DEVELOPER MAY DONATE HISTORIC MISSION OUTPOST.Byline: Sherry Joe Crosby Daily News Staff Writer Newhall Land and Farming announced conditional plans Thursday to donate the region's most important historical site, the Asistencia San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden Xavier, to preservationists. The Spanish mission Spanish Mission may mean:
The Archeological Conservancy, a national nonprofit organization Nonprofit Organization An association that is given tax-free status. Donations to a non-profit organization are often tax deductible as well. Notes: Examples of non-profit organizations are charities, hospitals and schools. that acquires and preserves historic sites, plans to excavate portions of the site and display the artifacts artifacts see specimen artifacts. , some dating back nearly 200 years. The vacant site would be the conservancy's first one involving a California mission settlement. ``That makes it really exciting for us,'' said Lynn Dunbar, the conservancy's western regional director. ``They've given us the opportunity to take on the caliber of site we haven't been able to do ourselves.'' The conservancy retains a team from a museum, university or other institution to investigate an archeological site. Representatives of Newhall Land, which owns the property, said they are looking forward to working with the conservancy, which has preserved 120 sites throughout the country. ``We're really delighted with working with the Archeological Conservancy,'' Newhall Land spokeswoman Marlee Lauffer said. ``This emphasizes our commitment to preserve open space and pay attention'' to archeological treasures. But there's a catch. The deal hinges on county approval of the 25,000-home Newhall Ranch development, planned for 19 square miles south of state Highway 126 and west of the Golden State Freeway The Golden State Freeway is a north-south freeway running through Kern County and Los Angeles County, California. Originally built as U.S. Highway 99, it was re-signed as Interstate 5 in 1964. . Plans call for five villages featuring shops, movie theaters, schools, parks and homes that could accommodate up to 70,000 people during the next 25 years. The Los Angeles County Regional Planning regional planning: see city planning. Commission will hold hearings on the project and its environmental impact report at 6 p.m. Oct. 9 and Nov. 6 at Valencia High School Valencia High School may refer to:
The settlement, situated on a bluff overlooking the Santa Clarita Valley The Santa Clarita Valley is the valley of the Santa Clara River in Southern California. It stretches through Los Angeles County and Ventura County. Its main population center is the city of Santa Clarita. The valley was part of the 48,612-acre (19,672. , played a key role in the early development of California. ``Hands down it's the most important historical site in this region,'' said David Whitley, principal of W and S Consultants, a Simi Valley-based archeological firm hired by Newhall Land. ``It crystallizes the history of Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, ,'' Whitley said. In 1769, Spanish explorer Don Gaspar de Portola camped at the site, considered ideal for a mission by Father Crespi, the expedition priest. But the mountainous Newhall Pass Newhall Pass is a mountain pass in Los Angeles County, California, USA. Historically called San Fernando Pass and Fremont Pass, it separates the Santa Susana Mountains from the San Gabriel Mountains. made access difficult. By 1804, the thriving settlement became an asistencia, or outpost, of Mission San Fernando. It featured two adobe buildings, each 100 feet long and 20 feet wide; a kiln; and a milk house. The two buildings were accentuated by tile roofs and floors, and the interiors included a granary and a small chapel. Built by local Tatavium Indians, the village served as a way station for weary travelers, including members of the Bennett-Arcane group of 1849 gold prospectors who became stranded in Death Valley. The site also played a vital role in the discovery of gold. Francisco Lopez, who discovered gold in Placerita Canyon in 1842, was the uncle of Antonio del Valle. In 1839, del Valle received the asistencia and the surrounding 46,000 acres of Rancho San Francisco Rancho San Francisco was a land grant of 48,612 acres (196.7 km²) by Governor Juan B. Alvarado to Antonio del Valle, a Spanish army officer, in recognition for his service to the state of Alta California. as part of a Spanish land grant. In 1865, the del Valle family sold the land to Sen. Thomas A. Scott and Thomas Bard, who were interested in oil production. They, in turn, sold the land to financier Henry Mayo Newhall, who renamed it Newhall Ranch. The history of the site reflects ``the complex relationship between the mission, rancho and gold rush periods'' of early California, Dunbar said. The Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society would work with the conservancy to unearth the site's past. ``It will mean more work, more investigation, more history,'' society member Gerry Sokolowicz said. ``We hope to get more on-site investigation of it and to protect it.'' Many shards of pottery, adobe and tile survived at the relatively isolated site, located just north of Six Flags California. Dunbar claimed the Newhall Ranch development plan is the best to maintain protection of the site. ``Mixed-used development is the best thing for the site, because we have someone watching it,'' Dunbar said. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: A painting by Jerry Reynolds shows how the Asistenci a San Francisco Xavier looked early in the 1800s. |
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