Jack Wooley had a stash of 40 cases of choice pre-war liquor, under a government permit, valued at $5,000. The advent of alcohol Prohibition in the 1920s led to an incident at the hotel in August 1925. During the filming, the entire cast and crew would stay at the hotel. Movie companies were frequently making the hotel the center of their activities, particularly when needing to film mountain scenes. Curry died of leukemia in 1932.īy 1925, the hotel was increasing in popularity. At that time, the hotel was renamed the Hotel Lebec. Curry eventually sold his portion of the hotel to Jack Wooley, a wealthy former Oakland saloon man, while O'Brien ironically did not sell his half. O'Brien argued that the payments from Curry were in arrears. Curry filed suit to get an injunction preventing O'Brien from selling the hotel, claiming all payments on the hotel's mortgage were up to date. O'Brien was trying to sell the hotel due to an allegation of indebtedness. This led to a lawsuit between the two in June 1924. O'Brien remained a co-owner of the hotel along with Curry. ![]() Ironically, an association of insurance adjustors had just left the hotel the day before the fire, after completing a three-day convention. The 150 guests in the hotel that night had to leave their rooms hastily in scanty clothing in the cold, early-morning hours, and they shivered outside until it was clear the main hotel building would not be consumed by flames. The fire was thought to have been caused by an explosion of a stove in the restaurant kitchen and ended up causing up to $60,000 in damages. A fire swept through the facility November 4, 1923, destroying the garage, restaurant, golf clubhouse and store and a number of houses. The greens were temporarily made of sand until water could be piped in.Įven in those early days, the hotel suffered through some bad times. That same month, Frank Peebles laid out a new nine-hole golf course for the hotel. The proprietors were listed as O'Brien and Durant with manager Charles A. Times on May 8, 1921, announced that the hotel, initially named Hotel Durant, would be ready for occupancy May 21 with "80 rooms, all with bath, heated by steam, lighted by electricity, and has telephone (service) in every room." Twenty-four bungalows with a "large living room, and equipped with shower baths and kitchenette, with gas for cooking and heating, also lighted by electricity" would be ready June 1. It is the intention to create a mountain resort with its own amusements.Īn ad in the L.A. For years he has been extending his restaurant and hotel accommodations, and the new hotel is the outgrowth of the demand for a comfortable overnight stopping place. O'Brien, who owns large acreage around Lebec, has been engaged in farming and stockraising. The Eldorado stages give perfect service every day. In fact, Lebec offers all that is demanded by the 20th-century motor tourist in service, scenery, restful surroundings and a variety of out-door entertainment. A large modern garage is operated in conjunction with the hotel where the motor tourist may have every want supplied. There are individual cottages, equipped for day and night service. The hotel is noted for its mountain dinners, and people come from miles around for the special Sunday spread. ![]() Being located on the main highway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, it is an ideal place to break a motor journey. Hunting and fishing may be had here and only a few minutes' hike from the hotel, the real Wild West begins. ![]() It is situated in the mountains near the old Fort Tejon and in a country ripe with historic lore of the early West. 82 Miles from Los Angeles and 42 miles from Bakersfield.
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