OK, finally a Mark Felton video that I can contribute something to. I grew up in Woodland Hills, in the San Fernando Valley and a great deal of my misspent youth, and some of my early adulthood, was spent riding dirt bikes in the Santa Monica mountains. My buddy and I did a lot of exploring and one day, we stumbled into the ranch. This was in the early 80's and while riding off road was still illegal, it wasn't nearly as frowned upon as it would be now. Anyway, we wander into the ranch, and spent maybe an hour just checking it out. It was almost completely intact. No graffiti, no tire tracks, no footprints. Like they had just walked away. So 25 or so years later, my buddy sends me an email with a link, and that was when we learned the history of the ranch. We found it pre internet and way before it was a hip hiking and urban art destination.
I've found abandoned sites here on Oahu since the '90s, and seen how they have progressively been found by taggers & vandals. These range from 19th century plantations to WWII era emplacements. There have been a few books published on urban exploration, authorized & otherwise.
Mr. Mike my grandpa Harold Johnson has the gum 1939 it was black the white gun was more of his commemorative 7.65mm Walther PP ,Wings of Honor WW2 Wings oF Honor MUSEUM the one he shot his self with as well as A Silver Nazis Crown 👑 that Hitler wore during the 2 would war Kathrine Ponder is one of the few WW2 vets we have in our community from Pearl Harbor, we have Douglas Macarthur authentic pictures we got 2 BT-13 one is in A Hanger my Grandpa bought he is Order of DEADALIN Gold metal from Skyjacking Southern Airways flight 49, November 10th, 1972!!
WOW. I've lived less than 16 miles from this place my entire life, and I've long been a WW2 history buff. I've NEVER heard of this before your video. Thank you so much Dr. Felton for making this video!
I have hiked here and can attest to it’s spookiness. 5:24 The 20,000 gal diesel fuel tank is not far from this spot and has a hole big enough to climb into it. And makes for an incredible echo chamber. 5:33 Something we were told was a ‘meat locker’ is below this building and is almost totally filled with 70-odd years of debris. 7:49 7:32 these gardens smelled like urinals. Likely due to them being used as such by countless vandals I was also told by a person who works for the city of LA who took me there that they were tasked with keeping it ‘safely clean’ but not open for visitors and hiking. And I believe you can be trespassed if caught - so keep that in mind, potential explorers.
I’ve never heard of them either but am aware of the other aspects of this video. Mark always has something up his sleeve of WW2 knowledge. They were like the American Legion but evil. Lol
I grew up in Asheville ....first heard about the silver shirts early 90's ...the guy operated out of one of the older buildings in Biltmore ...Building is still there in the town squire next to Railroad tracks ....
I was born and raised in New Jersey and was familiar with the history of the German American Bund, which operated a 200 acre resort in Andover, New Jersey called 'Camp Nordland'. I like to think I'm knowledge about European and US history but holy crap! Dr. Felton knocked another one out of the park. This is the first time I've heard of the California Reich.
Ok there Putin Uke Boy, No Using Hitler's Photo for anything unless it's a Mel Brooks Version from "To Be Or Not To Be"......... Then you can continue on with "Seme Putin's" Propaganda !
I grew up and still live in LA. And after 60 years this is the first I’ve ever heard of this place. Not surprising really as LA is HUGE! It just goes on and on. An endless expanse in every direction. It truly is impossible to explore every corner. Especially the hilly mountainous areas.
I've hiked there a couple times, years ago, when it wasn't well known. I'd looked up it's Nazi mythology and it was still rather hard to piece exactly how true it was, but this video cleared it up nicely.
Thank you, Dr. Felton, for unearthing this historical find. I have only heard about the Silver Legion, but for you to find pictures along with the information of the LA bunker is extraordinary.
Thanks Mark, for another great video. I saw you recently on a documentary the other day. It's good to know you are ubiquitous as your content is always entertaining and spot-on!
Love seeing local lore. I've heard of this place many times by friends who jog/hike near the area, and of times when the place wasn't known as it is now and used as a local hangout spot.
In Asheville N.C.??!! Really??!!! That's mind-blowing. I live only an hour away from there and had absolutely no idea that there had been a Ntl. Soc. enclave hatched there. Incredible! Thanks for the amazing history lessons that you provide Dr. Felton.
@@ruobe1 You're right, they don't. They didn't teach about the "German American Bund" run by Fritz Khun either, but that info did at least become mainstream in the early 90's thanks to "The History Channel" on television.
I've been in there many many times as hiking and mtn biking trails drop down to Murphy ranch. I was aware of most of it's history, although you filled in some details and photos I haven't seen before. One note - the actor & humorist Will Rogers owned the property at the end of the canyon and ran cattle in the mtns to the west. Another man, Josepho, owned the property to the north, in the same canyon - he was said to despise the nazis and took to carrying a revolver in his truck in case of any issues with his distasteful neighbors.
