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Historic Newspaper Archives

Mar. 4, 1966 featured image

Golden Empire: ‘Shades of the Old West’

Pioneertown, Calif., a 19th century • designed town once used as a movie set for numerous Western movies in the 1940’s and 50’s, is fast becoming the “capital” of one of the most exciting land developments in the history of California the California Golden Empire. This 30-square-mile planned community is located in the high desert area approximately 120 miles northeast of the Los Angeles Civic Center and near the city of Yucca Valley. Benton Lefton, a former Cleveland developer, is head of the California Golden Empire.
Apr. 9, 1966 featured image

Fire Destroys
Red Dog Saloon

The long bar was used as an interior shot in countless western movies, filmed here in years gone by. The back portion of this bar, an authentic antique, was reported to have come from France via sailing ship to New Orleans in the post-Civil War period. From there it was dismantled, crated and shipped by wagon train to California. It, too, was destroyed.
Apr. 11, 1966 -The Los Angeles Times

LA Times April 11, 1966

The third fire in a week in tiny Pioneertown in Yucca Valley burned actor Jack Bailey's Golden Stallion restaurant to the ground after an employee fell asleep smoking, causing more than $50,000 damage, officials reported. Friday a $45,000 fire destroyed the Red Dog Saloon a block of the street, and a third fire last Monday caused $3,500 damage. Officials said the fires were apparently unrelated.