Gold was first discover in California by Francisco Lopez in Placerita Canyon on March 9, 1842. He was in Canon de los Encinos (Live Oak Canyon). Picking a spot under an ancient oak tree for lunch and a siesta, when he awoke from his nap, Lopez dug up some wild onions and discovered gold clinging to their roots. Hundreds of prospectors from Los Angeles and Sonora, Mexico flocked to Live Oak Canyon, which was renamed Placerita Canyon. "Placer," of Spanish origin, means surface deposits of sand or gravel containing gold.

From 1842 to 1847, the miners culled some 1,300 pounds of gold from Placerita Canyon. These miners disposed of their empty bottles and cans where ever it was convenient. A little field work should reveal some of these long forgotten trash dumps.