Mentryville the first California Oil Town Turned Ghost Town
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 ก.ย. 2024
- Jeff and Sarah check out Mentryville, the town that was established near Newhall. It is at this location that oil was first discovered for the first time (in September 1876).
This former town has been classified as a ghost town but was also used as a TV show and movie filming location, mostly because of the beautiful Pico Cottage, Charles Mentry's historic home, and the historic Felton School.
Michael Landon and Victor French came here in 1984 to film the "Plane Death" episode of the NBC-TV series, "Highway to Heaven."
Sarah will check out the fake house used for the filming of "Return to Green Acres" in 1990.
#mentryville #filminglocations #historyhunters
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I had never heard of Mentryville until this video. So many pieces of history that are right beneath our noses in this beautiful state. Thanks for bringing them to life for us!
This was fascinating. I love the fact that you added the film clips in with the shots of your video.
That "saddle" you found is actually a saddle form, used to make and repair saddles.
Interesting what we learn from our audience! Thanks so much!
We love day trips like these. Particularly fond of Coloma. Really helps to feel connected to our history by imagining what life must have been like back then. Thank you two for sharing the history with us.
Thanks Mike! We appreciate your time watching and commenting! It makes things worthwhile!
My grandfather retired from Standard Oil. I know at one time he worked in the Taft area. I had no idea it actually started in Mentryville. Loved this video!!!
Who knew! I don't get over that way very often, usually just use that section of the LA HILLS as a corridor for ventures East!---Hmm, rethink Santa Ana winds! They blow from East to West, shushing down the western slopes toward the ocean, which heats up the air.---I grew up in North Dakota, & am very familiar with outhouses! The best ones all were TWO-HOLERS!
I can't think of any other TH-cam vlog that seamlessly blends historic pictures and video into the commentary. Your history lessons are special because of the complete job you do researching, narrating and blending today's scenes with those of the past. Thanks again.
Just think,you stood right where the king of cowboys was. So cool. This was a good video. Thank you both.
Thanks 👍 It was very cool!
Another good Sunday, my coffee and a new History Hunters episode! Thanks Sarah and Jeff!
Our pleasure, Daniel!
I grew up and lived my first 50 years in Los Angeles County but never once heard of Mentryville until this evening. I was well aware of the original oil discovery there, but you've added a whole new page to the story. Thanks a million!
Thank you for taking me along on your little excursion! It's always so fun to join the two of you and explore a rich part of History. God bless you both! And thanks again!
How ironic that the place where gold was first found in California at "The Oak of the Golden Dream" in Placerita Cyn State Park, is not too far from this site. You guys should do an episode on that place.
This I think was one of your most interesting videos. Imagine a community going from a oil town, to a ghost town, to a movie set, to a tourist attraction. I particularly enjoyed the way you interspersed the current views with the TV and movie shots that were made in the town. I like seeing the green acres house front. I remember the house from the TV show.
I just thought it's about time for your weekly video and I was within one minute ☺️
There àre no cowinky dinks
I don't always leave a comment but I find your videos very enjoyable,and educational.I am 77 and remember watching the "Cowboy" movies as a kid. I love seeing the "Actual Sites" that were used in the movies.I know I will never be able to see them in person.I live in a small town in the extreme NE corner of Md. bordering,Delaware and Pa.If you happen to run into Gene or Roy,tell them Ron says ,"Happy Trails.
My father worked for Chevron 21 years , 1950-1971, in their La Habra research dept as a senior geophyicist. It's the reason we moved to CA. Off to the west from Newhall is Santa Paula, the birthplace of Union Oil of California. A museum is there. I worked for UO 1968-1974 as a paleontologist in the exploration dept. They then moved from LA to Houston, but I didn't want to live there so quit. From 1957 to 1968, I lived near the old oil field town of Olinda (Orange County), and attended a two room school, built 1909, for 7th & 8th grades. Olinda was demolished about 1961for construction of a flood control dam. But there's an oil field museum there too.
