AND TO THE WEST.....SOMETHING YA DON'T SEE EVERYDAY
"Go west, young man..." was what my older brother, John, said to me. He's read plenty of history of Wrightwood and now he feels that I should write of the history further west of this mountain village. Indeed, growing up for us was done not only here, but on the Graham Ranch...just a little over thirteen miles to the west. On the edge of a place called Valyermo. This is where our hands actually got toughened by digging trenches for water pipes in rocky high desert soil, where our forearms and shoulders ached from using a fence post pounder to plant metal fence posts and where our faces and arms picked up nicks and scratches from stringing barbwire. It was the seventies...and modern equipment passed us by as fence hole diggers barely dented the top soil and the tools of the day to bury corner posts was a big iron bar to loosen the rock and a sharpened round bit shovel to finish the digging and pack in the dirt. Back then, I couldn't figure out why dad never let us use 1/4" sticks of dynamite to help fencing go faster...as an adult I thank dad everyday for his wisdom.
Relaxing was still roaming the high country on horseback, despite the fact that the painful-biting deer flies were more plentiful on that side of the ridge. One of us kids got this crazy idea to lasso the wild goats that used to roam the rough slopes of Largo Vista. That lasted for a short while, when suddenly they were gone. Perhaps the creatures complained about some pesky kids with ropes and the Dept. of Fish and Game transplanted them somewhere else. A lot of time was spend in the peaceful canyon just a few miles west of us. Shadowed by Mount Baden Powell to the south, Big Rock Creek provided deep pools of fish swelled waters and the forest of Sycamore, Eucalyptus and scrub oak provided the shade that made it a peaceful place to play hooky from the cares of the world for awhile. Up the ways a bit was the famous Paradise Springs Camp, nestled against the bottom of the north side of Vincent Gulch. In the 1920's and 30's, Paradise Springs Camp became a stomping ground for early Hollywood stars and legends. It was here that things happened... those things that ya don't see everyday.
About thirty-five years after the Homestead Act of 1862 went into effect and citizens were allowed to obtain up to 160 acres of public land to live and cultivate on for five years, A Pasadena City lawyer named named Louis Luckel obtained the land that was later known as Paradise Springs. The lawyer was sharp and was able to obtain the land without the "living and cultivating" part. He found a "commutation" clause in the Homestead Act that allowed him to buy the land for $1.25 an acre. He wanted it for recreation for his family and friends, but his only child named Adelaide wasn't too keen on the idea of living in the middle of nowhere. Adelaide must have been a very spoiled child, for her attitude caused Luckel to get rid of the choice land.
In 1923, Hollywood actors Wallace and Noah Beery purchased the property and there Noah lived as manager and developer. Noah soon built the "Big Hotel" or "Ballroom" to house all the visiting guests and movie stars. Between the years of 1925-1930, the location reached its popularity as a resort, gentleman's club and famous movie filming location. Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford were regular guests and they actually helped funded Noah Beery's fish-hatching ponds...some of the ruins of the ponds are still there. Charlie Chaplin built a cabin called "Noah's Ark", which is still used today, while the original Tarzan, Johnny Weissmiller, trained for the Olympics in Noah's own pool. Randolph Hearst was a regular, as was Gloria Swanson, Joseph Kennedy and Charlie Chaplin. Even a Zepplin appeared over Paradise, looking interesting but totally out of place among the backdrop of Mount Baden Powell. It was something that ya didn't see everyday.
On May 25, 1825, Paradise Springs Camp became memorable when Gloria Swanson hosted a large party. Fun was had by all until a thunderous forced split opened a side door of the ballroom! Crashing though an exploding door was one of the bison that was kept in the compound's zoo! Formally attired guests ran every which way to get out of the way of this frightened rampaging beast. With bodies colliding and tables and place settings flying, it must have been a sight to behold! Noah Jr. ran hell-bent-for leather to Noah's cabin for help. Noah had no other recourse, for nothing much can stop a bison who was in full panic. With two well placed slugs from his revolver, father Noah stopped the bison dead in its tracks. Thinking fast, Noah was alleged to have said to the wide eyed crowd of guests, "Ya all welcome to a buffalo barbeque next weekend...on the house!" It turned out that the bison was directed to the ballroom as a prank...it became a prank turned bad. The persons involved were fired forthwith.
Things for Noah and Paradise Springs Camp died when a fire destroyed the "Big Hotel"/ "Ballroom"in 1930. After he lost the big structure to the hungry fire, Noah was unable to assemble large parties, which in turn forced him to direct his attentions to other ventures. As they say in Hollywood, "The early glory days of Paradise Springs Camp faded into the 'sunset'" and Noah Beery Sr. got rid of the property in 1938. Ah, Paradise Springs...must of big quite a place way back then...a place where something that you don't see everyday, happened.
Just a piece of local history,
Terry Graham, WW
