Sunday, February 5, 2012

Double R Bar Ranch -- Roy Rogers’ Chatsworth Home

Roy Rogers' ranch in Chatsworth, CA 1957

More than four decades (2012) after Roy Rogers and Dale Evans moved away from the San Fernando Valley, memories of their Double R Bar Ranch still live on in Chatsworth.


In a 1987 quote Dusty Rogers said, "We moved from the Hollywood Hills to Encino in the San Fernando Valley, then to a ranch in Chatsworth. We always moved away from the encroaching population because Dad liked his privacy. He wanted his kids raised on a ranch, where they could have horses and pigs and chickens and cows."

In 1955, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans purchased a 138-acre rancho in Chatsworth for $120,000. Over time, additional land was added, and eventually the ranch was estimated to be 300+ acres, some of which may have been leased. The original rancho had a small house that had been built in 1938. Roy and Dale expanded the house to approximately 6000 square feet.

The home address was 9839 Andora Avenue, Chatsworth in the 1950s


The Roy Rogers Show ran on NBC TV from 1951 to 1957. The show featured the Double R Bar Ranch, located near the fictional town of Mineral City. In reality it was the Chatsworth home ranch of Roy Rogers, "The King of the Cowboys" and Dale Evans, "The Queen of the West."



The Double R Bar Ranch was surrounded by Chatsworth's rocky hills, and having its stables at home made it the perfect location for the show. As Roy said, “You could rollout of bed and start filming.”

Most of the earlier shows had been filmed on the Iverson Ranch and the Goldwyn Studios lot, but statements from Roy in the video documentary "Roy Rogers, King of the Cowboys" (1992) confirm that the Double R Ranch in Chatsworth was featured in many later TV episodes.

In 1963, Roy announced plans to subdivide 138 acres of his Chatsworth Ranch. The property to be developed was bounded on the east by Andora and Cactus avenues, on the south by a parallel line 200 feet south of Plummer Street that extended to the Los Angeles City boundary on the west, and on the north by a parallel line extended from Lassen Street to the Los Angeles City boundary on the west. Roy and Dale kept their ranch house and a small acreage, with a stable for Trigger (Van Nuys News, June 1963).

In 1964, Roy sold 131 acres to a subdivider for $1.3 million plus part of the gross. The first unit to be developed was 55 lots on 33 acres.

Roy Rogers with his new 1958 Chevrolet in the driveway of the Double R Bar Ranch

In 1965, after Roy and Dale lost a child in a bus accident on a church outing--their third child to die--the couple sold the remaining property and moved to the high desert near Apple Valley, California. Perhaps Chatsworth held too many sad memories for them.

Roy, Dale and kids in their backyard about 1956

In 1969, industrialist Eugene Kilmer acquired the former Rogers estate, which included the 6,000 square-foot ranch house (6 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms), a guest house, tennis court, pool and spa on 3.5 acres of land, along with an additional 100 undeveloped acres (Los Angeles Times, Dec 2, 1984). (His son Val Kilmer became a well-known movie actor.)

In 1992, Eugene Kilmer's wife Senga was living in the house that had originally belonged to Roy and Dale (Los Angeles Business Journal, Jan 6, 1992).


In 1997, Roy and Dale last appeared in Chatsworth for the dedication of the Chatsworth Rail Station, where they sang "Happy Trails to You."

The new owner kept Roy and Dale's sprawling pink ranch house at the top of Trigger Street pretty much original (Los Angeles Times, July 7, 1998): A rock with a waterfall seen in several of Roy's films is in the backyard.  His and hers closets built in the master bedroom for the Rogers' large wardrobe of western outfits remains.  The recreation room fireplace has spurs, horseshoes, bridle bits and other equestrian artifacts embedded into the stone work.  A terrazzo tile floor still has the fading initials of Roy, Dale and six of their children.

(left to right) Sandy, Roy and Dusty about 1960
The old Rogers' home, presently located on 22832 W. Trigger Street, last sold August 9, 2001 for $1,650,000. (City of Los Angeles Planning Department website).


33 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Many memories of the tv show and my RRbar lunchbox. Have a few of them now.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I thought their house was on Andora.where was the original DOUBLE R BAR gate?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Went by the 22832 Trigger address yesterday. No such address exists presently, but the numbers could've been changed over the years. The general area is right next to the Andora address.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They took the numbers with them when they moved that way they could get there mail when they put the numbers up on the new place.

      Delete
  5. In a 1955 news article the Rogers' family address was 9839 Andora Ave., Chatsworth.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I visited the house today. It's at 28801 Trigger, not 28832. Can only see a portion of the building from the street but the area is nice.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yup! The google maps image appears to put the private residence at 28801, however the news article I quoted (from several years back) had a different street number. Either way the Rogers' family hasn't lived there since the 1960s.

