was found in southern California in the 1830s.
Great job, Steve. I lived very close to the Cut from the mid '80's to '91 and remember the markers. It's also close to the hiding spot I used to duck into when (being young & stupid) attempting to evade the Sheriff for speeding on Sierra Highway. Got caught one day when the spot was blocked off and that Deputy was so excited he radioed other units excitedly yelling I caught her, I caught her. Apparently my Camaro & I had lost him a few times before.
LOL...what do you drive now
@@chadhaire1711 Now, she has a chauffer. 😄
@@truthseeker9454driving Mrs Daisy?
I wonder what was considered speeding back then. Now, people go 60mph on Sierra Hwy
Newhall in the 50's and 60's was HOTRODS TO HELL. The youth's were a little restless.
Great episode! My Grandpa took us hiking up to that in the late 70s, and called it "Fremont Pass." I remember a lot of trash and graffiti, it seemed to be a place where high school kids would go to party. I visited it a couple of times in the late 80s as well. Apparently the Northridge quake filled it in quite a bit.
My Dad told a tale of an adventure my Grandpa took him on near there in the 50s. They walked into the Newhall side of the train tunnel from the valley. There are alcoves along the way for people to duck into if a train comes. Well, about 50 feet in, there came a strong blast of wind from a train entering from the valley side, and they ran like mad back to the mouth of the tunnel and that was the end of that adventure.
We used to do the same in Chatsworth park train tunnel in the 70s.
Thank you, Steve for taking me on your sidetracked adventures. I am disabled and can’t get out of the house much and I really enjoy your programming
I'm glad I can be of help.
Same...been 7 yrs now still havent accepted it.
I´m from Germany and I just stumbled over this video, because I love the USA and I watch a lot of videos here on UA-cam.
The explanation of the history of this lost place was very interesting. Bad to see the dirt, old tires and other rubbish all around this history place.
What I really like is your clear voice - and the smooth and quiet background music. Thank you - I will explore more videos on your channel. Many greetings from Germany!
Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Hopefully they will get it cleaned up at some point.
The efforts you put into your videos is appreciated immensely. And the travel time by foot is grand. Love learning about old history and trying to imagine how many people trekked rough country. Which makes us where we are today. Thank you dearly for your thoughtfulness ❤ ❤
Forgotten Gateway to Los Angeles pretty much says it all,thanks for another historical video🤗😎🤗😎
Thank you.
Tom Mix was my great grandfather's cousin, and I thank you for the great recognition and shout out regarding Tom. I have several old Tom Mix movies (on VHS tape), and I always wondered where Beale's Cut was located and now I know. Awesome video and great channel.
love your channel, cool to see you here
@@MrJerry160 Thank you MrJerry 👍😎
Have you been to the Tom mix memorial ?
@@andrewwilliams9887 I have been to the memorial in Arizona where he died and I have also visited his grave site in Glendale, California. I also visited the car that he died in, a 1937 Cord, which used to be on display in Las Vegas many years ago.
It was my understanding that the Tommie's restaurant on Lyons Ave was named after him and they had pictures of him on the walls. I haven't been in there since the 80s.
My parents took us to Beale's Cut back in the mid 60's. We hiked the cut from the entrance with the plaques all the way through to the oil refinery that was still in operation. It's a shame the area has not been maintained.
West Texas oil guy here. Some remediation will need to be done on the site of the old refinery. But you'd be surprised: what comes out of the ground, Nature reclaims. The oil being one. Probably the worst thing to impact from oil production is the salt water that comes with. It's re-injected normally, but spills of salt water tend to be worse than oil. Since there was plenty of vegetation, doesn't appear there were any major spills of salt water, as it kills everything around and near it. Prevents anything from growing in the future unless you till and treat it. FYI!
Whoever buys the property has to pay for cleanup. That's why no one will touch it.
Not forgetting La Brae. Early oil fields and refineries were built near surface pools and that's exactly what La Brae is. It wouldn't surprise me if what he saw was basically a well head that was ever-so-slowly hemorrhaging tar-like oil (heavy, sour crude is what abounds in California.) Combine this with the fact that the local vegetation doesn't seem to mind, and the sun doing a good job of solidifying it after a while, doesn't seem to be a significant problem. Just not ideal.
Thank you for your insight.
