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Lang Southern Pacific Station

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Coordinates: 34°25′52″N 118°22′45″W / 34.4310°N 118.3791°W / 34.4310; -118.3791
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Lang Southern Pacific Station
Lang Southern Pacific Station in 1906, the second depot
LocationCanyon Country, Santa Clarita, California
Coordinates34°25′52″N 118°22′45″W / 34.4310°N 118.3791°W / 34.4310; -118.3791
Built1876
DesignatedMay 22, 1957
Reference no.590
Lang Southern Pacific Station is located in Santa Clarita
Lang Southern Pacific Station
Location of Lang Southern Pacific Station in Santa Clarita
Lang Southern Pacific Station is located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Lang Southern Pacific Station
Lang Southern Pacific Station (the Los Angeles metropolitan area)
Lang Southern Pacific Station is located in California
Lang Southern Pacific Station
Lang Southern Pacific Station (California)

Lang station is a former Southern Pacific railway station located in Soledad Canyon in Canyon Country, Santa Clarita, California. On September 5, 1876 the first railway to Los Angeles was completed at this site. The Lang Southern Pacific Station was designated a California Historic Landmark (No. 590) on May 22, 1957.

History

On September 5, 1876, Charles Crocker, President of the Southern Pacific Company, hammered a golden spike into a railroad tie at this spot. The golden spike was a ceremonial spike that was driven in to celebrate the completion of San Joaquin Valley rail line. The completion of the line connected Los Angeles with San Francisco and First Transcontinental Railroad line. Four different wood train stations buildings served as the Lang train depot. The original 1873 station was replaced with a new station in Jan of 1888. The second Lang Station Depot was not open long, as it caught fire and was burnt down on August 14, 1888. The third station train depot caught fire and was burnt down on Oct. 5, 1906. The fourth station was taken down in 1969, the California Historic Landmark status given on May 22, 1957, did not save the station from demolishing. The Lang station received its name from John Lang. In 1871 Lang built a hotel at the spot to service the visitors to the near by Sulphur Springs. [1][2][3][4][5][6]

The First Transcontinental Railroad was completed in 1869, this connected the East Coast of the United States with San Francisco, but not Los Angeles. The Transcontinental Railroad was completed at Promontory Point, Utah, in May of 1869, with two teams working from west to east and one east to west. Charles Crocker was part of the team on the western part of the Transcontinental Railroad. The western crew was built by the Central Pacific Railroad Company. Central Pacific Railroad Company was managed by Collis Huntington, Mark Hopkins, Leland Stanford, and Charles Crocker. The Southern Pacific Railroad was formed from the Central Pacific purchasing smaller railroad companies in California.

Southern Pacific Railroad purchased from Henry Mayo Newhall the San Francisco and San Jose Railroad in 1870. Southern Pacific Railroad purchased shares in Newhall's railroad from the city of San Francisco before the Newall sale. Newhall was appointed a member of the Board of Directors of the Southern Pacific Railroad. Henry Newhall later formed the city of Newhall. Newhall purchased part of Rancho San Francisco in 1875 to form the new city.

In 1887 the Southern Pacific started to expand and built a line though the Santa Clarita Valley to Santa Barbara. Along the new line, a new town was built called Saugus, the town was named after Saugus, Massachusetts, were Newhall was born. Southern Pacific built two train stations to service the valley: Newhall train station and the Saugus train Station. The Newhall train station is gone. The Saugus train station was in use till the last passenger railroad train service ended in April of 1971. Freight rail service stopped in 1979. The Saugus train station closed on Nov. 15, 1978. From public outcry, the Saugus Train Station was saved and moved to a new location on June 24, 1980. The Saugus train station is now next to the William S. Hart Ranch and Museum in Newhall's Heritage Junction. [7][8][9]

The right of way of the Southern Pacific rail line is still in use as the Metrolink Antelope Valley Line, with new Newhall station, Via Princessa station, Vincent Grade/Acton station and Santa Clarita station.

Lang Southern Pacific Station marker

Marker

Marker on the site, next to the rail line tracks, reads:[10]

  • NO. 590 LANG SOUTHERN PACIFIC STATION - On September 5, 1876, Charles Crocker, President of the Southern Pacific Company, drove a gold spike here to complete his company's San Joaquin Valley line, the first rail connection of Los Angeles with San Francisco and transcontinental lines."

See also


References

  1. ^ californiahistoricallandmarks.com marker 590
  2. ^ waymarking.com, Lang Southern Pacific Station
  3. ^ Lang Station, Soledad Canyon
  4. ^ Southern Pacific Railroad's Lang Station Burns Down, 1888, Los Angeles Herald | Wednesday, August 15, 1888
  5. ^ The Other Great Fire of 1906. Blazes Erupt at Lang Hotel and Pico Oil Field; Develop Into Major Conflagration. By Alan Pollack, M.D., Heritage Junction Dispatch, March-April 2015
  6. ^ Advertisement for John Lang's Sulphur Springs Hotel. Los Angeles Herald, June 15, 1886
  7. ^ Saugus Train Station, website
  8. ^ santaclaritamagazine.com, The Southern Pacific Railroad: See How the Train Station Functioned as a Stop, by Santa Clarita Magazine, Dec 20, 2007
  9. ^ Heritage Junction Newhall
  10. ^ Cal Makers, Lang Southern Pacific Station
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