bbarhhistory

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Lucien Hubbard, a mogul in the film business, together with his son-in-law, Charles Bender,
purchased 240 acres of land in April of 1927 from the Southern Pacific Land Company. This
land purchase was the beginning of the B-Bar-H Guest Ranch, destined to become a popular
playground for celebrities   At first it was invitation only to visit the B-Bar-H Ranch, but that
changed by 1937 when it was opened to the public. The Desert magazine in April of 1939 ran
an ad for the ranch with a Garnet, California address, noting that it was located in the
Coachella Valley near Palm Springs.
Besides his interest in films, Lucien Hubbard was a professional writer, war correspondent
and contributor to the Reader’s Digest magazine. With such extensive influence Hubbard
was able to soon spread the knowledge of Desert Hot Springs far and wide, extolling the
virtues of its hot medicinal water. The original location is now in the town of Desert Hot
Springs where 18th to 20th Streets are situated, and from Bubbling Wells Road to Mountain
View. That original temporary structure was eventually replaced with permanent, more
modern and deluxe accommodations.
The B-Bar-H had few employees in the early days of 1939-40. One young man, Joe Gottchalk,
filled many positions. He served as bellhop, drove a station wagon to market, took the ranch’
s money to the bank, and picked up guests at the train station in Garnet. Joe tells of riding a
horse to deliver a telegram to film star Janet Gaynor who was staying at the nearby Singing
Trees Ranch on 20th Street. He drove guests for a night of gambling at a private-membership
Dunes Club in Cathedral City. Today we would know that location as Date Palm Drive near
Highway 111.
Cabot Yerxa owned the Trading Post and was associated with the ranch in the early-days.
Cabot’s Trading Post display of rattlesnakes, lizards and desert items fascinated visitors.
Guests also liked to ride the horses to Cabot’s place to just sit and visit. The cash register
from the B-Bar-H was relocated to Cabot’s museum, but was later stolen. Jack Krindler, who
originated the Twenty-One Club in New York City, was one of his visitors, as well as Sol
Lessor, the producer of the Tarzan movies.
Because Lucien Hubbard was an outdoorsman, and an expert rider and horseman, the
atmosphere of the place was western in flavor and character. The ladies visiting there
planned for informal western clothing and looked beautiful in their many attractive outfits. At
dinner in the lodge some folks would be dressed like real cowhands, while at the next table
there might be people just in from the city all decked out in swank evening gowns and suits.
Those who stayed at the ranch for any length of time went for the western wear. No matter
how many millions of dollars a person had or how much space was devoted to someone’s
name in the newspaper, he or she still had fun. One visitor, Louis Sobol, tells of being
initiated into the “Order of Pamperers.” The code of the Pamperer was: Never to do today
what can be done tomorrow.
Charlie Bender was the active host and manager of the B-Bar-H Ranch and, with his wife,
organized picnics, campfires and riding parties nearly every day. Groups visited Seven
Palms, Willow Hole, the nearby canyons, made trips to a beautiful oasis called Two Bunch
Palms, and went to Cabot’s place on Miracle Hill. Many of the guests were from the nearby
Circle-B ranch, later owned by Warner Baxter.
A swimming pool was added to the B-Bar-H with stretches of grass and gorgeous beds of
flowers that delighted the guests. Into this beautiful desert landscape various new plants
were introduced. Charlotte Stocks, Lee Anderson’s daughter, carried shoots from the family’s
date farm to plant at the B-Bar-H Ranch. Citrus and other products were marketed under the
B-Bar-H name for a short time. The ranch also ran a cattle operation, and raised chickens.
Dates were packed and sold under the B-Bar-H name.
As the accommodations and comforts of the ranch became more and more well known
guests came from New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Hollywood. People
from all walks of life came to stay a weekend, a month, or for the season. Bankers, financiers,
men prominent in political life, and big business men rubbed elbows with movie and stage
stars, famous writers and well-known musicians. Rodeo competitions were held in the
arena, and Saturday night at the ranch featured western dining at the recreation hall and
dancing to live bands from Palm Springs. Present day Covington Park in Morongo Valley was
once a part of the B-Bar-H holdings. The horses were moved up there for the summer.
In 1940, Mr. Jay Kasler, owner of the Free Sewing Machine Company, paid $42,000 for the
240 acres of the B-Bar-H Ranch. The Free Sewing Machine Company was second only in
sales to the Singer Company. Mr. Kasler, a man very active in public life, worked for the war
effort in WWI. The sewing machine business was sold in 1960 to a company in Japan. Mr.
Kasler’s secretary, Betty Aaron from L.A, relates that Jay Kasler and his wife had four children:
Betty, Harold, Marjorie and Morley. Marjorie married Mr. Roger, who became a doctor at Cedar’
s Sinai Hospital. Their son is Dr. Dick Roger of Rancho Mirage who relates that every
weekend and holiday the family got together at the ranch, driving from Los Angeles via old
Highway 99, now Varner Road. Dr. Roger says he has several reels of 16 mm film to edit and
separate into historical and family history. In 1946 the property was sold again, this time for
$10 an acre, but this time it was an increase to 640 acres.
The next person to purchase the property was Ms. Leonore (Lee) High who was active in
selling real estate in Beverly Hills. In 1978 she bought the land because her daughter
planned to open a school on the property, but the school never materialized. By this time the
property had been divided into individual lots; and Lee now lives in the main lodge building.
She reminisces about being invited to the B-Bar-H in its early years by film stars Ginny Sims
and Mary Pickford. Lee shares fond memories of the parties held there for the employees of
Lockheed. Many wonderful parties were held at the ranch after it was opened to the public.
The large lodge room with the beautiful fireplace and office space on either side is cozily
inviting. The family room, which seems to have once served as the library, also has a
fireplace with an entrance from the covered patio. Several bedroom units are also accessible
from the patio area. The large professional kitchen, the former dining room with its beamed
ceiling, the barroom and even a wine cellar are interesting and still beautiful in their unique
design. The Desert Hot Springs VFW Club now meets in the former recreation hall.
A few inevitable changes have occurred over the years. The swimming pool outside had to be
filled in a few years ago due to lack of usage and high insurance rates. Two fires several
years ago meant the loss of some of the historical area of the B-Bar-H Ranch, but the
entrance arch still stands tall as a faded memory of the former glory days of the B-Bar-H ranch
in Seven Palms Valley.