Angeles National Forest near Santa Clarita in Los Angeles County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
St. Francis Dam Disaster Site
Erected 1979 by State Department of Parks and Receation, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, U.S. Forest Service and The Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society. (Marker Number 919.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Disasters • Industry & Commerce • Man-Made Features. In addition, it is included in the California Historical Landmarks series list. A significant historical month for this entry is March 1928.
Location. 34° 32.103′ N, 118° 31.529′ W. Marker is near Santa Clarita, California, in Los Angeles County. It is in Angeles National Forest. Marker is on San Francisquito Canyon Road, 9 miles north of Copper Hill Road, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 32300 North San Francisquito Canyon Road, Santa Clarita CA 91390, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 9 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. St. Francis Dam (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Tesoro Adobe (approx. 4.6 miles away); Power Plant No. 1 (approx. 5.4 miles away); The Ridge Route (approx. 7.7 miles away); Newhall Incident (approx. 7.9 miles away); Rancho San Francisco (approx. 8 miles away); Oak of the Golden Dream (approx. 8.1 miles away); Saugus Café (approx. 8.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Santa Clarita.
More about this marker. Marker plaque is mounted on an actual piece of the broken dam, and can be seen behind a fence at Power Plant #2.
Regarding St. Francis Dam Disaster Site. Recent research has found the number of lives lost was 430.
On March 12, 2019, the Saint Francis Dam Disaster National Monument was established. Fundraising is underway to build a visitor center at the site.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. — St. Francis Dam Disaster sites.
Also see . . .
1. National Public Radio. Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the disaster, National Public Radio presented a documentary complete with interviews and first person accounts of the event. (Submitted on May 14, 2010.)
2. Why Did It Fail?. A 2010 report, on SCVHistory.com (Submitted on March 12, 2018, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California.)
3. St. Francis Dam Disaster. on SCVHistory.com (Submitted on September 10, 2019.)
Credits. This page was last revised on March 30, 2024. It was originally submitted on May 13, 2010, by Konrad R Summers of Santa Clarita, California. This page has been viewed 5,505 times since then and 75 times this year. Last updated on December 21, 2019, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 13, 2010, by Konrad R Summers of Santa Clarita, California. 3. submitted on September 10, 2019, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. 4. submitted on September 11, 2019, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. 5. submitted on May 13, 2010, by Konrad R Summers of Santa Clarita, California. 6, 7. submitted on September 10, 2019, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. 8. submitted on May 13, 2010, by Konrad R Summers of Santa Clarita, California. 9. submitted on March 13, 2018, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. 10, 11. submitted on April 1, 2018, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.