The actual name of Mentryville was not used until 1882. In a Los Angeles Times story from September 26, 1882, William A. Brophy (1854-1941) wrote: "Five miles distant [from Newhall] a new town has been laid out at the oil works called Mentryville, and five dwelling houses are already erected." Brophy was a correspondent for many newspapers and often wrote articles concerning the Newhall district, which he lived in. The Ventura Signal of October 7, 1882, reported that "Mentryville is the name of a new town five miles from Newhall."
According to Darryl Manzer (who had a lot of contact with oldtimers who came back to the town in the 1960's), Mentryville was actually more of a derogatory name for Pico. The oil workers had to go travel five miles to Newhall to get their liquor, which naturally did not make them very happy. The land was owned by the oil company (PCO then Standard and later Chevron). Either the oil company or Superintendent Charles A. Mentry banned liquor from the little town. Many maps label the town as Pico.
Charles Alexander Mentry was a well-known Pennsylvanian oil driller. He came to the west in 1873 and eventually became the superintendent for the Star Oil Works company in 1875 and then the California Star Oil Works Company in 1876. He moved to Pico Canyon with his family around 1876.
In a June 26, 1877, article in the Los Angeles Evening Express the author, on a visit to Pico Canyon, wrote that after entering a canyon "We passed an embryo town of three or four houses, which the settlers in the neighborhood have facetiously named 'Hoodlumtown,' doubtless from the fact that it is a very orderly place."
However, homes soon became scattered among the wells up and down the canyon. A schoolhouse was built by 1885 (that's when LA County school records documented the start of the Felton school district). Later, a recreation hall was also constructed. The town was also heated and lighted by natural gas, a common commodity in an oil field.
The Pico Cottage (now usually given the modern name of the Big House) was built in 1896. The Los Angeles Evening Herald (August 21, 1896) reported that "Mr. Mentry, the superintendent for the Pacific Coast Oil Company, is having a $5000 residence erected at the wells." The Los Angeles Times of August 30, 1896, reports on its construction. The Los Angeles County survey map showing Mentryville done in June, 1891, does not show the Pico Cottage (but does show the school house). After the house was completed, it was used by all superintendents and foremen until it was severely damaged by the 1994 Northridge earthquake and abandoned.
On October 4, 1900, Charles Mentry died (according to his death certificate) from typhoid fever with chronic nephritis as a contributing factor. Walton Young then became the superintendent until 1927.
The 1910 United States Census shows that Pico Canyon had a population of 121. There were 26 heads of households, so we can say there were at least 26 families in the canyon. There were 52 Standard Oil employees, 2 bee farm workers, and 3 hotel workers. There were 22 males and 13 females under the age of 17. There were two 82 year old Standard workers. There was one 15 year old wife. There were 26 male borders for the hotel workers to take care of. Unfortunately, Pico Canyon was not indicated on any census before, or after, the 1910 census.
By the 1920's, and even before, the boom in Pico Canyon was fading and Mentryville was starting to die. By the early 1930's, there were few families left. The men were transferred to other oil fields. In 1932 the school was closed.
In 1927, Charles Sitzman became the superintendent until 1937. He spent much of his time roaming the hills and bringing back old oil equipment to town. He had visions of a museum. Unfortunately, this vision never became reality. As you will see in the following pictures, much of the old equipment now is just piled up like junk. I hear that more artifacts are locked up somewhere so they won't be stolen. The current owners (Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy) seem to be more interested in preserving the few remaining structures then preserving the reason the structures were there in the first place. And even these last structures need help.
The last superintendent was John Blaney. His reign was only from 1937 to 1940. After him, there were only foremen. The Manzers lived in the Pico Cottage from 1960 - 1966. Darryl Manzer still returns occasionally and has written articles about his time there (see The Only Kid in Mentryville). Starting in 1966, the last Chevron foreman to live there was Frenchy Lagasse (who helped to build the little derrick in Johnson Park - now fallen down) and his family. Frenchy and his wife Carol renovated the dilapidated school house and the Pico Cottage in 1976.
