Castaic

History

The Córdova family of California were the first settlers in the area. Modern Castaic began in 1887 when Southern Pacific set up a railroad siding on the line between Piru and Saugus Station, naming it "Castaic Junction". Between January and April 1890, the Castec School District adopted the new spelling, "Castaic". Between 1890 and 1916, the Castaic Range War was fought in Castaic country over ranch boundaries and grazing rights. It was the biggest range war in U.S. history. A feud started over Section 23, where the Stonegate subdivision is now. William Chormicle had legally bought the property, but William "Wirt" Jenkins was already storing grain on it and said he had filed for ownership. During a heated dispute, Chormicle and a friend shot and killed two of Jenkins's cowhands. They were acquitted in court. Jenkins, however, was the local justice of the peace, with friends of his own, and the feud quickly grew into war. Former Los Angeles Rangers (among whom Jenkins had fought) and other notables were drawn in. The war claimed dozens of lives and foiled a negotiator, a forest ranger whom President Theodore Roosevelt had sent in to quell it.

Geography

The area is seismically active. On January 3, 2015, a pair of earthquakes of magnitude 3.1 (location: , depth: ) and 4.2 (location: , depth: ), respectively, were reported about north of Castaic. The epicenter was from Santa Clarita, California. This region experiences hot and dry summers, and cool, moderately rainy winters. During the months of June though September, the average high temperature ranges from the 90s F (30s C) to above . According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Castaic has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csa" on climate maps.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Saugus High
  High · Saugus · 2,378 students · 25:1 ratio
• Valencia High
  High · Valencia · 2,275 students · 22.8:1 ratio
• William S. Hart High
  High · Newhall · 2,034 students · 22.6:1 ratio
• Canyon High
  High · Canyon Country · 1,946 students · 23.2:1 ratio
• Arroyo Seco Junior High
  Middle · Valencia · 1,217 students · 24.8:1 ratio
• West Creek Academy
  Elementary · Valencia · 1,024 students · 28.4:1 ratio
• La Mesa Junior High
  Middle · Santa Clarita · 1,014 students · 18.8:1 ratio
• Mountainview Elementary
  Elementary · Saugus · 934 students · 25.9:1 ratio