Building the greatest resort West of the Mississippi
Norco, California is known as "Horse Town USA". Surrounded by urban sprawl, this rural oasis is fifteen square miles of large land parcels, open space and home to 20,000 horses. However, there is another side to this small and genuinely unique city, an astonishing history that is almost forgotten. The Californian Rehabilitation Center, a medium security prison, and the Naval Surface Warfare Assessment Center also exist side by side within Norco. Behind barbed wire and Navy security, rests some of the finest examples of Mediterranean-Mission Style architecture ever constructed mixed together with historic, institutional Navy: the stuff of legend and a one-time destination point for the greatest Hollywood stars, Olympic Champions and Pearl Harbor survivors.
In 1920, Norco was an unsuccessful agricultural community. Along came Rex Clark, a former stationary salesman turned land developer, with the good fortune to be married to Grace Scripps; daughter of James Scripps, the powerful newspaper publisher. Backed by her money, Clark bought Norco with the idea to develop and sell chicken ranches from which a man could feed his family. The fledgling township flourished as Clark laid roads, created a manufacturing center and dug wells to supply cheap water. It was in the course of digging just such a well that a plentiful supply of hot mineral water was found and the Norconian Resort was born.
In 1927, Rex Clark, began to "build the finest resort and mineral hot springs spa in America". Over two years, Clark installed a sixty acre lake, a marvelous pavilion/casino and boathouse, chauffeurs quarters, 100 car garage, full service laundry, state of the art power house, airfield, one of the finest golf courses on the west coast, AAU qualifying diving and swimming pools, indoor swimming pools, riding trails, tennis courts, fabulous "Tea Room" and a magnificent 250 room hotel complete with stunning dining room, lounge and ballroom. The Norconian grand opening was on February 2, 1929 and appeared to be a true success. Movie stars flocked to the resort: it was not unusual to see Charlie Chaplin playing tennis, Clark Gable driving to the local gun club, Buster Keaton on the golf links, Norma Shearer riding horseback, or Will Rogers and Wiley Post giving plane rides to local kids. MGM, Fox and Disney Studios all held annual picnics on the site. On the lake could be seen some of the best speedboat racers in the world and Duke Kahanamoku giving "surfing lessons". The outdoor pools, the only AAU qualifiers in Southern California until the 1932 Olympics, attracted the finest Olympic divers and swimmers and witnessed several National and world records.