On November 4, 1976, Mentryville was approved as a California state historical landmark by the State Historical Resources Commission. The request was from the Newhall Woman's Club and the Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society (SCVHS). Since it was closely associated with Landmark No. 516, Well CSO 4, the number for Mentryville would be No. 516-2. A plaque was also approved, but the commission, but their money had already been allocated for fiscal year 1976/77, so the plaque could only be provided after July 1, 1977. The SCVHS requested the plaque for an October of 1977 dedication ceremony. This was approved, but the Historical Commission would only provide the plaque, not the base. Frenchy Lagasse would build a stone monument for the plaque. The dedication ceremony took place on October 8, 1977. However, the date on the plaque said September 26, 1976. This was the date of the centennial celebration for CSO 4. It was decided by the Newhall Woman's Club and the SCVHS to use that date instead of the actual dedication date. This was to tie the two events together. The stone monument was hollow inside allowing for a time capsule. Within a week, a time capsule was filled, placed in the monument, and the monument top sealed. The capsule was not to be opened until September 26, 2076, exactly 200 years after the CSO 4 celebration.
The Lagasses were still living in Mentryville when the 1994 Northridge earthquake struck. It caused extensive damage to the Pico Cottage. For a year, the Lagasses lived in a trailer in the parking lot near the cottage, but finally left in 1995. Later in 1995, Chevron sold Mentryville and their Pico Canyon land (and much more land from the other canyons) to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy (MRCA), who now manage it.
A MRCA ranger and his family lived there until 2003, when floods forced them to move out. In March of 2011, a MRCA employee moved into a trailer next to the superintendent's house and is still there.
Looking north down at the "Y" intersection on Pico Canyon Road (which runs horizontally in the photo). The upper limb goes into Potrero Canyon. The lower limb goes into Mentryville. There is free parking at this point, but you will have about a 10 minute hike to Mentryville. The fenced off canyon on the north side of Pico Canyon Road just before "Y" is called Dead Horse Canyon. (Photo taken on 12/19/2008)
Entrance to Mentryville. Turn left and follow the road. Parking costs money. (3/30/2008)
The Mentryville California historical landmark marker.(3/30/2008)
Frenchy Lagasse building the base for the marker in 1977. From the Lagasse Pico Canyon Collection (owned by Evan Decker) - used by permission.
The monument ceremony took place on October 8, 1977. LaVerne and James Mentry (grandson of Alex Mentry) on the right. Scott Newhall on the left. From the Lagasse Pico Canyon Collection (owned by Evan Decker) - used by permission.
The monument in the 1980's. From the Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society, Barbara Sitzman Cook Collection.
The barn. Frenchy Lagasse said that it was a mule barn and was constructed in 1887, about the same time construction on the Pico Cottage started (although construction didn't start on the cottage until 1896, so this date is suspect). (See A Visit to Mentryville on Scorza's Points of Interest on SCVTV).
Pico Cottage (a.k.a. the Big House) (3/23/2008)
The superintendent's house was actually known as the Pico Cottage not the "Big House". The "Big House" name was first used after the Lagasse family moved in. For some reason, that name is now used although there is no historical reason to use it. When the Manzers moved there in 1960, they rented the Pico Cottage from Standard and never heard of the "Big House." (personal communication). Bill Rundberg, who lived there before the Manzers, never heard of the Big House either (personal communication). Also, the date on the marker is incorrect. The Pico Cottage was built in 1896, as I previously pointed out.
The sign was changed in 2020. It still has errors (1/4/2022).
Here is Mentryville on the June, 1891, Los Angeles Country survey map. It does not show the Pico Cottage. It does show the school house and the recreation hall next to it.
From the Los Angeles Sunday Times of August 30, 1896. The Pacific Coast (not Pico Canyon) Oil Company owned Pico Canyon and Moore Canyon at that time. Moore Canyon is often misspelled as Moor Canyon. Today it is DeWitt Canyon.
