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Article: GHOSTS OF AN ERA MENTRYVILLE IS A MONUMENT TO BOTH THE START AND DECLINE OF THE AREA'S OIL DRILLING INDUSTRY.(Business)
- Article from:
- Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)
- Article date:
- August 3, 2003
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Daily News. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Nicholas Grudin Staff Writer
PICO CANYON - Before real estate became the treasure of the Santa Clarita Valley, another business ruled the rolling hills: black gold.
California's multibillion-dollar oil industry sprouted from Pico Canyon wells in the 1870s.
Today, the valley's once prolific petroleum production that peaked at 15 million barrels of oil per year in the 1950s has faded into relative obscurity, leaving behind a dusty legacy in the hills above a thriving suburbia.
Still, the history remains rich, said Duane Harte, director of Friends of Mentryville, a historical society dedicated to preserving the Santa Clarita ...