California Wildfires Claim Historic State Park Buildings
The devastating wildfires in California have claimed two significant pieces of California’s cultural heritage: Actor Will Rogers’ historic ranch house and the Topanga Ranch Motel, built by William Randolph Hearst. The news was confirmed by California State Parks director Armando Quintero, as the Palisades fire continued to spread across nearly 20,000 acres, destroying over 5,600 structures in its wake.
"California State Parks mourns the loss of these treasured natural and cultural resources, and our hearts go out to everyone impacted by the devastating fires in the Los Angeles area," Quintero stated in an official release. The fire, fueled by wind gusts reaching up to 80 miles per hour, ravaged both Will Rogers State Historic Park and parts of Topanga State Park.
Rogers' estate, a sprawling 359-acre property overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Pacific Palisades, featured a 31-room ranch house along with guest accommodations, stables, corrals, a golf course, and riding trails. The property, donated to the state by Rogers' widow, Betty, in 1944, had served as a living museum dedicated to the memory of Hollywood's highest-paid actor of the 1930s.
Jennifer Rogers-Etcheverry, Rogers' great-granddaughter, provided perspective on the loss in a statement: "While the loss to the Will Rogers Ranch is devastating, it pales in comparison to the loss of the property and businesses, and more importantly, the lives of those in the surrounding area." The Cherokee Nation, acknowledging Rogers' heritage, also expressed their solidarity through Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., who extended "thoughts and prayers to great-granddaughter Jennifer Rogers-Etcheverry and family."
The Topanga Ranch Motel, built by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst in 1929, was also destroyed. The 30-room bungalow-style establishment, which initially housed Pacific Coast Highway construction workers, had become a beloved affordable vacation spot for families and writers. The state had acquired the property in 2001 and had been planning to restore 20 of its cabins for public use.
In a small victory amid the devastation, park employees managed to save some "cultural and historic artifacts," including artwork from the Rogers estate, as well as the horses housed on the property. The fires continue to threaten the Los Angeles area, with officials reporting 10 fatalities and over 10,000 structures destroyed across four separate wildfires that broke out across the region Tuesday.
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