SAUGUS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HISTORY
1910 – SAUGUS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL – opened in 1910 on a section of Charles Kellogg’s farm, located in the “triangle” between present-day Magic Mountain Parkway, Bouquet Canyon Road and Valencia Boulevard. Three Saugus businessmen (Saugus Cafe co-owner Martin Wood, Saugus grocer Ore Bercaw and someone named Osborn) contributed $100 each for the construction of the wooden, New England-style building.
Tragedy struck on the night of March 12-13, 1928 when the St. Francis Dam collapsed and sent 12.5 billion gallons of water crashing down San Francisquito Canyon. Half of the student body and some school staff members — estimates range from 17 to 22 souls — perished. (The schoolhouse survived; it wasn’t in the floodpath.)
1958 – SANTA CLARITA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL – the prominent California architectural firm of Smith, Powell, and Morgridge were hired to plan a new elementary school. They designed the school building with a unique circular shape, in the now classic “Mid-Century Modern” style. The first phase of the school was built in 1960 and finished in 1963.
The original name of the school was “Dry Canyon Elementary.” Fortunately, before the school opened the name was changed to “Santa Clarita Elementary” due to the new housing development that was being built across the street on Seco Canyon Road. This area of Saugus was then known as Rancho Santa Clarita, originally owned by the Bonnelli family (who owned the Saugus Speedway). The first Principal of the school was Mr. W. Tracy Gaffey. He was also the Superintendent of the Saugus Union School District.
S.O.S. – SAVE OUR SCHOOL 