Residents gather, reminisce about Lakeside’s storied history and look forward to an even more resilient community
The year was 1924 — the Roaring Twenties, the sobriquet of the decade, were in full swing. It was the year when the most famous man in America was the comedian Will Rogers, when both future presidents Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush were born, and Hollywood greats Marlon Brando, Carroll O’Connor, and Lauren Bacall were also born. It was the year when four U.S. Army Air Service airplanes left Seattle, Washington, to complete the first round-the-world flight, the first crossword puzzle book was published, Macy’s staged its first Thanksgiving parade, the FBI was established, with J. Edgar Hoover as its first director, and the Statue of Liberty was declared a national monument.
1924 was also the year that Malibu Lakeside was established by a developer named H.L. Averill, who began offering lots for sale located to the south of the then recently established Malibou Lake Mountain Club. Ultimately, approximately 125 rough and simple country cabins were built, some of which exist today.
Today, approximately 300 people call Malibu Lakeside home. Prior to the Woolsey Fire in 2018, there were approximately 125 homes — the fire destroyed 25 of them and some of the homeowners continue to rebuild their residences.
The Malibu Times was invited to the 100th anniversary celebration on Nov. 16 and there was so much to celebrate and so much history to learn! The setting: Lakeside Park, located on a section of the historic Lakeside Clubhouse Property, which in its glorious times, included a clubhouse, pool, fountain, tennis and badminton courts, a children’s playground, croquet grounds, a picnic area, and even a maypole.
The party had all the endearing hallmarks of an idyllic autumnal rural neighborhood gathering. Affable horses good-naturedly neighed in nearby corrals, seemingly wanting to be part of the party, as attendees enjoyed shared cuisine, libations, and, of course, a birthday cake. Some partygoers happily huddled around bonfires and made s’mores, while others gathered conversing in small convivial groups. They all cheered as The Secret Monument Band, Luke Metzger, Sierra Drummond, and Nola Plessner performed songs that strengthened their communal bond with selections varying from rock to jazz to folk music, a mosaic of music reflecting the eclectic crowd of citizens, from young to old, from casually to formally dressed.
“I’ve been to the Renaissance Fair, but never been to a place so beautiful as this!” Metzger exclaimed. “If I was born a long time ago, I would have prayed to Sugarloaf Mountain.”
Sitting in the shadow of that gorgeous geological feature the crowd cheered louder. They cheered even more when Sophia Soudani, field deputy for Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath, presented a gorgeous certificate to honor the occasion.
A cup of sugar neighborhood
Lakeside has a lot to cheer about. If one chats with Pat Henkel, president of the Malibu Lakeside Community Association, he will learn that the community is resolved to preserve its open spaces, including the 0.6-acre lot now known as Lakeside Park.
Malibou Lakeside Fire Council helps to organize residents to protect them from catastrophic wildfires so as to minimize risks to life and homes, including participating in brush clearance on nearby State Park Lands, Henkel explained, adding, “I am overwhelmed that Malibu Lakeside is coming together to celebrate our very close-knit community — we’ve been working on this event for six to nine months and — look! What a party!”
Henkel gratefully thanked the entire organizing committee who brilliantly orchestrated the gorgeous event.
“What started as hunting cabins 100 years ago and was far removed from Los Angeles, is now a thriving community with a whole new energy as new families move in.” said Sandy Guthrie, vice president of the Community Association, adding, “We continue to have a huge amount of residents with great creative talent who are in the music and film industries; people don’t realize how strong of a creative community we have and it’s a cup of sugar neighborhood — you can borrow things from neighbors — we are working hard to preserve that!”
An amazingly storied history of a haven just miles from Malibu
Chatting with photographer Brian Rooney, the community’s local historian and author of “Three Magical Miles — L.A.’s Amazing Historical Neighborhood,” it is easy to fall in love with Malibu Lakeside. Rooney’s book recounts the history of Historic Agoura Hills, Malibou Lake, Reagan Ranch, Historic Cornell, 20th Century Fox Ranch, Paramount Ranch, “M*A*S*H,” and locations of other classic film and TV shows. When reading about Lakeside’s history, one learns that a sales brochure in 1940 touted Lakeside lots as being ensconced “visually in a land of enchantment — for miles and miles — a view of mountain tops and lakes!”
One also learns that much of what the earliest non-indigenous homeowners valued most about the community of Malibu Lakeside in the last century stands true to this day. The lake is a leisurely, calm setting that is just about seven minutes from Highway 101 and within 11 miles from the boundaries of Los Angeles, and it is a haven and sanctuary where many in show business still find refuge. When it was founded, developers touted its beauty and logistical benefits, noting that for $10 a month, one could buy an estate and that each purchaser acquired an ownership interest in the community center.
In times past, the Hollywood elite relished being in Lakeside and nearby Malibou Lake. It is easy to see why — Ronald Reagan’s ranch was nearby, as was King Gillette Ranch, the private estate of the shaving pioneer; 20th Century Fox Ranch, the site where the exclusive Crags Country Club once was; Lake Enchanto, a fancy resort that boasted the largest swimming pool in Western America at the height of its glory and that is now named Peter Strauss Ranch; Seminole Hot Springs, once a fancy resort with a full-blown spa that was dubbed “The Palm Springs of Los Angeles”;The Rock Store; Cornell and Paramount Ranch, where many movies and television shows were filmed; and Paramount Ranch Raceway which had a brief, two-season life as a popular race track where competitors drove all the great makes of the day, including Alfa, Porsche, Ferrari, Jaguar, AC Bristol, Maserati, Cooper, and Aston-Maron. All of those venues were nearby Lakeside and Malibou Lake.
One famous movie actor relished living in Lakeside — Strother Martin (“Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” “The Wild Bunch,” “True Grit,” and “Rooster Cogburn”).
Rumors persist that Clark Gable once owned a home in Lakeside, according to Rooney’s book.
Today, the community is as strong as ever, and, as it celebrates its heritage, it evolves at a leisurely pace, sometimes adopting new traditions, most notably, Melanie Moreau’s beloved annual Pumpkin race, which has a simple concept: put wheels on a pumpkin and design a theme. Since its inception 20 years ago, the pumpkin race has become a cherished annual event.
“I’ve lived in Malibu Lakeside since 1998,” Moreau shared. “I did so because it’s a great place to raise kids and provides a wonderful community — it is our hidden secret.”
