To modern Santa Claritans, parades on the Fourth of July represent a joyous tradition celebrating the birth of our nation, as well as time when our faithful citizens gather together to enjoy the floats created by various SCV organizations. The parade is a staple to our Fourth of July celebrations, and people look forward to it as the calendar points to mid-summer. But we take for granted that the parade has been around since the founding of Newhall, when this is not the case. Newhall wanted to celebrate the Fourth of July like any other town, but due to a lack of resources and general creativity, the parade era was a long time in coming. Not until America’s 156th birthday did Newhall shed the oppression of parade monotony; 1932 presented a parade and festivities that set the pace for future generations of parade participants. Perhaps as a result of renewed vigor in the hope of Franklin Delano Roosevelt as president, and the nation as a whole, Newhall decided to withhold no celebratory response that year: the parade started on Arch Street and went up to Newhall Avenue, moved south to Market Street and finished at the Community Church. Reportedly, the town Sheriff was supposed to shut down any parade activity, so instead of stopping the parade, he turned his head as he drove past the parade!
Humorously, the theme for that parade was “Old Time,” and it was complete with a gold prospector, a mule team freight line, cowboys, and other festive parade floats. A couple of anecdotes about the first parade include S. D. Dill’s new school bus, billed as “an impressive lesson of the progress of both of transportation and the number of pupils.” Our very own Newhall Ice won the prize for “Originality” by freezing fruit and flowers in blocks of ice, and the “Catholic Ladies” won a prize for their intricate model of the San Fernando Mission. Old cars were displayed in quirky fashion, as well as the newest models, and officials purported that roughly 2,000 people joined in the overall festivities. Throughout the years, the parades continued with enthusiasm, which is why in 1933, that year’s parade had 27 entries and roughly a hundred horsemen, cowboys, and movie stars. In the Gold Rush Year of 1949, Hollywood actor Ernie Hickson opened up his ranch to host a Fourth of July gala that brought in an estimated 12,000 partygoers, in addition to the major 4th of July parade on the former Spruce Street. He even used a money exchange system where citizens could go to the bank and receive party tokens for their money, and the tokens were good for food at the carnival. While the 4th of July parade did experience a dearth in creativity during the 1950s, it is again alive and well, and we anticipate the fun of tradition in the parade of 2009!
For more Old Newhall Parade information, check out www.scvhistory.com .
photos courtesy of the Santa Clarita Parade Committee and SCVParade.com