Rain may eventually wash the salt down into the ground, a wash and a rinse of the topsoil so to speak. But that can take decades in the desert, or perhaps never if the underlying soil is impermeable. There is a big wash north/northwest of Wink Tx. They built a dam and used it as a disposal for produced water as late as the early '80's, simply letting it soak into the ground. That practice had went on for 30 years and today you'd never know from looking. Conversely there are areas along the Pecos River near Grandfalls Tx where the soil has a high clay content and nothing will grow some 70 years later. Another West Texas oilpatch guy here.
@@dfirth224That's one of the main problems I see with California is they will allow a corporation to sell land that was destroyed. They allow corporations to file bankruptcy when they're supposed to be all about the environment. Because if they were all about the environment they would force the corporations to do clean up, they would put every single member of the business in jail until it was dealt with. And then you wouldn't have these problems because business men wouldn't want to go to jail so they would make sure they cleaned up their f****** mess.
Being guided through Americas first settlers history by you is so amazing! Well done Steve-
Love from Denmark
🇩🇰 🇸🇪🇳🇴🇦🇽 😎✌️
Thanks again for taking me back home to a place i used to go a long time ago. The place hasn't changed. Hiked over the mountains to Mission Peak down into the San Fernando Valley from there. Had a friend pick me up when I got down. Good Times.
Its great that even in Los Angeles county there are a few places that haven't changed in awhile.
It's sad to see it caved in as it is now. I lived in Newhall in the late 70's and made the short hike to Beale's Cut from Sierra Highway (the oil refinery was still operational then). It was cool to see it when it was still in good condition.
You might consider doing a video on the original/actual "Ridge Route". I believe you can still drive the complete route from Castaic to Hwy 138 near Quail Lake and I5 (north of Pyramid Lake).
Excellent as always. You're filling a good portion of the hole left by Huell Howser's passing more than a dozen years ago. This one gave me chills as I realized this must have been the route taken by my great grandparents when they moved from the Central Coast down to Los Angeles in the 1890's. This is now on my must see list for weekends. Thanks very much for the research and travel.
I half expected aged derelicts left from the Charlie Manson Family to appear at the abandoned refinery.
You're a great narrator, you have the perfect voice for it. You're very pleasant to listen to!
Years ago i read a book called ' Blue Highways' by William Trogdon . He toured the entire US in a campervan taking the back roads of America using the 'B ' roads on a map coloured blue ..thus the title . The people he met , the sights and sounds and experiences of his epic journey has stayed with me vividly 40 some years later and every time I see one of your highly educational videos , it brings the memories flooding back . I am a big ,big fan of Hidden History and the fantastic entertainment provided by you Steve ...best wishes from Scotland .🌍🌎🌏
Check out John Steinbeck Travels With Charlie.
@@hoppes9658 I'm there....
Read that same books in the 80s
@@johncopeland3826 Just remembered another,Peter Jenkins Walk Across America. Very good.
Thanks for recommending the book. I've found it online at my library. I'm going to check it out and read it
I remember when they blocked this off and took down the markers, so sad. My oldest kiddo did a report for school about Beale’s Cut, my other kids weren’t able to access the area. Thanks for the video!
Does anyone one remember what the markers said.
It was probably deemed racists somehow.
My grandma grew up in Newhall. There was a railway but no real road to the San Fernando Valley at the time, so this was the travel path walking or by horse.
She was in the crowd in 1913 when Mulholland opened the dam gates bringing Aqueduct water to LA.
Oh wow, so yeah she would have definitely travelled this road.
Ok segue to another movie Chinatown with Uncle Jack lol.
“There it is, take it”! Spoken by William Mulholland at the dedication in 1913….
im 70 years old... my father took us here as children on a day trip.
I remember wagon ruts going through it.
I grew up a couple miles away from this spot. My home was just off Sierra Hwy. The entire area has changed so much.
Used to pass by there with my grandparents every Sunday. I worked there once on a television production and miss my now unaffordable LA. Thank you so much
Live about a mile from the cut, been there many times
We even had a restaurant called Beales cut.
Like your videos.
I used to go there too.i liked the food and the pictures on the wall of the cut
Beales Cut should have been their top beef dish!
@@dudeonbike800 that’s funny, i love reading comments, people are clever such as yourself.
The Tollhouse for Beal's Cut was located a ways down the trail to the north east right next to the 14. You can still see the foundation if you know what to look for.
