Above is the St. Francis Dam Tombstone. On Tuesday, January 21, Lost LA will feature an episode discussing the St. Francis Dam disaster. Photo credit Fillmore Historical Museum.

On Tuesday, January 21, at 7:30pm, “Lost LA” will explore untold history behind Southern California with an episode featuring the St. Francis Dam disaster of 1928. Above is Fillmore Historical Museum Executive Director, Martha Gentry, with Geoff Manaugh and Nathan Masters being interviewed for the episode. Photo credit Fillmore Historical Museum.

Courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum

“Lost LA” explores the past through the region’s archives, where photos, documents, and other rare artifacts unlock the untold history behind the fantasy of Southern California. The episode airing Tuesday, January 21, at 7:30 pm on KCET will focus on the St. Francis Dam disaster of 1928. Nathan Masters, a public historian of the USC Libraries, is the host of the 30-minute episode. He, accompanied by Geoff Manaugh, architecture and technology writer, begin by visiting the dam site with archaeologist, Ann Stansell, and seismologist, Lucy Jones. Here they discuss the various theories of why the dam failed as well as what evidence is still in the landscape.

Their second stop was here in Fillmore at the Fillmore Historical Museum. Executive Director, Marth Gentry, is interviewed about the impact on Fillmore and Bardsdale. She also shares many photographs as well as film made during the recovery efforts and a portion of an interview with Thelma Macauley Shaw, who as a 14-year-old girl was swept from Fillmore to Santa Paula, the only surviving member of her family.

Finally, Jose Alamillo, professor of Chicano Studies at CSUCI, talks about the impact on Santa Paula, especially the Hispanic community and how the effects of the trauma can still be felt.

You don’t need to be a dedicated “dammie” to enjoy this presentation and even the dedicated “dammie” will probably find something new about the St. Francis Dam disaster.