As former Archivist at the Altadena Historical Society, I heard anecdotal references to the possibility of brothels at the resort and other canyon areas, as well as suggestions that it was an attractive destination for illicit tryst seekers. I researched the archives at the Altadena Historical Society via their website and located anecdotal evidence from Mt. Lowe Railway and Pacific Electric employees.

I reached out to local Trail Historian Paul Ayers who reminded me that nefarious and illegal activity historically occurred outside the arm of the law, or at least on county lines in the early years of the 20th Century. Nearby Arroyo Seco Canyon had its share of questionable activities. From 1913-1938, a road travelled north of Devil’s Gate Dam (and today’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory - JPL) up and into the upper Arroyo Seco towards Switzer’s Camp (before Angeles Crest Highway was completed) that provided auto and carriage access to many trail and tourist camps and resorts.

There were dozens of such resort and cabin outposts scattered in the foothills above Altadena and Pasadena from the Arroyo Seco Canyon on the west to Santa Anita Canyon on the east during the Great Hiking Era (1900-1935). Most were focused on family, sport and faith interests…most, but not all.

As the Los Angeles Times reported in January, 1924, arrests occurred due to “…house parties conducted in Arroyo Seco cabins every week-end.”…“wild parties in which liquor and women figured prominently were common in the [Arroyo Seco area] mountain resort.”

(Los Angeles Times; Jan. 29, 1924, p.12)

More hijinks were reported in March of that same year:

“A ‘spicy’ mountain party in the Arroyo Seco at which scantily-clad dancing girls and twenty-five gallons of high-grade whisky was nipped in the bud”

police declared, further describing the

“…wild mountain orgies in Arroyo Seco cabins with…prominent members of the motion-picture colony."

The article continues,

“the asserted wild parties have been of common occurrence in the Arroyo, the police declare, but because the cabins are just outside the city limits they were powerless to act.”

(Los Angeles Times; March 9, 1924, p.12)



Yes, the Great Hiking Era exposed Los Angeles citizenry to the splendors of nature and…um…other things.

Altadena also offered a hidden speakeasy called the Marcell Inn which attracted celebrities, dark-corner seekers and anyone in search of a cool stiff drink during the prohibition years (1920-1933). Anecdotes include references to brothel activities at this isolated location since rooms were available for rent at the Inn.

Altadena, was (and still is) an unincorporated town which may have allowed its youth uninvited exposure to to salacious temptations:

“Being unincorporated…saloons, speakeasies and gambling resorts are on a rapid increase and are a menace to the moral and social development to the unusually fine type of youth in our community who deserve a high cultural level in their sports and their leisure time activities.”



- Chairman of Altadena Recreation Building Committee of Altadena Community Council, Nov. 27, 1933

But can we find more evidence of similar salacious activity at any part of the Mt. Lowe Railway resort? I reached out to Dr. Stacey Camp, an associate anthropology professor at Michigan State University. Dr. Camp conducted an anthropological dig at Echo Mountain in the mid 2000’s in order to learn more about the workers connected to the Mt. Lowe Railway. Dr. Camp acknowledged that text or testimony supporting the tryst or brothel theories would be difficult to find but during her research she identified Pacific Electric Railway work orders at the Huntington Library that indicated a concern about controlling worker-tourist interactions. Interaction was controlled by organizing single male railway workers in quarters far from the Alpine Tavern. Concerns regarding single vs. married trainmen was also mentioned – ‘lonesome,’ ‘dissatisfied’ and ‘restless’ described the single male workers at Alpine Tavern. There were a number of workers’ cottages at both Echo Mountain and Alpine Tavern, but Echo employed more married railway men who kept their families onsite. Workers also included ‘gangs’ of more itinerant laborers who likely did not interact with visitors at all. Eventually, dormitories were built at Alpine Tavern.

But getting back to the attractiveness of Mt. Lowe…