There's a current restaurant called Newhall Refinery in Santa Clarita. On Main St
I grew up in the SFV then later the SCV. I took Sierra Highway many a time and passed the historical marker for Beale's Cut when there were still markers. If you know where to look and what to look for, you can spot Beale's Cut from Sierra Highway. It's a taste of home and childhood. Thanks for the video, Steve!!
I have lived in So. Cal for over 65 years and didn't know about this . Loved the video and thanks for the HISTORY .
I’m 75, and I was born here; but I have never heard of this place. Thank you for enlightening me.
I lived SCV for 35 yrs. and have heard of this place. You have done the best documentary on this place. Just subscribed, love stuff like this. Great job.
I lived near Valencia Meadows Park, for almost 30 years and remember Beal's Cut.
Thanks for the information on the Butterfield Overland Trail. I have hiked this trail along Lee's Creek in Arkansas and have followed it in places all across the country. I need to make it down and check this spot out. Great history.
Thankyou for reminding me, back in the early 80's, my mom, the adventurer took me up there, but I don't remember the refinery, most likely they had a way around it, hey! I was 10yrs old, but she took me all over Cali.
I took my 4 year old son up there, after showing him the footage of Tom Mix jumping Tony. He was super excited to crawl over some of the ruins there. Then I drove over to the giant "water tower", and actually pulled my SUV inside so we could shine the headlights on the interior. Out of the corner of my I saw a dark figure get up - prolly a homeless person or tagger - and I calmly made our exit. Freaked me out, tho.
That car at the foot of the cut is "new" since I was there, though the camper isn't. There used to be other cars there too, so it looks like there was some cleanup in the last few years. Also, you can see the actual cuts in the "cut" where they dug it out. There are a couple visible in your video as you entered the cut.
Tom Mix eventually built his own studio out there, incorporating the old ranch house where he lived. There are still a number of large filming locations in the area, including a 400 acre ranch recently on sale for a cool $35,000,000. Beautiful country out there...but yeah, that area in the old oil facility has bad vibes.
Before Beale and Pico cooperated with the cut, they found themselves on opposing sides during the US/Mexican War. Andres lead his Californio Lancers against a contingent of the Army of the West lead by Stephen Kearney at the battle of San Pasqual in 1846. Beale along with Kit Carson were scouts for the AofW. Excited for this episode since I grew up in the northeast region of the San Fernando Valley. We use to go crawling around that area.
I grew up there also, but I usually walked around the area. Saw some odd kids crawling around one time.
@@whatsup7253 That was probably me and the Girl Scout troop I was crawling around with .😆
You mean 1846?
Thanks Steve! I’ve been curious about the history of Beale’s cut for a long time. Glad you were able to dig up so many details. And thanks for braving the weeds to get the southern view! Good stuff, as usual!
Huell Howser did an episode years ago on it in his PBS "California's Gold" program.
Thank you for posting such a wonderful video. Actually all your videos are amazing. I watch them all. Thank you for doing such an amazing job.
Oil percolated out of the ground in many places in the LA region, the La Brea tar pits being the most famous. Really good video.
Yes, oil is a natural product from the Earth, like most everything. We tend to forget that.
@@mmburgess11Idk anyone who's forgotten that, it's very well known oil comes from wells. What planet are you from?
So let's by OIL..
FROM OUR ENIMIES.. bring poverty to our country..
@@ufc990 be kind. A lot of people don't realize or know the history oil plays on the growth of Southern California. Beverly Hills that's why people buy the houses with the oil rights and why they're so expensive. Also, people think Sutters Mill was the only place gold was initially found in CA. Gold was found in 1842 in SoCal. Look it up.
There are some seeps along the 14 not far from there. They're always building new ways to catch the oil at the bottom of the cut. Anyone driving north can see it. Also not far from there is the "new" refinery.
Great video. We used to take Newhall Pass to visit my grandmother. We were all aware of Beale’s Cut growing up. We explored it after the 2/9/1971 Sylmar earthquake. The Cut had a lot of dirt and rock that had freshly fallen from the quake. The quake had knocked my grandmothers house off its foundation. It hit Newhall/Saugus, Sylmar and San Fernando very hard. Thanks again for your video!
I remember that quake. There was a VA hospital in Sylmar that was not very old but was completely wrecked. Before they tore it down they let Hollywood studios go in and film stock footage to use in future disaster movies.
