Hidden Gold of Chatsworth

Recently a real estate developer referred to the rocky hills he wants to bulldoze under as "just a pile of rocks." Those of us who live in Chatsworth, and know its history see a great deal more.

Equestrians know what sets Chatsworth apart from the rest of the world. It's a treasure right in front of our eyes, but some do not have the vision to see it. The hidden gold of Chatsworth--the real gem--is the fact that Chatsworth is one of the true icons of the Old West.

For hundreds of years Chatsworth's sandstone boulders with towering, almost totem-like, rock formations have attracted man. First came the Native Americans, who found protection in our rocky hills with their hidden caves, natural pools, and oak tree-shaded canyons.

Then in 1913 something magic happened: legendary filmmaker Cecil B. De Mille found Chatsworth while looking for a location to shoot his epic Western "The Squaw Man." For the next sixty years, thousands of Western movies and TV shows were filmed on locations in Chatsworth.

Our rocky hills became an icon that cannot easily be separated from mythical cowboy heroes, names like Hopalong Cassidy, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and, of course, the Lone Ranger.

Chatsworth's Six-Gun Heroes

Before the end of the 1920's the word was out--the same unique Western landscape that had attracted De Mille in 1913 now saw a stampede of filmmakers who wanted to shoot Westerns in Chatsworth. The following are just a few of the locations and movies that were filmed here:

Bell Ranch
"The Man Behind the Gun" (Warner Bros. 1952) Randolph Scott, "Gunsight Ridge" (United Artists 1957) Joel McCrea, "Hombre" (20th Century Fox 1967) Paul Newman, "Sunset" (Tri-Star Pictures 1988) Bruce Willis and James Garner

Burro Flats
"The Arizona Legion" (RKO 1939) George O'Brien, "Robin Hood of the Pecos" (Republic 1941) Roy Rogers and George Hayes, "Utah Wagon Train" (Republic 1951) Rex Allen, "Wagons West" (Monogram 1952) Rod Cameron

Chatsworth Reservoir
"Susanna Pass" (Republic 1949) Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, the "Rin Tin Tin" television series.

Chatsworth Trains
"The Squaw Man" (Lasky 1914) Dustin Farnum, "The Trail Beyond" (Monogram 1934) John Wayne, "Fancy Pants" (Paramount 1950) Bob Hope and Lucille Ball

Iverson Ranch
"Three Word Brand" (Paramount 1921) William S. Hart, "The Covered Wagon" (Paramount 1923) Tim McCoy, "The Iron Horse" (Fox 1924) George O'Brien, "Mystery Mountain" (Mascot 1934) Ken Maynard, "Along Came Jones" (United Artists 1945) Gary Cooper, "Pack Train" (Columbia 1953) Gene Autry, The Lone Ranger" (Warner Bros 1956) Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels.

To learn more about Western movie locations and their filmography, visit Jerry Schneider's wonderful website at http://employees.oxy.edu/jerry/homeloc.htm

 

Chatsworth's Equine History

Vaquero Days... In the mid 1800's Chatsworth's Oat Mountain had a large grizzly bear population that lived on rodents and gooseberries, which can still be found in Browns Canyon. Vaqueros roping a grizzly bear in the James Walker painting (left) could have very well taken place at the base of Oat Mountain.

The Mission Trail... An ancient trail that ran from an Indian village in Chatsworth to the San Fernando Mission, the Mission Trail later became part of the El Camino del Santa Susana y Simi trail that connected the San Fernando Mission to the Santa Buenaventura Mission.

The Stagecoach Trail... Established in 1861, went through Chatsworth following the old El Camino del Santa Susana y Simi trail over the Santa Susana Pass to Ventura. That stagecoach route was used until about 1877; then it was moved to the Conejo Grade because of the difficulty of getting over the Santa Susana Pass. As late as 1891 another stage line still used the pass to provide a link between the city of San Fernando and Simi Valley.

Tiburcio Vasquez... A bandit leader who reigned terror in Southern California following the gold rush days. Vasquez had a hideout at Castle Rock in Chatsworth.