Lee Bryant,the actress you showed from the show, "Highway to Heaven, is still alive. I remember her as the hysterical woman being slapped in the movie,"Airplane ". Cool little historical area. Too bad there wasn't more to it but still interesting. Thanks guys! 😊👍
A lot of old oil and mines in that area,the starting source of Calif.wealth.Thanks for that Sarah and Jeff.I like the way you blend the old film scenes into the current locality Jeff.
What can I say !!! Always great to watch your videos and listening to you about history. Thank you so much.
Correction: The Santa Ana Winds blow from the desert in the Great Basin to the oceans.
Great video as always
Every once in a while I learn things from my videos like when I make statements that are incorrect. I spoke off the cuff and I thought that the winds were actually came out from the ocean because that’s typically how it works in California. Glad you liked or video.
@@jbenziggy I grew up in Orange County and I study physics. I wouldn't expect other people to know about something like the wind patterns in a region of the US.
Like a balloon, high pressure in the Great Basin pushes wind through the canyons and passes that divide the desert and the coastal basin (LA, OC, Riverside etc). As the wind squeezes through the mountain passes, it heats and gains kinetic energy.
Yes. great videos.
Hello Jeff & Sarah, Thanks so much for sharing the history of this site. It is great to learn something new especially when your not from California. Thanks for taking your time doing what you do. Have wonderful Sunday🌞
Mentryville is a charming old town. I guess its charm is the reason they filmed movies and television there . I enjoyed this video. 😊😊
I love history and you bring these towns and people to life and give so much information. I enjoy them all. This place was a new one to me. We hear about gold all the time but not so much about oil.
This was so very interesting. I am glad that the area is left for people to meander around, and get a sense of the history. However, with its past movie/TV pedigree, and the town's *own history, it's a shame it's just going to further deteriorate, unchecked.? I wish there was a happy medium... I always love, and appreciate the research, the traveling, the visuals and audios you insert, Jeff and Sarah. Thanks, so very much...👏👏
Hello Rhonda. 'Friends of MentryvilIe' is a volunteer group located in Santa Clarita Valley & surrounding areas. They & others do volunteer to help with the upkeep. It may be hard to tell but work has been done here since the 1994 Northridge earthquake destroyed what was left of the town. Donations keep them going.
I am not affiliated with them but know of them through our local Boy Scout troop.
Have a great day!
I love those old houses. I wouldn't mind living there. Thank you.☮️💖🎶
Looks like the porch was rebuilt after the earthquake, but fun to imagine all the conversations that took place on it over all those years. Thanks, guys!
Steve
If you could only go back in time and see things as they were and listen to conversations people had in those same locations.
Love seeing the old movie clips of where you are actually standing its so interesting it opens our eyes how life on this earth is so temporary. brilliant job as usual Jeff and Sarah. Love this.
Lee Bryant is still extant at 77 years old. Jeff, I also had not heard of this town.
The Santa Ana winds (sometimes called devil winds) are strong, extremely dry downslope winds that originate inland and affect coastal Southern California and northern Baja California. They originate from cool, dry high-pressure air masses in the Great Basin.
Another great episode and a learning experience. Keep up the great work!
February 2023. Thank you Jeff and Sarah. I enjoyed your documentary.
I had never heard of this town before. God bless you guys.
🙂
I am glad you watched and enjoyed this journey!!!!
Enjoyed watching this video! Thank you Jeff and Sarah. I often wonder where the 80's and 90's went. Seems like it was only yesterday, yet it was 30, 40 years ago. I think it is neat that you are able to find movie and television clips of the locations you are talking about in your videos. That's some intense research I am sure. Thanks again!
You are right! Lots of research! Thank you so much for your reflection!
HI Jeff, I grew up in Santa Ana, the Santa Ana winds blow from the east desert area. this is partially why they are so devastating. It usually occurs late in summer/early fall when it is very dry and fires are easily fanned
Thank you for another fascinating episode. I love seeing the California landscape, hills, mountains. Here in Ohio it's all flat farmland.
Happy Sunday! Great Video!
Thank you very much.
Thank you for the tour. All of these years living out here, I wasn't aware of its existence.