That quake is one of my earliest memories. It woke me up way out in Torrance, and I still remember the dull thud of one of those christmas cookie tins falling from the top shelf of my Mom's closet. My Grandpa lived in Granada Hills barely a mile from Sylmar. His account was harrowing but a bit long for here. I remember neatly stacked cubes of bricks salvaged from the walls that toppled and got replaced by cinder blocks, that ended up completely grown over by shrubbery as I grew up.
@@dfirth224didn’t it get used in a couple of episodes of Emergency! especially one about an earthquake?
I was 9 when that one hit, we lived in Palmdale
I thought the world was ending. My house was towards the top of a hill that had a view of the VA hospital and the brand new County hospital that the entire hospital fell on top of the collapsed first floor. The night of February 9th, all power was out in the area and the only light came from the emergency lights at the VA as the search through the rubble for survivors and body recovery continued with large cranes. Very surreal and emotional times with over 60 lives lost.
I was just in Truxton AZ and stood on the corner of Beales Wagon Road and Will Rogers highway
Nice to see where I would have wound up if I had taken a detour
Thank you for your vlog lesson...
I grew up in the oil fields of east Texas long after the oil boom was over. I'm VERY much aware of what exploring old oil refinery and containment sites looks and smells like. I could almost smell this video.
My grandfather drove the ridge route in the 1930s when his family moved from Texas to San Joaquin valley. Thanka for shining light on this HUGELY forgotten piece of road that was pivotal to connecting California, and I’ve had the pleasure of traversing the sections of the ridge route that are still passible, and sites like Kelly’s Halfway Inn, the Tumble Inn and Reservoir Peak have always faacinated me. It’s amazing such an important landmark goes so overlooked, and the views are beyond incredible.
You and your channel have gotten consistently better and more interesting each episode. Thank you so much for an entertaining and informative video.
Thanks, I appreciate it.
Thank you once again for a nice sidetrack into history. Travellers back in that day didn't get out of there that easily. From Newhall, as I understand it, the stage went up one of the canyon routes to the desert, and then had to cut back toward Gorman and Fort Tejon. The Ridge Route cut miles and miles off that route. For those interested, a search of "Newhall Pass plaques" brings up photographs of at least one or two of the old plaques. You mentioned the highway US 6, too. From LA it traveled through this area, and on up the east side (currently US 395 ), turned right at Bishop, and went all the way (with different numbers occasionally) to Massachusetts.
The "canyon routes" you speak of is most likely Soledad Canyon which the 14 follows more or less to the Antelope Valley where you can then cut back west to Gorman. I think so as it is also the route of the first railroad connecting the SCV to the AV.
That original route is today's Highway 138, Pear Blossom highway. It uses the old Gorman Post Road, which happens to be the San Andreas Fault.
US 6 still runs most of its course. For a time it was the longest US highway, and ran from Cape Cod to Long Beach. It is named the Grand Army of the Republic Highway. In 1963, California asked that it end in Bishop, because the state wanted each highway to have just one number. The section from Bishop to Long Beach is the 395 and the 14, and whatever is now south of the 14. There's an article about it in the Federal Highway Administration website (FHWA.DOT.gov)
Keep up the awesome videos, since I live up here in San Jose I would never of known about Beales Cut. I have a soft spot for Southern California since my dad's family has been in Ventura since the 1860's and every time we go down there it feels like home, Keep up the great work!
Thanks. I plan on it.
I'm 60 the last child. My parents moved there I was a sophomore. Came back to SJ in 2004. I'm a California kid you might say. So much fighting between "Nor Cal" and "So Cal" I appreciate both.
I love Huell Houser 's Show!!! I miss his Accent so much, and his wonderful way of educating one 😊
Thank you Steve for taking my mind off of Hurricane Milton
Stay safe if you are in it's path. This one looks bad.
Crazy to think such an insignificant looking cut by todays standards played such an amazing role in the development of California. Keep bringing us history please Steve, you do it so well & seem so suited to the role.
Thank you for being so diligent in gathering your information. Your videos are always wonderful to see.
Loved this. you are correct, most of the silent Westerns were thrown away and not saved. My grandfather appeared in a few Tom Mix films as a boy. He pained himself and rode bareback, playing an Indian. He made $3 a day, good money then. I buy every one of them I can find, but probably will not be able to see gramps.
