Well howdy there, you late sleepers and big dreamers. C’mon. Get your little sleepy latte-sipping selves into some old jeans and comfy boots. We’ve some trail-riding ahead.  On this morning’s lovely ride into our local heritage, we’ll be saying howdy to a man with much common sense and v ery little legal acumen, Judge MacDougall.  We’ll also mosey past bad guys, saints, movie stars, elephants and heroes.  Oh.  Time traveling tidbit.  Don’t hold onto the saddlehorn.  It makes you look a might green …  WAY, WAY BACK WHEN   IT’S OUR LONGEST-LIVED TRANSLATION ERROR — It’s our longest-lived typographical error. Aug. 25, 1845, the Rancho del Buque was granted to Frenchman, Francisco Chari. (Chari changed his name from Francois to pass as Spanish.) Chari, a former sailor, named his big cattle spread in Bouquet Canyon The Buque Ranch after the French word for “ship.” American cartographers came along after statehood, thought “buque” was Spanish for a bunch of flowers, and renamed the canyon, “Bouquet.” All these years, many of us have been living in Ship Canyon and not even knowing it …  AND, 148 YEARS LATER, IT’S STILL HERE — Back on Aug. 24, 1878, the Lake Hughes Post Office was dedicated. For many decades, Lake Hughes was still considered the northern back door to the Santa Clarita Valley …  AUGUST 29, 1926  THE MANY HOUSEHOLD USES OF THE MIGHTY SIGNAL — In his day, William S. Hart was one of the most famous people on Earth. The movie superstar was making the final plans for his new home atop the hill overlooking Newhall. Here’s something to stump the tour guides over at Hart Park. What was there before? A fire station lookout tower. Workers were already putting in 2 miles of steel fence around the original 75-acre tract. A Mr. Hinrich was contracted to build the winding road from the original ranch house at the base of the mountain to the new mansion. It was Mr. Hart himself who reportedly used copies of Your Mighty Signal to map out that curvy paved road that leads up to the house today. The actor walked the path, tearing off Signal pages and anchoring them with rocks as the original markers. Hey. It’s better than using them for bird cage liners.  HOUSE O’ COPS — It sat at the corner of 6th and today’s Main Street and, for years, was one of the cornerstones of the SCV. On Aug. 26, 1926, the Newhall Sheriff’s Sub-Station was dedicated. It handled all the law and order business from the Chatsworth border into the Antelope Valley. The station was open 24 hours a day, with at least two men on duty all the time. The original sheriff’s force included deputies Howard, Fox, Ernst, Stockwell, Knuss, Nester and Aikens. The first captain was JEB Stewart. Not the Civil War general. Actually, he was J.E.B. Stewart. The building is still there and is part of the Canyon Theatre Guild.  DO YOU MINE? — Here’s some trivia for you. Mr. and Mrs. Joe Pickett were the last residents to move out of the lost community of Sterling. It used to be in Tick Canyon, just south of Agua Dulce. The little community was built around a huge borax mine that dug out its last ore in 1925. Sterling was named after Phil Sterling, a mining multimillionaire who ran the mine and little town, from 1908 to 1921.  AUGUST 29, 1936  MINZ, MANZ, MUNZ; WHATEVER IT TAKES — Today, a solitary street still bears the name of Munz in Lake Elizabeth. The family used to pay, out of their own pocket, for a giant barbecue for neighbors ranging from the Antelope to Santa Clarita valleys. The big shindig had food, drink, dancing and games. The Munz Family started the tradition in 1929. Even earlier, they hosted a regional Fourth of July fest.  THE MINI WALMART OF ITS DAY — Woods Garage (next door to the Saugus Café back in the day) pretty much did it all. Besides being a blacksmith shop, they sold guns, ammo and hunting licenses. They were also pretty good at repairing cars, though I might say it’s a good thing we’re on horseback because I don’t know if the good mechanics could handle the computerized fuel system of a Lexus. Trivia? The phone number for Woods Garage was pretty easy to remember: 38.  AUGUST 29, 1946  THIEF OF HAY — Well I’m betting there was a big flatbed truck involved. On this date, someone visited the Silver Shield Dairy in Saugus and made off with 17 tons of hay, valued at $500. I know. You horse people are wishing you could buy 17 tons for $500 and take it back into the here--now …  BACK IN THE DAY OF GREAT REAL ESTATE DEALS — Speaking of good deals, how’d you like to buy a 40-acre ranch, just outside of Newhall, with a big house, barn, outbuildings, two wells and stream, complete with an orchard and acres of vegetables? Asking price? Just $30,000. That’s not down, either. That’s the whole shooting match. The owner said he’d carry the paper, too.  AUGUST 29, 1956  CANYONS CAUSE CRASHES — Our up--down geography has contributed to hundreds of traffic fatalities over the decades. Jacinto Gubio lost his life and his double rig lumber truck on Sierra Highway. He was going too fast to stop and careened into a slower truck.  LEAP FOR YOUR LIFE — Henry Ralph had an interesting answer for when his wife asked: “So how did work go today, honey?” Ralph was rolling along on one of those pump scooter railroad track cars in Saugus when he noticed a big freight train barreling his way. Doing the math, he couldn’t make it to a turn-out fast enough and had to jump for his life before the steel monster ate his car. He escaped with small injuries and an increased heart rate.  AUGUST 29, 1966  COME TO SEE THE ELEPHANT — Charlie and Sonita were possibly the SCV’s oddest couple in all of local history. Charlie was a human. Sonita was an elephant. Charlie kept the 16-year-old pachyderm at his auto repair compound up Sierra Highway. He even built a special reinforced trailer to hook up to his truck to take Sonita on errands. According to Charlie, she got upset “like a little kid and would throw tantrums” whenever he left. Sonita would even help on some of the repairs, lifting up vehicles until Charlie could slide a jack underneath.  