I love watch that movie all times
Pardon us for asking but what movie?
An absolutely fascinating video, featuring so much interesting information about yester-year.
From a rainy UK, to the hot plains of California, it's the only way I'll hear about any of this history and see this lovely place.
"Thank you."
You are very welcome! Thanks so much for touring Mentryville with us from the UK!
Man, I wonder what Michael Landon would think about our country if he were alive today. An off topic comment to my usual "good work, great video" (although the intent is still there).
Cool how you meshed in the scenes! Fun. ❤️
This was very interesting Jeff. Glad Sarah could be with you. Just hate to see these historic places left to fall into decay.
Thanks Jeff and Sarah, I love these little nuggets of California history.
Central California Watching
Beautiful area but sad to see the huge old tree is gone. Also Jeff I believe the Santa Ana winds are a down sloping wind which is a warm wind that dries out the atmosphere and begins at the top of mountains and blows down to lower elevations. An upslope wind is a cool or cold wind that brings rain and snow and begins from lower elevations and blows to higher elevations....at least that's what happens here in CO. Here in CO a down sloping warm wind is called a chinook wind. I loved the video. Highway to Heaven was such an enjoyable show too.
Just want to say, you guys are awesome! Been loving your videos every sunday!!
Thank you very much friend. We really appreciate your support and your enthusiasm.
Great video, Jeff. Some people like to claim that Petrolia was the first, but they fizzled and were not successful. This was the first successful oilwell.
Thanks for weighing in, Richard! Glad you watched and enjoyed!
That was my presumption, and hence, my comment elsewhere regarding this video. Thanks for the clarification. I’m going to look into both a little more. Your comment helps me see the distinction between the two.
They need to refurbish that house.And let people see how the early pioneers lived and prospered.Thanks for this interesting story!
This is super high on my bucket list as I have and currently work for oil companies in Southern California via a contractor. So thank you for reminding me. SUGGESTION: Please visit the Orcutt Ranch in the very western side of the San Fernando Valley. It is regarding Union 76, the first petroleum geologist and indirectly with naming the town of Orcutt by Santa Maria. I have been several times and it is a wonderful place. Wonderful video, thank you!
Also a more recent movie was filmed here. Close Range with Scott Adkins. Watching the movie on Dutch television as we speak. Great video guys, keep it up.
Thank you! I appreciate the information too. Did not know about Close Range.
Sarah and Jeff. I had missed this episode somehow. this is great. Just another place I "pinned" on my map of places I need to see. Thank
you so very much.
Another beautiful Sunday morning with a big 'ol cup of Joe and our friends Jeff and Sarah! Thank you both for another winner!
Great Vlog. Thank you Jeff and Sara !! Keep doing what you do ! Your true calling !!
Thank you! Will do!
Very interesting place. It's always a bonus to see old filming locations.
Thanks for another good one. I know it's not PC but I 🖤 oil.
Very interesting. Thank you. I always thought Petrolia, CA was the first commercial oil well in CA. I’ll need to dig a little deeper into both.
Thank you so much for this video. Another Highway To Heaven location mystery solved! Thank you! I can't believe how many hundreds of times I drove past this on my way to and back from Los Angeles, and it's right of The 5. I recognized that house from an episode of The A-Team, but I can't remember which one it was. I love how you show clips of H2H then match it up with your location. Your effort in editing does not go unappreciated.
I really appreciate your nice words!
Hi Jeff and Sarah thank you for sharing a another wonderful video I have never heard of this place but it looks like a neat place to visit hopefully some day I would like to see this place every Sunday I wondered where are Jeff and Sarah going to take us for a history lesson love ❤️ and blessings laurie
So glad they saved something of that town, so much history in it! Was that little dog with it's owner's? I kept thinking it was abandoned there!
No. the little dog was the pet of the on-site manager.
@@jbenziggy Thanks so much for the reply! I love animals, people abandoning their pets always makes me sad!
Interesting and unique video, Jeff and Sarah! I enjoyed seeing the clip of a young Roy Rogers! I’m still a fan of Roy’s!