It's a shame so many were lost.
Not all were thrown away. They were made on the old nitrate film and disintegrated before they could be copied to plastic film after 1952.
Oh, very interesting & I didn't know that. I wondered about their disappearance.
Great work, Steve and thanks for all the research you put into your adventures.
And yes, it does look unsettling in there.
It reminded me of a hideout a Batman villain would use.
It's crazy when I heard you say in one of John Ford's movie's they were in Monument Valley then going through the Cut, not even in same State. I love when I can identify places and catch stuff like that. Thanks Steve for the very interesting history, never knew this. Somewhere in the past I've seen that still shot of the horse and rider jumping over the gap, now I know where it was taken.
On a motorcycle ride with a friend, I visited Beale's Cut in the mid 1970s. At that time it was significantly deeper than shown in your video, more like the images shown in the old movies.
Thanks! I live at the north end of the SF Valley these days and have been aware of Beale's Cut for years, but never have got over there. It's truly an important part of our state's history, as you pointed out. I'd like to organize a clean up of the area. And yes, I remember reading back in the 1990's that a landslide had closed/blocked it.
Thanks for this h8ke Steve! I've seen Beals cut, (like many of us) in multiple Westerns and until now, I had no idea this was an important piece of L.A./California history.....
Another Historic Gem! Thanks for trooping through the weeds and snakes to show these!
Next time I watch Stagecoach with friends, I can pause the CD and say "That's historic Beals Cut!"😁
Steve, you do a great job with these videos! Perfect amount of light music, great camera work, and your wisdom! Much appreciated!!!!!
The amount of research and editing of these videos is so appreciated. Thank you Steve for all of your hard work and dedication!
You do a great job narrating. Your understanding of history is very interesting. Your description of travel back in the day puts us there.
I am nowhere near California, but find your well researched and well told stories very interesting to watch!
Glad you like them!
California is a very interesting place. I've always been impoverished by immigration best I can tell so I've really never had a chance to really explore it
Thank you for the history lesson on my beloved Newhall. I grew up in Newhall, i a loved every moment. I miss it every day and wish I could move back. Newhall is rich with history. I hope the residents appreciate where they live is special.
I remember the 6.6 earthquake said to be centered in Newhall from 1971. They now refer to it as the San Fernando quake but it was a real jolter. Great video!
It's been awhile since I've felt one. There was on Easter about 14 years ago I really remember though.
I believe it was centered in Sylmar.
@@leechjim8023 you could be right. I do remember when it happened that they mentioned it being Newhall in the initial radio reports.
Thank you Steve for putting such happy feeling into this part of our land. Keep it up!
Thanks Steve. I grew up in southern California and had never heard of Beale's Cut. As you were working your way through the brush, all I could think of was, "rattlesnake!".
Outstanding information. Loved the history. I used to travel the 14 to visit friends in the mid 1980s. Never knew this existed! Thank you.
Great post. Great old California story. Well done. Thank you.
Excellent video Steve!! Thanks - I was born in Hawthorne, Calif in 1952 and left Calif. with a job transfer in 1996. Been on Hwy 14 many, many times, and NEVER knew such a pass or "Cut" was made. At certain times of the year, the Palmdale and surrounding area is so beautiful I suppose heavily populated now vs. the 1970's and my motorcycle days. My Uncle worked in Palmdale working on "secret" stuff for Northrup back in the day. It probably was the beginnings of the F-117 and B-2 bomber and now the Global Hawk. Thanks again!!
I so enjoy your videos. Every time it’s a learning experience.
that was super interesting. Amazing how much it has filled back in and also the amount of decay in the refinery in just 35 years
That oil on the ground is not pollution it’s actually natural. Oil was discovered here as a natural oil spring. In January, 1865 Ramon Paria, a Mexican hunter, while hunting for deer he wounded, he followed a trail and found it dead near the spring. The quality of the oil in the spring attracted his attention. Per Wikipedia.
Plausible, because a lot of what we saw in Steve's video has that "raw asphalt" look. Probably the aroma too.
Yeah, I don't think that oil coming out of the pipe was a spring.
Not sure if the oil leaking from the pipe is natural or not, but there are natural oil seeps all over California. There are written records of this as far back as the 1700s.
