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“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
Angeles National Forest near Santa Clarita in Los Angeles County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
 

St. Francis Dam Disaster Site

 
 
St. Francis Dam Disaster Site Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Konrad R Summers
1. St. Francis Dam Disaster Site Marker
Inscription. The 185-foot concrete St. Francis Dam, part of the Los Angeles aqueduct system, stood 1½ miles north of this site. On March 12, 1928, the 185-foot high concrete dam collapsed just before midnight, sending 12½ billion gallons of water roaring down the Santa Clara River Valley 54 miles to the ocean. This was one of California’s greatest disasters: Over 450 lives were lost.
 
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: DisastersIndustry & CommerceMan-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
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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
St. Francis Dam Disaster Site Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Konrad R Summers
2. St. Francis Dam Disaster Site Marker
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. Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society. (Submitted on March 12, 2018, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California.) 

3. St. Francis Dam Disaster. (Submitted on September 10, 2019.)
 
St. Francis Dam Disaster Site Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Craig Baker, September 8, 2019
3. St. Francis Dam Disaster Site Marker
St. Francis Dam Disaster Site Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Craig Baker, September 8, 2019
4. St. Francis Dam Disaster Site Marker
St. Francis Dam Disaster Site Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Konrad R Summers, March 15, 2009
5. St. Francis Dam Disaster Site Marker
Former location of marker before it was moved to current location due to fears of vandalism
Ruins of the St. Francis Dam image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Konrad R Summers, March 15, 2009
6. Ruins of the St. Francis Dam
St. Francis Dam image. Click for full size.
7. St. Francis Dam
St. Francis Dam image. Click for full size.
8. St. Francis Dam
After the flood, the center section was still standing.
Power Plant #2 image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Konrad R Summers, March 15, 2009
9. Power Plant #2
Destroyed by the flood and rebuilt.
Pieces of the Dam image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Craig Baker, March 12, 2018
10. Pieces of the Dam
Mounds of concrete are sections of the dam that washed down the canyon during the flood, 90 years ago.
Nearby Marker image. Click for full size.
2017
11. Nearby Marker
At the fire station next door to Power Plant 2.
Memorial Marker image. Click for full size.
1990
12. Memorial Marker
A few miles south, in a private family cemetery. Erected by the Newhall Cowboys, including silent film star William S. Hart.
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on July 3, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 13, 2010, by Konrad R Summers of Santa Clarita, California. This page has been viewed 5,474 times since then and 44 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, 6. submitted on May 13, 2010, by Konrad R Summers of Santa Clarita, California.   7, 8. submitted on September 10, 2019, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California.   9. submitted on May 13, 2010, by Konrad R Summers of Santa Clarita, California.   10. submitted on March 13, 2018, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California.   11, 12. submitted on April 1, 2018, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 28, 2024