Great video Sarah and Jeff.... It was my "Wonderful World of History Hunters" Sunday, with dinner..THX.
Hi Dave! Happy to be your dinner show! Hope it was appetizing! LOL
Thanks guys! Always great 👍 just perusing videos I haven't seen yet
When you walked into this place it just looked like many other old places till you put all the shows in and then it clicked how many i had seen. Really enjoyed this Jeff and Sarah and was surprised Sarah didn't have that wee dog on her lap :) Thankyou for sharing it
Sarah doesn’t actually like little dogs because they tend to be obnoxious like this one. Lol
I would have befriended the dog but it wasn't friendly just obnoxious. It ran after me like it was going to bite my ankles but I just ignored it and he gave up.
Loved the tour! Very interesting! I love how you show snippets of tv shows and movies that had been filmed at the location! Thank you so much and keep up the excellent videos; much appreciated…..🌝
Thank you! We love your compliments!!!
Good morning Jeff Good morning Sarah thank you guys for another good episode, I look forward to Sunday's for your shows . THANK YOU FRANK FROM MONTANA....
Thank you Frank in Montana. What did you think of this episode?
@@jbenziggy Jeff this and all of your other episodes are AWESOME, I love history and you do a fine job or relaying history in all your shows I can't figure out how you find all this info. But glad you do
Also it is good to see Sarah in the show as well. In montana we have 59 ghost towns. Haven't been to them all yet but would love to.. Take lots of beautiful pictures and put together a book of ghost towns. You two guys would love it up here.. Sarah would go crazy looking at all the deer ,and other animals.....
Thanks Jeff & Sarah. Another great episode with excellent editing.
👋 Hi Jeff, Hi Sarah,
Oh how coooool was the overlay of windows with the gal leaning out. Great job. 👌
Not sure I'd heard of Mentryville, so once again, thanks for the great job and research and...sharing.
We appreciate you watching and commenting. Sometimes if we have the photos ahead of time we can line things up.
Always look forward to your fascinating "hunts" Jeff & Sarah! Very well done! Gr8 vid!
Glad you enjoyed it, Chris!
Love watching you! But oh my goodness the dog barking in the background is driving me nuts lol!
He drove me crazy too!
A new place for me. Thanks Jeff & Sarah.
Well as always I learned something new never thought of where oil was first discovered but I can tell you that in 1979 I was working at a Chevron Station which also had the name Standard Oil on the canopy.. and if you listen to some of the commercials from the 50s and 60s it was Standard Stations which were Company owned and Chevron dealers which would be a franchise but the word we got was the Standard oil name was in trouble so they went strictly by Chevron after that... when it comes to oil if you get a chance check out the worst oil spill in the history of earth!! 1910 Unocal spill in Maricopa Ca. 379,000,000 gallons. As always thanks to Sarah and you for a very interesting and informative episode 👍👍
Very cool! Love Sarah, she knows her animals ❤️
She loves animals! Thanks for leaving us your nice comment!
Love getting up Sunday morning having my coffee and watching some awesome history. Thanks Jeff and Sarah.
Well we really appreciate the smell of coffee with you in the morning. Lol
Wow, Mentry was only 53 years old. He looks much older in the pic of him. Love your videos Jeff & Sarah!💕
Love your videos. I am disabled & unable to get out to explore. Your videos allow me to feed my passion for exploring CA history vicariously. Thank you 🙏. BTW the Santa Ana winds blow from inland to the coast, rather than vice versa. Here's an article: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Ana_winds 💖
Thank you for taking me on a warm, sunny trip with you. Gloomy here in Ohio. Couldn't wait for a great history lesson.
I spent a lifetime, one year, in Cleveland, Ohio... 11-68 to 10-69! It was gloomy in the winter months!
Wonderful episode, I hope that poor dog has a home as it looks so abandoned now. Thank you Jeff and Sarah
I am almost certain that that dog belongs to the caretaker the lives next-door to that mansion. So don’t worry about him. Lol
@@jbenziggy Thanks Jeff, like Sarah I am an animal lover too.
