Spahn Movie Ranch (Los Angeles, California)

 ranch, interesting place, historical layer / disappeared object, movie ranch

Located along the south side of Santa Susanna Pass Road near the entrance to Iverson Movie Ranch, the former Spahn Ranch was seldom used for filmmaking, failing to attract the attention of A-list producers, directors and stars like its neighboring movie ranches -- Iverson and Corrigain -- did. It was mostly used for B-Westerns, although exterior locations from Bonanza and The Lone Ranger were shot here.

In later years, George Spahn allowed unsavory types to set up on the old ranch property, including a chop shop and the Manson family. It was also a popular pornography filming location.

In September 1970, the movie sets were completely destroyed by a brush fire which stretched from Newhall to the coastline. Since that time, the property has been regraded and subdivided into at least 3 separate parcels. The section of the ranch which contained the movie sets and corral were incorporated into Santa Susana Pass State Historical Park in 1984.