SCVHistory.com | Saugus | Edison Substation Data Sheet (Re: Edison House at Heritage Junction).

Webmaster's note.

This SCE document is the service record of the Saugus Substation at the location indicated on Magic Mountain Parkway, commonly known as Edison Curve. The record is associated with the Edison House, the only remaining cottage (of nine) built for substation employees. As indicated, the cottages were damaged and/or destroyed in the 1928 St. Francis Dam disaster and rebuilt in 1929. They were eventually decommissioned and sold to Newhall Land; in 1989 they were burned down in an L.A. County Fire Department training exercise. One was rescued and moved to the SCV Historical Society's Heritage Junction Historic Park in Newhall's William S. Hart Park, where it was restored by the Oak of the Golden Dream Questers and other volunteers.

Of particular note in this service record is the protection provided to the substation by the U.S. military immediately following the December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, which precipitated America's entry into World War II.

STATION DATA SHEET

Substation: Saugus

Telephones: Edison 248 High Line

Local (Number): 5051

Address: 25100 Magic Mountain Parkway, Valencia

Directions from Known Landmark: 2½ miles west of the town of Saugus

Description of Land and Buildings: See plot plan dated 1929; print redone due to St. Francis Dam Disaster in March 1928; original print lost in flood.

Feb. 1899	Castaic Substation energized first time with four employee cottages.
Aug. 1923	Started Construction of Saugus Substation on Castaic Substation property.
Aug. 1924	Completed construction of Saugus Substation.
Aug. 1924	Castaic Substation abandoned and removed from service.
Oct. 1925	Constructed two cottages and one five-car garage.
Nov. 1925	Moved one cottage from Newhall Switching Station to Saugus Substation.
Mar. 1927	Built two cottages for Operators.
Mar. 1928	St. Francis Dam disaster; Saugus Substation received major damage.
Oct. 1928	Repaired three cottages for Operators.
June 1929	Station converted from 66/16kV to 22/66/16/1kV
Aug. 1929	Completed rebuilding of Saugus Substation due to St. Francis Dam disaster; station normal.
Oct. 1929	Rebuilt nine cottages and one five-car garage due to St. Francis Dam disaster.
Mar. 1932	New Substation Control Building constructed; old building converted to shop.
Jan. 1935	Station protection rebuilt.
Jan. 1941	New 220kV circuit breaker installed.
Dec. 7, 1941	Pearl Harbor attacked; 4th Fighter Command Observation Post in service @1:14PM.
Dec. 10, 1941	165th and 185th Infantry Battalions assigned to Saugus.
Dec. 10, 1941	Edison civilian guards here; observation post manned 24 hours.
Jan. 31, 1942	165th and 185th Infantry Battalions gone.
Jan. 31, 1942	40 Field Artillery men here; artillery guns in place in cottage area.
Apr. 17, 1942	All army men have left.
Feb. 22, 1944	Edison civilian guards gone; observation post out of service. NOTE: Observation post received merit badges from Washington, D.C.
Jan. 17, 1972	Cottages, garages and excess property sold to Newhall Land and Farming Co.
1989	Old Saugus employees' cottages burned by Fire Department; property reduced to bare land. NOTE: One cottage purchased and moved by Santa Clarita Historical Society.

Station Chief /s/ Date 12/[19]89.

Click image to enlarge

EDISON HOUSE
Now at Heritage Junction

• History of
So.Cal. Edison

After the Flood 1928 (Mult.)

Saugus 1/1974 x3

Heritage Junction Site Plan 1988

Data Sheet 1989