Stoney Point... Known as Castle Rock in the 1800's. Stoney Point was a natural fortress: its nearly flat crest towering high above the west San Fernando Valley gave an unobstructed view for miles around. Clustered about its foot was an Indian village built mostly of adobe. Its inhabitants were Vasquez's friends, from whom he and his band could always find food and shelter; and the law could never find a soul that knew him.

Early Television Shows... "Gunsmoke," "The Lone Range," "Have Gun Will Travel," "The Big Valley," and "Zorro" were shot in the valley's northwestern section.

Roy Rogers and Dale Evans... "The King of the Cowboys," who fought for law and order with the help of "the Queen of the West," lived at the Double R Bar Ranch, a 138-acre tract of land located on Andora Avenue in Chatsworth. Its rugged terrain of big rocks and hills lent itself as an ideal setting for a cowboy adventure known as "The Roy Rogers Show."

Roy Rogers and Dale Evans performed at Chatsworth High School's 1963 dedication, a fitting tribute for a rural north valley campus where some students rode horses to school and tied them to hitching posts for the day.

The Lone Ranger... The supreme fighter for truth and justice first appeared on ABC television in 1949, when a narrator intoned these spine-tingling words: "A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty 'Hi-Yo, Silver!'. . . The Lone Ranger!"

Most of the show's outdoor scenes were shot in Chatsworth at Iverson's Ranch. Indoor scenes typically used the old Hal Roach Studios in Culver City.

Equestrian Trails, Inc.... ETI, a nonprofit corporation, was established in 1944, "dedicated to the acquisition and preservation of trails, good horsemanship, and equine legislation." Chatsworth's Corral 54, the Rocky Hill Riders, was established in the mid 1950's.

Chatsworth Equestrians Today

The Chatsworth ECHO's protest ride last July 18 may have been the largest mounted protest in the history of the San Fernando Valley. Over 160 equestrians were joined by approximately 140 pedestrians to protest a General Plan change and the proposed closing of an important access trail along Topanga Canyon Blvd. Ultimately the Los Angeles City Council agreed to keep the trail.

Thunderhead Ranch Calf roping and team penning keep ranching tradition alive. (update 2007 -- sold to a developer who plans to build 20 homes where more than 60 horses were once boarded.)

Pepper Tree Ranch World class hunter jumpers add a touch of class.

Misty Hollow Ranch A hunt club with plenty of cross- country riding thrills, its members ride to the "call of the hounds" that sometimes takes them over steeple chase jumps.

JR's This ranch hosts cowboy mounted shooting, re-enacting our Wild West history when the land was tamed by the Peacemaker.

Stoney Point, Tres Palmas, and Trails End These are a few of the ranches where folks can board their horses, and be near the Santa Susana Mountains for weekend pleasure rides.

Chatsworth Backyards For some of us (such as your editor) our backyards are a place for our children and grandchildren to learn about horses, and to get in touch with their Western heritage. Horses carried my ancestors from New England to Montana between 1638 and 1912. Horses carried them into battle during the French and Indian War, Revolutionary War, and Civil War. Horses plowed their fields, and they fed a nation for over 300 years. We owe horses a place of honor in our heritage.

The Chatsworth Formation

Chatworth's boulder-strewn hills are scientifically known as the "Chatsworth formation." They are comprised of uplifted sandstone strata created from turbidity flows originating along the submarine continental shelf 60-87 million years ago. The sandstone forms broken ridges with steep south faces and many large sandstone boulders colored light gray to light brown.

Nearby Sage Ranch is a seismically-active area with several faults that extend from the Chatsworth Reservoir up Woolsey Canyon westward into the Burro Flats area.

The best known of these faults, the Santa Susana Fault, is largely responsible for the rapid uplift of the Santa Susana Mountains and Simi Hills.

More Chatsworth history:

Did you know that Chatsworth was inhabited by the Fernandeo and Chumash before the Spanish first came here to establish the San Fernando Mission?

