Newcomb's Ranch
Encyclopedia
Newcomb's Ranch is a roadhouse
at 5340 feet (1,627.6 m) in elevation in the Angeles National Forest
, near Los Angeles, California
. It is the only private property along the Angeles Crest Highway
and is very popular with motorcyclists and is called "the informal headquarters for riders" by the Los Angeles Magazine and "one of Southern California's most famous Rickey Racer Roadhouses" by Motorcyclist
. The roadhouse is located in unincorporated
Los Angeles County, near La Cañada Flintridge
.
The Newcomb family, who also created the Mount Waterman
ski area, settled the property using the Land Revision Act of 1891
, building the roadhouse in 1939. The roadhouse has served as a restaurant, hotel, general store, gas station, and as a brothel
or love hotel
. The inn burned in 1976, allegedly started by a cook who had been terminated. The fire destroyed most of the second floor, which wasn't rebuilt. It was purchased in late 2001 by Frederick Rundall, an oncologist who purchased the roadhouse from Lynn Newcomb and remodeled it in 2003 for $340,000. The second floor became lodging for employees.
Motorcyclist and comedian Jay Leno
is a "frequent visitor" to Newcomb's.
The roadhouse closed in 2009 for the Station Fire. In January 2010 following the storm closure of Angeles Crest Highway
between Newcomb's and Los Angeles, as well as a South Coast Air Quality Management District
violation for operating a diesel generator without permit, Rundall shelved remodeling plans and discussed closing down completely.
Roadhouse (facility)
A roadhouse is a commercial establishment typically built on a major road or highway, to service passing travellers. Its meaning varies slightly by country.-USA:...
at 5340 feet (1,627.6 m) in elevation in the Angeles National Forest
Angeles National Forest
The Angeles National Forest of the U.S. National Forest Service is located in the San Gabriel Mountains of Los Angeles County, southern California. It was established on July 1, 1908, incorporating the first San Bernardino National Forest and parts of the former Santa Barbara and San Gabriel...
, near Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. It is the only private property along the Angeles Crest Highway
Angeles Crest Highway
The Angeles Crest Highway is a two-lane segment of California State Route 2 in the United States. The road is in length, with its western terminus at the intersection at Foothill Boulevard in La Cañada Flintridge and its eastern terminus at State Route 138 northeast of Wrightwood...
and is very popular with motorcyclists and is called "the informal headquarters for riders" by the Los Angeles Magazine and "one of Southern California's most famous Rickey Racer Roadhouses" by Motorcyclist
Motorcyclist (magazine)
Motorcyclist is a motorcycling magazine in the United States. The magazine is headquartered in Los Angeles, and is published by Source Interlink Media. The current Editor in Chief, Brian Catterson, was formerly Executive Editor at rival Cycle World....
. The roadhouse is located in unincorporated
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
Los Angeles County, near La Cañada Flintridge
La Cañada Flintridge, California
La Cañada Flintridge is a small and affluent city in Los Angeles County, California, United States whose population at the 2010 census was 20,246, down from 20,318 at the 2000 census. According to Forbes, as of 2010, La Cañada Flintridge ranks as the 143rd most expensive U.S...
.
The Newcomb family, who also created the Mount Waterman
Mount Waterman
Mount Waterman is a ski area on Waterman Mountain in the San Gabriel Mountains of the Angeles National Forest in Los Angeles County, California. The area is located on California State Route 2, the Angeles Crest Highway, and reaches a height of with an overall vertical drop of . Mount Waterman is...
ski area, settled the property using the Land Revision Act of 1891
Land Revision Act of 1891
The U.S. Land Revision Act of 1891 gave the president the authority to "set aside and reserve...any part of the public lands wholly or partly covered with timber or undergrowth, whether of commercial value or not." However, it did not explicitly authorize the use or development of resources on the...
, building the roadhouse in 1939. The roadhouse has served as a restaurant, hotel, general store, gas station, and as a brothel
Brothel
Brothels are business establishments where patrons can engage in sexual activities with prostitutes. Brothels are known under a variety of names, including bordello, cathouse, knocking shop, whorehouse, strumpet house, sporting house, house of ill repute, house of prostitution, and bawdy house...
or love hotel
Love hotel
A love hotel is a type of short-stay hotel found around the world operated primarily for the purpose of allowing couples privacy for sexual activities...
. The inn burned in 1976, allegedly started by a cook who had been terminated. The fire destroyed most of the second floor, which wasn't rebuilt. It was purchased in late 2001 by Frederick Rundall, an oncologist who purchased the roadhouse from Lynn Newcomb and remodeled it in 2003 for $340,000. The second floor became lodging for employees.
Motorcyclist and comedian Jay Leno
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
is a "frequent visitor" to Newcomb's.
The roadhouse closed in 2009 for the Station Fire. In January 2010 following the storm closure of Angeles Crest Highway
Angeles Crest Highway
The Angeles Crest Highway is a two-lane segment of California State Route 2 in the United States. The road is in length, with its western terminus at the intersection at Foothill Boulevard in La Cañada Flintridge and its eastern terminus at State Route 138 northeast of Wrightwood...
between Newcomb's and Los Angeles, as well as a South Coast Air Quality Management District
South Coast Air Quality Management District
The South Coast Air Quality Management District , formed in 1976, is the air pollution agency responsible mainly for regulating stationary sources of air pollution for most of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside County, and all of Orange County...
violation for operating a diesel generator without permit, Rundall shelved remodeling plans and discussed closing down completely.