Click to see license plate.

Two 1919 views of Castaic (aka Castac) Lake, east of today's Interstate 5 freeway at Lebec. Not to be confused with the manmade reservoir of the same name in the town of Castaic.

3¼x5½-inch print above, 3¼x4-inch print below.

According to the photo vendor (pers. comm. February 2019), the photos came from a small album of mostly Eastern Sierra photos, dating to 1916-1920. The photographer was Ernest H. Reed, an electrician/elevator repairman from Los Angeles County.

As for the date, the license plate on the car (inset), No. 180265, was issued in Sacramento in 1916. The registration tag, a red star, is the 1919 tag (or, tab). Click here for more about registration tags.

A handwritten inscription on the back of each photo, probably written at the time, reads "Castaic."

As of 2019, the area surrounding the lake, which is in Kern County, is approved for a 3,450-home subdivision.