That's the thing, people talk about this pollution and that pollution, but, they do not realize ( or know ) that at one time it was all in the ground to start with.
Is it related to the tar pits in LA?
I was on the Butterfield Overland Road myself today-but many miles southeast of Newhall, in Riverside County. Always makes me smile when I recognize I’m traveling along a historic road, sharing in some small way in the adventure.
I've walked through Beals Pass once before, and its amazing to think this was "the" road in and out of the Los Angeles area. What I've never figured out is where the tunnel was in relation to this location. I believe it was filled in, so it definitely would be hard to identify the area now.
You have shown the old and the new, not hiding the good, the bad, and the ugly.
We are connected to the past without knowing how we got here, until researchers and explorers take the time to lay it all out before us.
I used to investigate the ruins of old settlements here in South Africa, but this was long before affordable, light cameras were available.
Old bridges and their remnants stand out as monuments of the people that travelled here before me.
Thank you.
Steve ... you sir, are a true historian! Another superfino video trip thru time - - most enjoyable!
Terrific. I really enjoy your videos. I love these old routes. I always wonder about how people moved around back in the day.
Often I've found that the old route is where the modern route is.
I learned about the railroad that was Sunset for a couple of years during the 1860s. Started at Sister's Hospital, split at Sunset Junction (Silverlake), one went along Santa Monica Blvd to the 'Old Soldiers Home,' The Veterans' Cemetery in Westwood. The other through Griffith Park to the Ostrich Ranch. (This one I've followed on a bicycle, it's almost flat. There's a curious hump in the street behind Marshall High School that might be a storm drain. It continues on across Los Feliz Blvd, up a side street and then ducks into the scrub brush and into Griffith Park.
In West Hollywood about 20 years ago they tore up and re did Santa Monica Blvd. I could see some of the old tracks buried about four feet below the current roadway.
I see a lot of up and down 'roads' usually above modern roads, they parallel some of the main highways. I always wonder if these are the old roads before machines could knock down hills, in fill the hollows and level it out. There's one of these in the Tejon ranch along the 5.
I've got some maps and things on the Pacific Electric Line if you ever do anything on it. You're welcome to them. I also have some old Map books for Los Angeles and CA. You're welcome to those as well.
It is so good listening your stories at bedtime, helps me to unload. Thank you.
We found your Route 66 video on Budville, and after watching it, immediately subscribed to your channel.
Well done! This has quickly become a favorite! Looking forward to many more enjoyable watches!
I'm glad I found this video and channel. I partly grew up further north in Saugus and I am proudly the SCV ❤🙏
Welcome aboard!
I am so glad i found your channel a few years ago. You continue to show some of the most interesting content out there. Even tho we live in Austintown ohio theres a history teacher here at the local middle school that uses your video's in some of his classes. Im glad i was able to share your channel with them and im even more happy that kids are learning from what you've been showing. Thank you for taking us along.
Another excellent video, and I’m glad to see you are in my stomping grounds with these latest videos. I feel like you might be going to the St. Francis dam disaster sight soon. Thanks for taking us viewers to all these interesting places. Keep up the good work!
So much interesting history in this one. I froze the video to study that 1854 map. Such arduous travel routes! I love how you show us the road improvements over the decades; now everything is smooth sailing on the freeway (except for traffic, etc.) This shows how small towns and roadside hotels/rest stops were vital to survival. My parents grew up in Los Angeles, and as a kid going to visit my grandparents, I though it was weird to see the bobbing heads of oil pumps at random spots in the city. The La Brea tarpits are fascinating and worth a visit. Tom Mix also filmed in the Prescott, AZ area, and stayed at what is now called the Hotel Vendome. You can book the room where he used to stay. An old friend of mine was also a Mix relative. You have established a great community here, Steve!
My family traveled to the Los Angeles area in 1850, it's a surreal thought to think they very well may have known about the construction of the cut, and possibly traveled through it after its construction.
One of the nicest videos I've watched, you have a lovely voice, a measured delivery, and you are concise. The old maps and photos were key to understanding the area. I've very much into history, so the material was fascinating for me. Thank you.
... Thanks again Steve, your videos are the main reason I set my alarm on Wednesdays...
Thanks!
Thanks! Great research🎉
Thank you. I really appreciate it.
I really enjoyed seeing this look at Newhall Pass and Beale's Cut especially
the many films and television shows that filmed on location here and this
was really nice hearing the history of it and until next time Thank You.
