2013/2014 Chatsworth/Porter Ranch Chamber of Commerce Business Directory & Community Guide 2013/2014 | Page 20

19 Chatsworth 125th Anniversary
Chatsworth Celebrates 125 Years as an
Anchor of the North San Fernando Valley
Before Northridge…before Porter Ranch…before Granada Hills…there was Chatsworth.
The farming community then known as Chatsworth Park was officially established on
March 10, 1888. Early residents planted wheat, as well as peach, pear and walnut trees.
Chatsworth Park was the passageway to the San Fernando Valley. It sat at the foot of the
stagecoach trail which connected the San Fernando and Simi Valleys and areas to the north.
Stage coaches not only carried passengers, but also delivered mail. In 1890, two years after
Chatsworth Park became a town, Joseph A. Nelson was named the first in a long line of
postmasters, which also included four women: Lori Cowgill (1924), Blanch White (1926),
Marie G. Turner (1945), and Caroline Frost (1951). The post office itself was first built in
1893. Over the years, it moved to various locations along Santa Susana Ave. (now Topanga
Canyon Blvd.) and Devonshire St., where it now sits near the corner of Owensmouth.
The farming community was put on the map in 1893 when the Southern Pacific Railroad
completed the 22 mile Burbank Branch to Chatsworth. A depot station and the Chatsworth
Hotel were soon added at Topanga and Marilla. In 1904 three tunnels were completed to
connect Chatsworth Park to Simi Valley along a new coastal route that can still be travelled
today. The railway began to list the community as Chatsworth instead of Chatsworth Park.
The shortened name was eventually adopted by the townspeople. By 1900 Chatsworth had
23 residents, a post office, a general store, a hotel and a railroad station. The town fathers
organized the Valley’s first Chamber of Commerce on April 20, 1914.
The town’s first elementary school, then known as the Santa Susana School (now Chatsworth
Park Elementary School), was built in 1880 at the northwest corner of Devonshire and
Topanga. The 1880 building was replaced in 1917 when Chatsworth became a part of the
LA City school system. The 1933 Long Beach Earthquake resulted in a third building being
built in 1937, and it still is in use today as Chatsworth Park Elementary.

During the ‘50s and 60’s, to address its growing population, Chatsworth opened several
more schools including Superior Elementary School (1959), Devonshire School (1962),
Germain (1963), Ernest Lawrence Middle School (1968) and Chatsworth High School (1963).
Prior to the opening of Chatsworth High School, students attended school in Canoga Park.
On March 20, 1915, Chatsworth became part of Los Angeles so that it could share in the
water rights from the Owens Valley. As early as 1912, the movie industry discovered the rock
formations, ranches and natural resources of Chatsworth—all used in early Hollywood films.
This also brought celebrities to the area, including Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, who starred in
many westerns over the years; Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball; and, in recent years, Kevin Spacey,
Val Kilmer and Kirk Cameron, to name a few.
Following World War I farmers began planting oranges, lemons, grapes and figs. These crops
greatly contributed to the survival of the community and those who came through it during
the Great Depression. Families with few resources who migrated to the north San Fernando
Valley found a warm reception in Chatsworth, where local farmers, the PTA of Chatsworth
Park School, along with the Women’s Club and the Community Church, cooked hot lunches
for the children and fed many of the adults in outdoor soup kitchens.
World War II brought further expansion to this community. The area experienced a growth
spurt in the early 1960’s, going from 16,000 to 30,000 residents. As the community grew,
so did the schools, businesses, religious and civic organizations.
Today, with a population of about 40,000 residents, Chatsworth is home to 22 preschools,
10 elementary schools, 10 middle schools, 7 high schools, approximately 30 churches,
and several major corporations, such as 3M Corporation, Capstone Turbine, Hydraulics
International, and the production and distribution facilities of Lamps Plus. Residents enjoy
its multitude of horse trails, park and recreation areas, hiking trails and historic buildings.