Just southeast of San Fernando Road and Sierra Highway lies a little a gateway that once connected the main roadway of Los Angeles and Newhall. It was also a popular location for pioneer filmmakers to make films such as Broken Ways in 1913, Straight Shooting, Three Jumps Ahead, The Iron Horse and Stagecoach.
Formerly known as the San Fernando Pass (and Freemont Pass), it was discovered in 1769 by Don Gaspar de Portola. It eventually was named for Henry Newhall during the 19th century (Newhall Pass).
Looking for a route to ease the colonization of Alta California, Portola headed west to the Santa Clara River Valley to the coast and then to Monterey Bay. Travelers later used this route and the first major road in California was named “El Camino Viejo” – connecting Los Angeles to San Francisco. El Camino Viejo extended the San Fernando Pass northeast to the Antelope Valley in 1800. In the mid 1800’s, the San Fernando Pass became heavily used due to the gold rush. The San Fernando Pass was later renamed Fremont Pass after General Fremont marched his troops through the pass during the Mexican American War.
It was very difficult for wagons to make it through the pass because of the steep climb. In 1854, General Phineas Banning made a 30-foot deep cut into the pass, Banning Cut, allowing mail service to Los Angeles. In the 1860’s, a wealthy landowner deepened Banning’s Cut to 90 feet and since then, the Cut through the mountain was renamed.
This gateway has been bypassed with the completion of Mint Canyon Road (Sierra Highway), the Antelope Valley Freeway, and Interstate 5 Freeway in the 1900’s. The landmark still remains although a landslide in 1998 filled half of the Cut.
Vehicles can no longer pass through this Cut, however it is visible from the Sierra Highway about one mile north from the intersection of The Old Road and Sierra Highway. Do you know where I am in the SCV?