BSA Camp Josepho Destroyed By Palisades Fire

Above, Boy Scouts at Camp Josepho circa 1941. Camp Josepho Facebook photo.

Back around 1965, my scout troop arranged for a weekend camp-out at Camp Josepho in the Santa Monica Mountains near Pacific Palisades. We had to hike to the camp. It was the first time I hiked to a camp with a full backpack.

It has been reported that the Palisades Fire destroyed Camp Josepho.

According to Camp Josepho's website:

LOS ANGELES – The Western Los Angeles County Council, Scouting America announced today that 84-year-old Camp Josepho, its Scouting Camp nestled in the Santa Monica Mountains, was destroyed in the Pacific Palisades Fire. Council leadership plans to assess the extent of the damage once the fires have been contained and decide on next steps then.

However, right now, they are dedicated to supporting families who have lost homes and livelihoods due to the wildfires that are still ravaging Los Angeles.

“The loss of Camp Josepho is sad, but the loss of life and homes throughout Los Angeles is devastating,” said Lee Harrison, Scout Executive & CEO of the Council. “Scouting families are among the thousands who have lost everything due to the fires, and our top focus is assisting them – in addition to other members of the community who have been affected.”

To read more, go here.  Please consider making a donation. I just sent mine in.

Topanga Corral

Above, the rebuilt Topanga Corral (after the '68 fire). Topanga Historical Society photo.

A post by the Valley Relics Museum Facebook page brought back a memory.

They wrote:

The Topanga Corral was located at 2034 S Topanga Canyon Boulevard. It was a nightclub where musicians like Neil Young, Spirit, Linda Ronstadt, Canned Heat, Little Feat, Taj Mahal, and many others played during their early years. It burned down in the 70s but was rebuilt only to burn down again in 1986.

Back in the 1960s the Topanga Corral was a nightclub in Topanga Canyon that featured rock 'n roll groups. The building was owned by the parents by late friend Wellington "Bill" Wilson in the late 1960s.

In 1968, a fire swept through the Topanga Corral (not in the 1970s). I went there with Bill and his mom after the fire. It was rebuilt about 50 yards to the east of its original location. Apparently, it was destroyed by fire (again) in 1986, only it wasn't rebuilt by its then-owners.