Herman Mosher (right) punched this oil well in Placerita Canyon, north of Placerita Canyon Road, around
the turn of the 20th Century. While it is unclear whether the well was successful, other nearby wells, south
of the road, on the current Placerita Canyon Nature Center property, produced natural gas and the peculiar
Placerita "white oil." The white oil was so clear a newspaper could be read through it, and it was
often poured directly into engines without needing to be refined. Placerita white oil was displayed at the
1876 Philadelphia Exposition.
Photo provided by George Starbuck.
