Newhall in Santa Clarita in Los Angeles County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Santa Clarita History Bear
2017 - Frank Rock
Photographed by Craig Baker, June 14, 2025
1. Santa Clarita History Bear Marker
The California Bear Project was developed in August 2004 by the city and bears were installed from 2005 to 2018 throughout Santa Clarita.
Painted by artist and long-time Canyon Country resident Frank Rock, the Santa Clarita History Bear depicts many scenes from Santa Clarita history.
"I wanted to convey a sense of our local history. I wanted to cover all cultural and tangible aspects of Santa Clarita from the oil and film industry to indigenous animals and flora. Plus, I included my favorite point of interest, the St. Francis Dam," said Rock. This installation was commissioned by The Canyon Theatre Guild.
original (incorrect) marker:
One of several art bears that grace sites around Santa Clarita, "The Santa Clarita History Bear" is part of the California Bear Project, a series of life-sized representations of the "Monarch" grizzly, the bear that appears on the California state flag. Weighing 2,350 pounds and said to have killed and eaten seven grown men, the Monarch grizzly was shot right here in Santa Clarita in 1877, the largest Grizzly Bear ever to be killed in California. Painted
this page online
Erected by City of Santa Clarita.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Arts, Letters, Music • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1877.
Location. 34° 22.907′ N, 118° 31.781′ W. Marker is in Santa Clarita, California, in Los Angeles County. It is in Newhall. It is at the intersection of Lyons Avenue and Main Street, on the right when traveling east on Lyons Avenue. Located at the Newhall Library. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 24500 Main St, Newhall CA 91321, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Los Angeles 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 New Spain and also Mexicos Alta California.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are
Photographed by Craig Baker, April 21, 2024
2. Original Marker
Mostly incorrect information.
Regarding Santa Clarita History Bear. The "Monarch" grizzly is not the bear that appears on the California state flag The flag was designed in the 1950s using photos of grizzly bears in Yellowstone.
In 1889, William Randolph Hearst tasked reporter Allen Kelley with finding a live grizzly bear in California. He acquired Monarch in Los Angeles from trappers and hauled the grizzly to San Francisco, where the bear lived another 22 years in captivity.
California grizzlies went extinct in the 1920s, with the final sighting in 1924.
In 2024 the City of Santa Clarita replaced the original plaque, which had incorrect information, after the issue was brought up
Photographed by Craig Baker, April 20, 2024
3. Santa Clarita History Bear and Marker
Photographed by Craig Baker, April 20, 2024
4. Santa Clarita History Bear
Tiburcio Vasquez; Vasquez Rocks; Wm.S.Hart
Photographed by Craig Baker, April 20, 2024
5. Santa Clarita History Bear
St.Francis Dam; Saugus Depot; Saugus Cafι
Credits. This page was last revised on January 19, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 26, 2024, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. This page has been viewed 622 times since then and 88 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on July 29, 2025, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on April 26, 2024, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California.
