2013/2014 Chatsworth/Porter Ranch Chamber of Commerce Business Directory & Community Guide 2013/2014 | Page 25
Chatsworth/Porter Ranch—Then and Now 24
Although welcomed, the growing population required a large supply of water. The opening of
the Owens Aqueduct on Nov. 5, 1913 remedied that problem. The aqueduct, built by William
Mulholland, connected water in the Eastern Sierra’s Owens Valley to a reservoir west of San
Fernando. Its opening ensured that the City of Los Angeles would have a steady water supply.
to agree to stay on the land and improve it for five years.
Families began to filter in, but the population in the northern part of the Valley remained
sparse until former California Senators Charles Maclay and George Porter purchased it
in 1874.
Chatsworth and many Valley towns were not part of the City of Los Angeles; therefore, their
water fees were higher. To access this water system at a reasonable cost, Valley residents
voted to join the City of Los Angeles in 1915.
Maclay devoted much of his land parcel to forming the City of San Fernando. Porter held
the land immediately west of San Fernando. He sold a portion of his parcels to farmers and
ranchers, and several hundred acres to his cousin Benjamin F. Porter. Ben Porter’s land
parcel would later become the communities of Chatsworth, Porter Ranch and Northridge.
The water not only enabled Valley farmers to irrigate existing crops, it also expanded its variety
of crop options to include beets, lima beans, lemons, walnuts, grapes and tomatoes.
Settlers eventually began moving to Chatsworth. Its ample farm and ranch land, along with
its close proximity to the Santa Susana Stage Coach Relay Station, drew them to the area.
The Stage Coach Trail was in use from 1861 to 1895.
Around 1912, the Valley’s economy received yet another boost when the movie studios discovered
the convenience of filming in their own backyard. Cinematic legends, including D.W. Griffith and
Cecil B. DeMille, were just a couple of the big Hollywood names that filmed here.
The Relay Station provided fresh horses for the stage coaches and a rest stop for passengers,
before the steep climb over the Stage Coach Trail through the Simi Hills known as the
“Devil’s Slide” , between Chatworth and Simi Valley.. In 1876, the Southern Pacific Railroad
established a route from Los Angeles to San Francisco through the San Fernando tunnel,
limiting the Stage Coach trail use to local traffic.
The Iverson Ranch was a favorite filming site because of the scenic rocks and rugged landscapes
that were ideal for the backdrop of many westerns, as were the hills and sandstone formations
above Chatsworth and the Porter Ranch area.
Chatsworth experienced a second population boon after World War II when servicemen
returned and young families began to purchase homes in the Valley. Chatsworth flourished,
gaining many new residents, schools, and industries.
It was in 1888 that Chatsworth, originally named Chatsworth Park, became a town.
In 1893, the Southern Pacific Railroad completed a spur from Burbank to Chatsworth, replacing
the stagecoach as the main source of transportation to and from Chatsworth. A depot stop
made it easier for farmers and ranchers to get their products to market. Th e Chatsworth
Station remains still today, but now serves as a stop for Amtrak, Metro trains and MTA buses.
The industrial parks that sprouted up in the 1960s attracted the high-tech and manufacturing
industries. New industries brought the need for more housing, schools and supermarkets.
The modernization of Chatsworth resulted in the disappearance of many of the areas’ citrus
and walnut groves, as well as horse ranches.
In 1899, Chatsworth became a railroad boom town, as quarry operations began in what is
now Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park, and the Southern Pacific Railroad began blasting
three tunnels through solid rock from Chatsworth to Simi Valley. The tunnels were completed
in 1904, with a new coastal route established from Burbank to Chatsworth to Ventura and
Santa Barbara.
Demographics By Race & Ethnicity
Population By Age
Although Chatsworth continues to evolve, it never stops to surprise those who live and know
the area. No wonder so many are proud to call Chatsworth their home.
Worker Population by Gender
(2010)
(Age 20 & Up)
20%
4.00%
13.40%
20.60%
29.60%
58.70%
20.10%
Chatsworth
Porter Ranch
White African American American Indian/Alaska Native Asian/Pacific Islander Other Spanish/Hispanic/Latino
Age
(Years)
Chatsworth Porter Ranch
Male
47.72%
Female
52.28%
75+
65-74
55-64
0
3.50%
45-54
0.20%
30-44
4.20%
Female
44.00%
5%
20-29
0.50%
Male
56.00%
10%
10-19
63.50%
0-9
11.70%
15%
Chatsworth
Porter Ranch