    ReplyDelete
  8. i love to watch roy rodgers,dale evans and pat brady

    ReplyDelete
  9. The tennis court was not kept up, can't see if there is still a pool. Too bad all the land was sold off and developed. Too built up, just like most of S CAL.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I'd love to see the inside of the house. I rode horses from my first ride at only 6 months old until a drunk driver injured my spine when I was 30. I rode 1last time when I was 31.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'd love to see the inside of the house. I rode horses from my first ride at only 6 months old until a drunk driver injured my spine when I was 30. I rode 1last time when I was 31.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Do you know who owns now? I'd like to visit again.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Do you know who owns now? I'd like to visit again.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I do not know who owns it today. It's a very small piece of real estate with the house Roy and Dale remodeled, NOT the entire original ranch.

    ReplyDelete
  15. My dad knew Mr. & Mrs. Rodgers. As kids living in the valley in the late '50s and early '60s we would go to their ranch. As I recall the gate was at the end of Lassen Street at Topanga Canyon Blvd. They were such gracious people, but I was always afraid to get out of the car because Trigger III always chased the car, barking and baring his teeth as we drove down the long driveway. Great memories of a time long gone.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. cool memories you have. I spent a couple of weeks working in friends house there- they told me the ranch was up the hill inside their cul de sac- I didnt venture up there, if I recall it was gated and I am not a kid, so it would be weird to be seen doing that :)- but I was curious. love the area though with coyotes howling at night!

      Delete
  16. I do know that Roy and Dale had a man-made waterfall in their backyard. This is the most popular post in my blog with over 13,392 views as of today. Glad you found something interesting here.

    ReplyDelete
  17. My folks moved us from Redondo Beach to Granada Hills in 1952. My brother and I would ride our bikes clear over to Chatsworth, and my folks took us to Cooriganville many times. Of course RR was one of our favorites. Fond memories.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Around 1957 at age 14 I was recovering from a broken left hip bone at home. My Mother posted my story in The Valley News and Green Sheet. I was completely overwhelmed when I received so many cards and get well wishes. Eventually The Rogers saw the newspaper article and they invited us to attend a ceremony at the Northridge Military Academy. I had no idea what was about to happen when Major Blankenship and his staff made me an honorary member of Dusty Rogers class. I didn't know then that Dusty was the son of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. It's a memory that I will always cherish and never forget.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just ran across this blog. I lived on Lassen St. in the 50's-early 60's and also went on the ranch for birthday parties. Back then A large portion of Lassen St. was a dirt road. Memories for sure.

      Delete
    2. I went to Northridge Military Acadenmy for 2 years. Col. Mike O. Blankenship was in charge when I went there. I was 14 when I went.

      Delete
    3. I attended Northridge Military Academy, as well, in the 7th and 8th grades. Back when the older cadets used the pick on Kevin Spacey. Some very fond and profound memories of that short but dramatic experience-- then went on to Notre Dame High School. No girls at either place. Lord, how did I survive...??

      Delete
  19. Does anybody remember the 9 hole golf course that was on the property in the early 1960s?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, my dad played there with Roy and a guy I only knew back then as bob. Bob turned out to be Robert Stack

      Delete
    2. I believe there were three 9 holers. Red, white and some other color. Red was the hardest. I remember seeing Roy shooting skeet. I think the skeet range is was the part of Chatsworth Park that’s was closed for a few years due to soil contamination.

      Delete
    3. Does anyone have a picture of the golf course?

      Delete
  20. Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, the Double R and all that went with it gave me peace as an 8 year old boy as it still does here in my late 60s.I can still travel there in my mind's eye and allow Roy & Dale to adopt me too!


    ReplyDelete
  21. I was watching the show this morning on fetv I really missed it for my childhood

    ReplyDelete
  22. Wow here ! Interesting . My Aunt n Uncle lived out in Chatsworth . I went on a trip in 1965 . I was 18 . Small Town with pony cart wagons n town . Aunt always talked bout Roy n Dale n town . Fond memories of my visit !!

    ReplyDelete
  23. When I was a kid Roy was my silver screen hero. The closest I ever got to Roy and Dale was about 200 yards. The home I grew up in was 200 yards from the Murray County Courthouse in Sulphur, OK where Roy and Dale got their marriage license.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I grew up just down the road in Lake Manor and was young when they moved away, we attended the same church (Chapel in the Canyon) as the Rogers' and my older sister used to help exercise the horses and ran a Pony cart from the ranch at the time. My Pops and uncle also trapped pigeons that Roy used at shooting parties so it wasn't just skeet shooting! They got 25 cents for each pigeon lol

    ReplyDelete
  25. Thanks for sharing. Very interesting slice of history.

    ReplyDelete