The mid-20th century saw a revival of the Wild West romanticism born at the turn of the century, and Apple Valley was right at the center of the hoopla. The Valley played host to a number of "dude" ranches, or ranches designed to give City folk "dudes", a taste of the country life.
These ranches are well-remembered in the deserts north of San Bernardino and east of Los Angeles, but oft-forgotten is the uniqueness of one in particular. In pre-civil rights movement America, such retreats were almost exclusively catered to whites.
One LA couple sought to change that, and for a period of nearly 30 years, they changed the landscape of Apple Valley and their imprint on the region remains today.