THE GRAND OLD DAYS OF BARROOM BRAWLS — As the valley shifted from a rowdy rural demographic into yuppified suburbia, one regular ritual that is virtually extinct today is the saloon fight. We used to have at least one good one a week. On this day, at the old bucket of blood called Oscar’s Cove way up Sierra Highway, six were attacked in a melee. Seems elbow benders were pretty much minding their own business when some toughs came in, and, according to owner Henry Mahan, they “started swinging without even buying a beer.” Of course, when the story unfolded, the gang was upset about being involved in a fight with the patrons in a North Hollywood bar the night before.   AUGUST 29, 1976  KILLER SPRINKLERS — I always shake my head at California drivers. Last I looked, we tend to fall into that demographic. The California Highway Patrol released a report that 11 accidents were caused from sprinkler run-off on several of our major roads in 1975-76.  ROAD WORK — It was a sad day as one of the valley giants died. Clarence Melwood MacDougall was simply known as — Judge Mac. Born June 15, 1901, in Jacksonville, Illinois, he actually had a background in engineering. Mac worked for Los Angeles County in 1927 when he helped plot roads here. In fact, it was Mac who helped draw up what would become Bouquet Canyon Road. It was Mac who took out the deadly curve and made it straight.  While creating highways, Mac would take his lunch at the Saugus Cafe. At one meal, owner Brian Coone invited him to a party. Mac declined, until Coone’s sister happened to walk by, gave him one look and that was all it took. They would be wed on Dec. 23, 1930.  He would become one of the most influential people in valley history. But during the 1930s, he continued to do survey work until he hurt his leg. In 1935, he took over the Saugus Cafe from his wife’s brother. He also operated restaurants in the San Fernando Valley. It was hard work, getting up before 5 and getting to bed at midnight.  Every day.  Seven days a week.  Judge Mac served in the Navy in the rank of commander during World War II and it was over a long-distance call overseas that Olive reported that she sorta/kinda bought the French Village, a popular night club in Newhall famous for its Hollywood big bands and dance nights. Shocked, Mac yelled over the phone: “My God, woman, have you lost your mind?”  But the French Village made money. The war ended. Mac came home and ran the Saugus Cafe and then, in 1951, his life took a strange turn. He was appointed justice of the peace for the Soledad Township, an area of 1,000 square miles stretching from Palmdale to Frazier Park.  One small problem.  Mac wasn’t a lawyer. He had no background in law. In fact, he went to night school in Los Angeles to learn the law he was doling out. It took him seven tries before he finally passed the bar exam and by then, he was in his 60s.  In 1966, his justice of the peace role changed when the Newhall Municipal Court was formed and he became its first judge. He served that position faithfully for 20 years. The good jurist and one of the 20th century’s most influential citizens was 75 when he died on Monday, Aug. 23, 1976.    SHOOT THEM DANG BEETLES — If you see a yellow and black beetle about 1/3 of an inch long, squish it. The flying bug is the dreaded elm leaf beetle and it “skeletonizes” the leaves of trees. We had an infestation of the rotters 50 years back.  AUGUST 29, 1986  HOW DEAD BODIES HELPED FOUND THE CITY OF SANTA CLARITA — Oddly enough, corpses were a galvanizing factor in Santa Clarita becoming a city. After a horrendous head-on wreck on State Route 126, the bodies of two victims lay untouched by the side of the road for more than three hours. Adding to the tragedy, one of the bodies had an organ donor card. This was the second time that accident victim bodies were left by the side of the road for many hours. Outraged citizens cited a need for a local government with a local coroner.  BLETCH LET’S MOVE THE WHOLE DARN VALLEY TO THE BEACH! — A darn major yicky day 40 years back, with the mercury at 108 (in the shade) and the humidity at 75%.  A GREAT CAREER TURNED TRAGIC — Successful and popular Realtor Richard Wayne O’Bryant led his colleagues for four years straight as top producer and income earned. He was arrested on charges of murdering his girlfriend in the Newhall home they shared. Bryant claimed he thought she was a burglar. Deborah Sue Jones had been shot five times at point blank range.  BACK IN THE SWASHBUCKLING DAYS OF EDITORIALS — Leave it to The Signal. On this date, your community newspaper ran a little boxed teaser story above the fold, to the right, announcing the big news: The William S. Hart Pony baseball team won the Pony World Series, beating Japan 3-2 in Washington. Right next to that box was a Scott Newhall editorial blasting perverts entitled: “What Became of Kiddie Porn?”  • • •  Well this trail ride was so much fun, it borders on a misdemeanor. Thanks for the company, dear friends, neighbors and saddlepals. See you back here at The Mighty Signal hitching post next weekend with another exciting Time Ranger into yesteryear. Until then? ¡Vayan con Dios, amigos y quédate enfrente del aire acondicionado!  Visit John Boston’s bookstore and eclectic online store with unique gifts for readers and writers at JohnBoston-Books.com. A lifelong SCV resident with 119 major writing awards and nearly 12,000 columns, Boston is the most prolific humorist and satirist in world history.  The post The Time Ranger | The Story of Judge Clarence Melwood ‘Mac’ MacDougal appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal. ...read more read less