Your videos on California's history always make me want to jump in my truck and go for a drive. But I never do. Maybe one day.
Very interesting episode of History Hunters. I had never heard of Mentryville.
That was so awesome! Thank you Sarah and Jeff!
Thanks Jeff and Sarah another great one you give I enjoyed very much appreciate your hard work well I'm off to a gun show 😀 I will be waiting for your next great one
Like always job well done, you and Sarah, make a great team. LIKE George and Gracie, Lucy and Rickey, Roy and Dale! thank you. Might get more oil if we frack, but not a good idea, near the Sa Andreas Fault thank you ALL stay safe
Watching your video Sunday morning with my coffee. Perfect way to end the weekend
Happy to hear that you enjoy your video!
At the turn of the century Southern California's "beautiful coast" was a sea of oil derricks. The old pictures are unbelievable. And it all started here. Awesome piece of history. Thank you
Yes I have seen those photos! It was incredible. Things sure have changed in California!
I really like the music you chose for after the intro.
Very cool history here! I've added it to our hit list. Thank you
Very well done, all aspects filming story ect Jeff ! Beautiful area ! 40 plus years ago 90s and 80s 30 plus Yikes ! Thanks for reminding me 😟 😑 good job Thanks for This. Bob
Interesting video and story. The Santa Ana winds start inland and blow toward the pacific, east to west, picking up hot dry air from the desert.
Living just up the road a bit in Palmdale and driving down to LA or over to the coast. Never knew this place was there. Now I'll have to go see for myself. Thanks for the Video and tour.
I have lived in California all of my life and never knew about a lot of these places. Thanks to you and Sarah the wife and I have places to go for our Sunday drives. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing this Video. I never knew this Town existed. This is cool. ❤️ love it. Jeff and Sarah Thank You for exploring an filming all this. Funny I'm sure the Orginal Owner would be very Happy his Place lives on.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you Jeff and Sarah for another very interesting episode.
David, we really appreciate the wonderful comment!
I've never heard of Mentryville before this, thanks Jeff & Sarah for bringing us along with you on your trip there. I love how you dig up all the Hollywood connections and film clips that you overlay on your pictures. Cant wait for next Sunday's trip!
Glad you liked it Jerry!
It's amazing that the old house is still around today, now I really want to watch the classic Roy Roger movie. 🤠 Happy trail to you Jeff & Sarah. Thankyou as always for great videos.
This was a really cool and interesting video guy’s! I liked the reference and shots of the tv show “Highway to Heaven” I use to watch that years ago when it was on tv and I liked that show. Thanks for for the history, tour and flashback! Great job! Look forward to the next episode and as always, take care guy’s! Frank from Philadelphia,PA.
I had never heard of this place and wasn’t aware there was oil in California. What a fun history with all the things filmed there also. Thanks Jeff and Sarah!
Great video! Thanks for taking us there with you.
Really enjoyed these videos. Especially enjoyed that you included film footage!
(I also recognize the Mentry House from Big Love!!)
Awesome, thank you, Lacey!
The schoolhouse is in good condition. The Green Acres facade was cool. Thank you for pointing out the Highway To Heaven filming locations. I think it is always interesting when film makers use these out of the way locations. The Mentry house has been nicely maintained. 💕
Great Tour Jeff and Sarah. I appreciate the time and effort you put into making this show interesting. Have you ever been to a abandoned desert town in California? I remember you did a few in Nevada. Anyway, thanks for sharing 👍 😊!
You are so good at what you do in your videos. I appreciate you very much! ❤
I really do appreciate that, Cheryl! Thank you for the love and support!
Hi Jeff and Sarah! Thanks so much for showing this little town. It is so interesting to see this and the company "Standard Oil Company". This company was where my grandfather had worked/retired from and then moved to Utah to the Standard Oil here. My father had then worked there for a short time. I remember when Chevron had taken over. Pretty interesting. Loved to see the shows you had provided. You guys make history so very interesting. Thanks for all you do.
Another interesting story today...bring back the swinging light bulb...I like it better that the sheriff badge.
Yes, please bring back that haunting swinging lantern!