Lancaster in Los Angeles County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
St. Francis Dam Disaster
Lancaster Cemetery
Photographed by Craig Baker, March 26, 2019
1. St. Francis Dam Disaster Marker
Erected 2018.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Disasters. A significant historical date for this entry is March 12, 1928.
Location. 34° 41.812′ N, 118° 7.81′ W. Marker is in Lancaster, California, in Los Angeles County. It can be reached from the intersection of Lancaster Boulevard and Division Street. Located in the south-west corner of Lancaster Cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 111 E Lancaster Blvd, Lancaster CA 93535, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Los Angeles, in the High Desert, and in the Transverse Ranges. It is also on the American Pacific Coast. Globally, it is in North America, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Jacqueline Cochran (approx. 0.4 miles away); F-4 Phantom II (approx. 0.4 miles away); John B. "Jack" McKay (approx. half a mile away); Henry E. "Hank" Chouteau (approx. half a mile away); Colonel Jesse P. "Jake" Jacobs, Jr. (approx. half a mile away); Colonel Jack L. Ridley (approx. half a mile away); Arthur K. "Kit" Murray (approx. half a mile away); Thomas C. McMurtry (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lancaster.
Regarding St. Francis Dam Disaster. The St. Francis Dam was constructed from 1924 to 1926, with a 12.5-billion-gallon capacity. At 11:57 pm on March 12, 1928, the dam failed, sending a 180-foot-high wall of water down San Francisquito Canyon to the Santa Clara River, reaching the Pacific Ocean near Ventura 5½ hours later. Over 400 people were killed. It was the second-worst disaster in California history, after the great San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906, in terms of lives lost, and America's worst civil engineering failure of the 20th Century.
Photographed by Craig Baker, March 26, 2019
2. St. Francis Dam Disaster Marker
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. St. Francis Dam Disaster Sites.
Photographed by Craig Baker, March 26, 2019
3. Marker Detail
Photo on the marker shows the St. Francis Dam.
Photographed by Craig Baker, March 26, 2019
4. One of the nearby tribute markers
5. St. Francis Dam
It was located 30 miles southwest of the cemetery.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 11, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 26, 2019, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. This page has been viewed 659 times since then and 19 times this year. Last updated on December 21, 2019, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on March 26, 2019, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. 5. submitted on December 25, 2019. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.
