This project was supported in whole or in part by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian Made accessible through a grant from the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation and Photo Friends
In 1927, Paramount Pictures purchased 2,700 acres of the old Rancho Las Virgenes (now Agoura Hills) for use as a movie ranch. William Hertz bought the southeast portion in 1953 and build a permanent western town utilizing Paramount Pictures' old prop storage sheds. The racetrack held events for only two seasons, closing in 1957 due to injuries and fatalities. In 1980 the National Park Service purchased the land and the Paramount Ranch Western Town was the only working movie western town in the National Park System. The Woolsey fire in November, 2018 destroyed many of the structures at the Ranch. Photograph caption dated August 20, 1956 reads "During running of consolation small bore event, MG-TD driven by Samual Taylor leads pack into tricky turn at Agoura's Paramount Ranch sports car races yesterday. Dave Smith of Bakersfield in an Italian-Moretti coupe is close on Taylor's tailpipe. A whopping crowd of 20,000 fans were on hand for the debut of sports cars in the West San Fernando Valley." See image 00162567 for additional photo in this series.
Paramount Ranch (Los Angeles County, Calif.) Automobile racing drivers Men Automobile racing M.G. automobile Moretti automobile Automobiles Racetracks (Automobile racing) Agoura Hills (Calif.) Portrait photographs Group portraits
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