Apple Valley was once well known for the guest ranches that flourished there from about World War I to the mid-1950s. For nearly half of the 20th century, recreational activities of the Black community were carried out in separate facilities. Resorts, hotels, nightclubs, and even public parks in many California communities were closed to Black patrons. In the 1920s, when Murray's Dude Ranch opened, widespread segregation practices limited Black Californians' access to most private and public recreational facilities. Murray's was a recreational favorite for Blacks, and a marker in the history of Black recreation. It was open to all who could afford to come. Operated for nearly 20 years as a dude ranch with a pool, several small houses, tennis courts, a ball field, and riding stables, the ranch was used by entertainment personalities and by ordinary families. The Murrays ran the ranch in part as a retreat for underprivileged African-American children. and Lela Murray, both of whom ran successful businesses in Los Angeles and were prominent members of the city's Black community. The ranch was founded by husband and wife Nolie B. It also served as the set for a number of "all-black cast" western movies including groundbreaking Western musical Harlem on the Prairie (1937). It was owned by African Americans and catered primarily to an African American clientele. The ranch was located at the northwest corner of Waalew Road and Dale Evans Parkway in Apple Valley, just outside the city limits of Victorville. Murray's Ranch, sometimes called the Overall Wearing Dude Ranch, was a guest ranch in Bell Mountain, California from the 1920s until the 1960s. Murray's Dude Ranch, Apple Valley, California
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