Santa Clarita Valley History In Pictures

Downer's La Torre Cafe
Castaic, California


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Official San Joaquin Valley-Sierra Visitor's Guide, 1937. Ad for Downer's La Torre Cafe in Castaic.

Text in ad:

Downer's LaTorre Cafe, Castaic ‘Where the New Ridge Leaves the Old”
Intersection Old and New Ridge Route, Castaic, Calif. 42 Miles North of Los Angeles
On the Ridge Since 1920
DOWNER'S La Torre CAFE
"Serving Only the Finest of Foods at Sensible Prices"
FOUNTAIN SERVICE
One of California's Most Beautiful Cafes “Come As You Are"
Harold N. Downer, Owner and Operator


The town of Castaic at the northwestern edge of the Santa Clarita Valley derives its name from the Tataviam Indian word "kashtuk." In the mid- to late-1800s, Castaic consisted of a number of large ranches, as did neighboring regions throughout the greater Saugus area. Castaic's first white settlers were probably the Cordova family, who arrived in 1835, followed in 1853 by a '49er named George Washington Lechler, who homesteaded in nearby Hasley Canyon and became one of the area's most prominent citizens.


AL2098: 9600dpi jpeg from original guidebook page | Collection of Alan Pollack
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