🤠🖖🇺🇲
Glad you enjoyed it.
Very fascinating. I really appreciate the old places you are filming and including the history!❤
There's also Vasquez Rocks, about 17 miles Northeast of Beale's Cut. Vasquez Rocks is where the campfire scene in Blazing Saddles was filmed.
When Captain Kirk beamed down from the enterprise, it was usually to Vasquez Rocks. There's always been almost nonstop filming there - series, movies, music videos, and commercials.
I see them in ads all the time
Thank you for bringing this history to life. I can remember seeing the oil refinery from the road as we drove up to the central valley when I was a teenager. The oil on the hillside looks like oil from a natural seep. You see patches like that in other areas of SoCal where there are natural oil or asphalt seeps.
Thanks, Steve, another great adventure to a cool obscure place, , Bart
Thanks for taking us on your journey to explore the forgotten areas.
Much love from New Zealand ❤
Glad you enjoyed it!
I read and studied some traqic history about the Newhall incident. In 1970 four CHP Officer were gunned down during a car stop. This is a rugged area and has a historical significance some tragic. I don't know if you did a segment about the incident but it would be great to visit the sight and honor the fallen officers. Their sacrifice changed police tactics on car stops and is a big part of California's history.
There was a movie called the Onion Field about it. Not sure how accurate it is. There use to be a plaque, I remember seeing it, but that was in the late 70's
@@0159ralph was in 5th grade when that happened they made us hug the walls to evacuate we were in the range of the rifle fire. Very traumatic.
@@0159ralph there’s 4 pine trees planted for the officers. The place where they were killed is
Right on the way to magic mountain. Hilton garden inn now. The trees are at the new CHP office off the 126. Great books out there and some UA-cam videos on it also. Right next to I5 now
@@2815marionwoodThe Onion Field murders were in an onion field near Bakersfield not Newhall in 1963.
That's right near the train tunnel. We'd head into the tunnel (which was about a mile long), on the Newhall side, then pop out under the overpasses where the 5 and 14 split. It was like entering a portal and coming out in a new planet. If a train came while we were in the tunnel, it was narrow so we had to run away from the train and jump into what we called "cubby holes." Or if we were daring (read: stupid), we'd run TOWARDS the train and get to the nearest cubby hole before it got to us. The train would suck oxygen along with it, but it was never strong enough to deplete all the air (even the longer trains). SO FUN.
Thanks for jarring loose some good memories. Cool video.
Oh getting a little homesick. Miss my friends in southern CA. I lived in a small community 20 or so miles up the road.
Which town? Nothing seems so small in the area anymore until you reach Gorman.
We have 2 small communities north off the 14 and Sierra Highway. Acton and Augua Dulce. They are little Western Nuggets. Bedroom communities for folks working in the movie industry. We were part of the horse community. Augua Dulce boasts it's local vineyards and winery. Vasquez Rocks Park was named for Vasquez the notorious outlaw. We have a nature center there. Montie Montana entertained us with stories and roping tircks.
Gosh, just found this. So glad I did. What a great video on this piece of history. Thank you so much for your hard work and efforts in getting this produced.
I enjoyed the Newhall refinery as much as Beale's Cut. That refinery was still in operation when I got my current job. I wonder how many refinery workers even realized they were working near a piece of history.
Steve, I really enjoy your tours. I love learning the history of these places. Your presentation is calm, witty and respectful. I can tell you really care about the subjects and places you visit. Keep up the great work!
Great research in finds old stills and movie footage to our American history. I give you thumbs up 👍 for your homework.
I love your coverage of SoCal history.....especially the quirky & obscure corners of it.
Hope you get a chance to visit the Santa Paula creek oil seeps / extraction caves as well as the Union 76 headquarters in Santa Paula, CA.
PS - with all the natural oil seeps in the area, not sure to what standard they should spend money to remediate the land around the old refinery. Depends on future usage.
Steve! I don't know how you find so many interesting stories about early days in the West. Your historical perspective and honest presentation, not to mention humor (Newhall Oil Refinery, haha!), make Sidetrack Adventures one of my favorite channels. Thanks!
THANKS FOR THE HISTORY STEVE 😊
I lived in the area for 10 years. Early CA history is a marvelous treasure that still lives in many forgotten places.