St. Francis Dam: Castaic Junction
St. Francis Dam Disaster

[Full View][Closeup of Dredge][Closeup of Telegraph Linemen]

Photo No. 10 from The Newhall Land and Farming Co.'s March 24, 1928 report on the March 12-13 St. Francis Dam Disaster. Photograph of destruction at Castaic Junction (intersection of today's State Route 126 and Interstate 5). The telegraph poles are new, having been installed within the last 10 days. In fact, telegraph linemen are up in the poles in this photograph (at right). At extreme left is the hopper of a portable clamshell dredge being used to dig out the roadbed. According to the text, this photograph "shows the place where at the triangular meeting of the roads the gasoline station operated by McIntyre and his son was located, of whom the father and one of the boys were lost. In the same vicinity you will recall there was the railroad warehouse, the section gang house, and a large auto camp at which it was reported there were some eight cars whose occupants were undoubtedly lost in the flood, and several other buildings. ... (You) will see at the present time that the highways are about 3 or 4 feet below the level of the present covering of sand, gravel, muck and debris, and there is not a vestige of any building whatsoever in that country except the concrete platform of the old section house. In the photograph you will notice several old telegraph poles bent over or broken off, but those with the lines on them have just been put in ..."

Original caption by Almer M. Newhall reads as follows:

No. 10 Castaic Townsite!

From Plate IV.

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