Charles Kingsburry leads the Sheriff's Posse in Newhall's 1934 Fourth of July Parade.

According to the Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society, Charles H. Kingsburry and his wife, Ruth, bought a home in Newhall in 1943; clearly from this photograph, he was here already. Today the Victorian-style "Kingsburry House" sits at Heritage Junction Historic Park, having been moved there in July 1987.

Per the SCVHS: "Charles was a veteran of the Spanish-American War. He helped build the powerhouse in San Francisquito Canyon and operated a meat market in Newhall. 'Uncle Charlie,' as he was usually called, aided widows and was a coach in the Masonic Order."

Relatively little is remembered about this fairly prominent Newhall citizen. For years, even the spelling of his surname has been in dispute, alternately appearing with one R or two. (The original caption to this photograph uses two R's, but we don't know who wrote it.)

Now, as of June 2012, local historian Pat Saletore appears to have put the issue to rest when she came across a World War I draft card from 1918, singed by Charles in his own hand, as "Charles Henry Kingsburry" with two R's. (He was exempted from service, as he was pushing 40 and had previously served.) Also, in 1957, he was still living at 24318 Walnut Street — the aforementioned Kingsburry House — where he was listed in the local phone book as "C.H. Kingsburry."

Saletore's research shows two different dates for his birth: August 18 in some places, August 19 on his WWI registration card, but either way in 1879 in Missouri. He died Aug. 10, 1963, in Los Angeles.

Kingsburry deserves a full biography one day.

UPDATE: Here it is.