Did you know the first European explorers came into the Chatsworth area on Saturday, August 5, 1769? They were led by Gaspar de Portola. The journey was recorded in the diary of Fray Juan Crespi.

Did you know the San Fernando Mission was established in 1797 by Fray Fermin de Lasuen? Spain granted the land of the San Fernando Valley, including Chatsworth, to the new mission.

Did you know an Indian trail ran from Chatsworth to the San Fernando Mission? That trail was part of the El Camino del Santa Susana y Simi trail that connected the San Fernando Mission to the Santa Buenaventura Mission. The El Camino del Santa Susana y Simi trail crossed into the valley over the Santa de Susana Pass near Chatsworth Park.

Did you know that Mexico gained its independence from the Spanish Empire at the end of its war of independence in 1821; the Mexican Empire inherited the provinces of Alta California, Nuevo Mexico, and Texas from Spain. Thus Chatsworth was part of Mexico from 1821 to 1848.
 
The United States declared war on Mexico on May 13 1846 over disputed territories and the Texas Revolt by American settlers in Mexican Texas. On February 2, 1848 the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed ending hostilities between the two nations, gave the U.S. undisputed control of Texas, established the U.S.-Mexican border of The Rio Grande and ceded to the United States the present-day states of California, Nevada, Utah and parts of Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Wyoming.

Did you know that in 1834, the Mexican government ordered the sale of all mission lands? As a result, a few years later, Chatsworth was divided - the Eastern part became Rancho San Fernando, and the Western part became part of the Simi land grant. The border line went down the center of Andora Avenue.

Did you know that in 1861 a stagecoach trail was established through Chatsworth? It followed the old El Camino del Santa Susana y Simi trail over the Santa Susana Pass. That stagecoach route was used until about 1877, then it was moved to the Conejo Grade because of the difficulty of getting over the Santa Susana Pass. As late as 1891 another stage line still used the pass to provide a link between the city of San Fernando and Simi Valley.

Did you know that Chatsworth was originally called Chatsworth Park, Canoga Park was known as Owensmouth, Reseda was formerly Marian, and Northridge was first named Zelzah?

Did you know that Rinaldi was originally called Mission Road and was part of the old San Fernando Mission trail that connected the San Fernando Mission to the Santa Buenaventura Mission? It's pretty safe to say that the Rinaldi - Andora intersection of today has had continuous equestrian traffic for over 200 years.

Did you know that Oat Mountain once had a large Grizzly Bear population? They lived on rodents and gooseberries which can still be found in Browns Canyon.

Did you know Hoppy, Gene, Roy and hundreds of other cowboys made movies at the Iverson Ranch in Chatsworth between 1912 and the late 1950s? The opening scene of every Lone Ranger episode was filmed in Chatsworth. 80 arces of the original ranch now belongs to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.

Did you know that during the late 1800s, Joaquin Murrieta and his bandits hid out in the rocky crevices around Stony Point?

Did you know that Roy Rogers once owned most of the property that now contains the Trails Community at Chatsworth and Owensmouth?

Did you know that Errol Flynn once owned a hunting lodge in Chatsworth and built a dam that still remains just north of the 118 freeway near Browns Canyon Road?

Did you know that Mr. Ed, the equine star of the 1960s sitcom, once lived in Chatsworth near Topanga and Devonshire?

Did you know that Val Kilmer, Tombstone's Doc Holiday, went to Chatsworth High School?

Did you know that Disney's Zorro television series was filmed in Chatsworth during the late 1950s?

Did you know that cowboy film star Montie Montana is buried in the Oakwood Cemetery?

Did you know that Congressman Buck McKeon (25th District) braggs about us on his web page. Buck says, "Chatsworth still has a lot of horse zoned properties and it is not unusual to see horses tied to the hitching post out back of the Los Toros Mexican Restaurant or the Cowboy Palace Saloon."

Did you know how Chatsworth, California, got its name? Chatsworth is the name of the country estate of England's Duke of Devonshire located in Derby county. Today the estate is well known for the CHATSWORTH INTERNATIONAL HORSE TRIALS and CHATSWORTH COUNTRY FAIR.