Bercaw Buildings, Thatcher Glass

Two views of Saugus, one facing north, the other south, apparently taken at the same time from the same location (see map below). Photographer unknown. Circa 1964.

Above: Entrepreneur Ore Bercaw built a cluster of buildings across the street (San Fernando Road) from the SPRR Saugus Depot between 1906 and about 1915: A hotel, auto garage, general store, ice cream parlor and the family home. The Bercaw family operated a general store here at least through the late 1950s.

In 1964, the Bercaw building in the foreground (25823 San Fernando Road) was occupied by Le Val Discount Cleaners. Just beyond it at 25829 San Fernando Road, probably the onetime Surrey Inn, is Le Val Foods Market, a grocery store. (The advertising for the market is on the side of the dry cleaners.) The Saugus Depot is out of view to the right.

The owner of the Le Val (aka LeVal) market and cleaners was Seymour Raymond Schneider, who died of a heart attack at age 35 on September 19, 1964. According to a notice in The Newhall Signal (9/24/1964), Schneider, a Korean War veteran, "came to the Saugus area seven months ago." The grocery store was still operating in 1966 when it was robbed. The cashier, Valerie Fetterman of Saugus, followed the two suspects, and they were apprehended. (The Signal, 1/13/1966).

None of the Bercaw buildings exists today. They are the southbound lanes of Railroad Avenue (ex-San Fernando Road). The current commercial buildings in this area sit farther west.

Below: South-facing view shows the Thatcher Glass complex on the east side of San Fernando Road (Railroad Avenue).

What might look like a side street in the foreground is the driveway to the Le Val buildings.