The other night the Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society was host to the SCV Photographers Association’s meeting in the freight room of the old Saugus Train Station. I had the pleasure of seeing many photographs being judged in a digital photography competition. Once again, the talents of our little valley far exceeded the expectations of this writer.

I’ve been busy at “the Junction.” You know, the part of William S. Hart Park in Newhall that has the railroad station, train engine, some old houses and a few volunteers who seem to accomplish miracles each and every day.

The Historical Society is getting ready for the Cowboy Festival from April 17-19. Yes, it will be at Hart Park and Heritage Junction. Yes, the Junction will have entertainment, food trucks, vendors and Civil War battles in addition to the usual historic items.

The Cowboy Festival won’t be at Melody Ranch this year because that place is being used as movie studio. Imagine that: A studio being used as a studio. Who would have thought that could happen? Now if you go to Heritage Junction you can see buildings that have been used as a movie set, but all of them had a real function before and after the movie was made.

As a movie set, the buildings are a lot older than the movie ranches around the SCV. Charlie Chaplin used the Saugus Train Station, as did Frank Sinatra. The Newhall Ranch House and the Pardee House both appeared in a couple of films, and if you look closely, I’m sure you could find the Edison and Kingsburry homes in some old films, too.

Real cowboys lived and worked around all of the buildings at Heritage Junction at some time in their history. The Historical Society could place some hitching posts near those buildings, and some cowboys of yesteryear might not see a difference.

William S. Hart, Tom Mix, Harry Carey and all of the other old movie cowboys would feel right at home in the buildings and on the grounds. They might comment that the buildings aren’t in the right place anymore.

For entertainment during the Cowboy Festival, the Historical Society will be hosting a wonderful local singer, Marie Wise-Hawkins, who will take the stage Saturday night, April 18. There will be a dinner served along with the entertainment, plus Wolf Creek will be selling some adult refreshments.

The Buckaroo Bookshop will be located this year in the Pardee House. Bobbie Jean Bell will have books and CDs and just about everything Western from her store, OutWest. You can get an book autographed by one of the authors inside.

During the day, there will be various musical groups on the train platform for you to listen to while you have a sumptuous meal from one of the food trucks near the train engine.

Lots of vendors will be around the grounds and in the Newhall Ranch House, too. Of course, the Saugus Station and the historic homes will be open all weekend. Kids can ring the bell on the train engine and at the chapel, too. The Placerita Nature Center docents will bring some critters along and will be located near the gold panning area where your kids might be able to make you rich. The Historical Society folks are making more “gold nuggets” every day.

The Historical Society hasn’t hosted an event quite like this before. Neither has Hart Park, and neither has Old Town Newhall. Nearly three days of fun and frivolity all because we are in a valley that once was filled with cowboys and a few cowgirls, too. Mostly of the movie variety but lots of real ones who made sure the actor stayed on the horse and kissed the girl.

I can’t tell you how excited I am about this opportunity to get more folks to see what there is at Heritage Junction. Maybe someday the place will have even more buildings to complete the idea of a whole village at the south side of Hart Park. It is hoped that one day its quality will rival that of Williamsburg, Va.

Doing all of what the SCV Historical Society wants to do will take a heap of money and a lot of dedicated members from the community. The society can always use more volunteers and members.

Stop by the old Saugus Train Station and become a member. Or maybe you’ll find a volunteer opportunity that inspires you.

Oh, the SCV Photographers Association will be roaming the grounds during every event at Heritage Junction during the festival. They will capture history for our “family album.” Come visit and become part of the family.

Darryl Manzer grew up in the Pico Canyon oil town of Mentryville in the 1960s and attended Hart High School. After a career in the U.S. Navy he returned to live in the Santa Clarita Valley, where he serves as executive director of the SCV Historical Society. He can be reached at dmanzer@scvhistory.com. His older commentaries are archived at DManzer.com; his newer commentaries can be accessed [here]. Watch his walking tour of Mentryville [here].