December 1910 — Edison Castaic Substation. Photo by longtime Edison staff photographer G. Haven Bishop.

Not to be confused with Edison's Saugus substation on present-day Magic Mountain Parkway, Edison's Castaic substation was located nearby, in the vicinity of today's Rye Canyon Road at The Old Road.

Edison records show the following:

Feb. 1899: Castaic Substation energized first time with four employee cottages.

Aug. 1923: Started Construction of Saugus Substation on Castaic Substation property.

Aug. 1924: Completed construction of Saugus Substation.

Aug. 1924: Castaic Substation abandoned and removed from service.

(Note: The St. Francis Dam Disaster, which sent floodwaters through the area, was in 1928.)

Southern California Edison incorporated in 1909, a consolidation of several power companies. We need to do further research to know which Southern California Edison predecessor built this facility.

Inventor Thomas A Edison's General Electric Co. allowed companies across the country to use the "Edison" name as long as they agreed to use the man's patented technology. In 1897, a company in Los Angeles called Westside Lighting changed its name to Edison Electric Co. when it started using Edison's patented three-wire conduit technology. This was probably the company that built the 1899 Castaic substation, but we aren't certain. Other power companies also ran transmission lines and built facilities in the Santa Clarita Valley during this period — and eventually merged into Southern California Edison.