From higher up. (12/19/2008)
The Felton school was named for Charles N. Felton the president of the Pacific Coast Oil Company. Built in 1885, it was closed in 1932. (3/30/2008)
Since the last picture was taken, the MRCA decided that the historic tree was not desirable anymore. It was cut down sometime in the week of 4/20/08 - 4/26/08. The base was about 3-feet in diameter. That's a lot of firewood. The MRCA says the trees are not healthy in this Signal article. Here is part two of the article. (4/27/2008)
From higher up. Note the new (as of late 2008) trail zigzaging up Mustard Hill. I suppose the MRCA has a reason for building this trail, but it sure ruins Mustard Hill. (photo date 12/19/2008) However, they would eventually abandon the trail. Today (2026), it is overgrown and virtually impossible to see.
To clean up the weeds on Mustard Hill behind the school house, the MRCA uses tractors. (12/19/2008)
(12/19/2008)
On 3/14/2009 there was a St. Patrick's Day run starting in Mentryville. That's why the parking lot is so crowded in this view toward the east from Tank Hill.
Sometime in 2013, a second tank was added. The first tank is apparently no longer used and the metal stairway to the top of the tank was dismantled. (8/21/2013)
You can still see the trace of the Tank Hill road running diagonally in this photo. See the Mentryville historical photos page for more views of the Tank Hill road. (3/21/2012)
As you hike out of Mentryville you come to this gap. On both sides you have good exposures of the Pico anticline showing how steep the beds are. (5/3/2008)
Just past the gap, is this bridge, installed in 2011. This would be the start of a new trail. A picnic bench and the remains of an oven are in the background. (3/18/2012)
The foundation of the bakery oven. It is about a 10 foot square with one of the sides missing. That could have been where the door was. (3/18/2012)
The bakery was built by Anthony Cochems in 1897 (Reynolds, 1985) behind his home. It was described as "domed" by Carol Lagasse. The bakery goods were popular and delivered by his daughter Mary up and down Pico Canyon and to Newhall by stage twice a day (according to daughter). On the 1910 United States Census, Anthony Cochems is listed as a baker for Standard Oil Company. Also in that 1910 census, William Cochems is listed as his 14 year old son. William would later become an oil worker for Standard and, in honor of his retirement, have the replica derrick built for him in Johnson Park. When another son, Tony (born in 1904), died in 1988, his ashes were scattered over the oven site and the former home site.
The side trail up the tributary canyon, called Minnie-Lotta or Minna-Lotta Canyon (named after the nicknames of the two daughters of Anthony Cochems), contains at least four bridges. (3/29/2009)
Here are two of the bridges (3/14/2009)
Mentryville with the Santa Clarita Valley in the distance. Looking toward the northeast from near the top of the so-called "Christian Hill". (4/12/2008)
This photo of Ethel Blaney with Mentryville in the background was taken in 1939. It is on the Santa Clarita History website in the Mentryville: Cheney Family Photos section. There is an oil derrick in the distance. What well is that?
Here is about the same view today (4/7/2016) with a red arrow where the well was. After taking GPS coordinates of that location and comparing them to all the wells in the area, only one well fits the bill. The Downey Oil Company No. 1 (API # 03712601) was spudded in early 1937 and abandoned in April of 1939.
Different angle showing a current boundary marker next to the stone. (3/29/2009)
Mentry was awarded a patent for a "reamer for deep wells" on July 22, 1879 (No. 217740)
He also received a patent for an "expansion-reamer" on April 17, 1900 (No. 647605)
From the Los Angeles Herald of October 5, 1900
Report of Mentry's funeral from the Los Angeles Times of October 8, 1900
From the Paint, Oil and Drug Review weekly magazine of October 17, 1900
The last residents of the Pico Cottage (a.k.a. The Big House) were Frenchy and Carol Lagasse. From the Los Angeles Times of May 22, 1986.
Damage from the January 1994 Northridge quake. The Lagasses were forced to move out of the house and into a trailor nearby. Newhall Signal of January 23, 1994.
They would leave Pico Canyon for good on June 30, 1995. Photo from the Los Angeles Times of April 16, 1995.