@Tom Henry - sure, but when they wear Nazi brownshirt uniforms and march around doing Hitler salutes, it probably has a little more urgency. Good thing the FBI rolled the nazi neighbors up the day after Pearl Harbor! Josepho, who'd made his fortune back East by designing and selling those "Fortune-Teller" arcade machines with the animatronic people inside - he bought the land in L.A with his fortune and upon his death, gifted the land to the Boy Scouts who still have it as a camp today
Very interesting, Mark. Previously, I've viewed a video tour of the site on the Los Angeles based Oddity Odysseys RUclips channel. Each of the two videos complements the other and both are well worth watching.
Can you do a video on the WWII bases in San Pedro Ca. I visited the Korean peace bell and was more in awe of the close bunker system more than anything else.
Thank you Mark Felton. I love your channel. This location is a little over an hour away from where I grew up and currently live. I never knew about it but had an idea something like it existed. I am saddened by all the graffiti, from sites like this to everything. History, like it or not is all around us. We should preserve and restore it, regardless of personal feelings, so that we can learn from it. Hiding it doesn’t make it go away.
Fully agreed. Witnessing countless different sites, statues, monuments, graves/mausoleums & headstones, plaques, signs and not to mention God only knows how many vast sums of books, films, wide varieties of artworks and even (perhaps especially) digital and/or online articles, pictures, videos, comment threads & forums, and all sorts of other documents have been scrubbed, removed, vandalized, edited/changed or often rewritten and/or otherwise destroyed, and nowadays only increasingly more often happening all over the country, in nearly every part of the country... For me, as a profoundly passionate & dedicated lifelong history buff, to put it very simply & mildly, it downright disgusts me and is infuriating to no end. I grew up being taught & always remembering the saying: those who forget about or fail to learn history, are damned to repeat it. And most of the figures I was taught by came from the older generations... often those who fought in Vietnam & Operations Desert Storm & Desert Shield; however several others (whom I was very, VERY fortunate to have learned from) were from the even older, tougher, wiser (Greatest) generations, who had taught the generation who taught me; the very same people who had defeated the Nazis & Imperial Japanese, and (to me) were the very reason & still very much the living embodiment of how & why the Allies won the Second World War. They were very much aware of just how important it is to never forget where we all came from, and to do as much as possible to share & pass down as much knowledge & experience to the younger generations, so that they could maybe learn from it, and perhaps even avoid repeating the same mistakes yet again
I have been there many times. Much of it is gone. There is another structure, the remains of a greenhouse? Maybe. It is a destination for locals and tourists alike.
Are you talking about the other site just a little way up canyon from this bunker? Might even be visible from the bunker. We used to ride our mtn bike around there back in the early '90s. Back then that other site was the ruin of a 2-story structure, still had the second story on it. Had a basketball court right in front. I remember the hoops, and a small bicycle, maybe a BMX bike that someone had shoved through one of the hoops. That bldg was really weird. Seemed to be made largely of corrugated sheet metal on the outside. But there was a lot of broken glass around it too, which we thought was odd. Maybe it was some kind of greenhouse. The building's purpose was a source of much speculation to us. My cousin, who lives in LA had since told me that particular building was "gone now".
Every time I think everything has been learned you manage to turn another stone. Well done. It's pretty jarring how wide spread these sorts of ideas really were only less than a century ago. Massive, rapid change since then.
In the late '80s I was in Boy Scouts and worked one summer as a staffer at a day camp for Cub Scouts at Camp Josepho. During our off time, we all would roam through the canyons exploring and generally goof off. On a solo hike one evening I came upon these ruins down the canyon. I didn't find out until years later it was Murphy Ranch. I told my dad about the place and the caretaker at Josepho raised all kinds of hell, told me to stay out of that place and not to tell anyone else about it. He was mum as to why but was really angry at me.
Yes, I was there before the graffiti. Was a campmaster at the Boy Scout camp further up the canyon. The walk through there gives a good impression of what LA looked like so many years ago.
One thing most of us don't usually consider is that this wasn't ridiculous for the politics of any western country in the 1930s. Domestic opposition in the 1930s even compared FDR to Hitler because of his New Deal policies which we're seeing as resembling similar policies in Nazi, Germany. In both countries, government programs were touted as a necessary alternative to socialism.. or in the case of Germany, bolshevism. Before anyone loses their mind, of course, this policy comparison is only valid in certain areas.
And then there was the Business Plot exposed by Maj. Gen. Smedley Butler, USMC. It's telling that no one was particularly interested even as he testified in Congress.
Authoritarianism is bad period. You can't replace one with another because the outcome is the same. I would rather have a socialist goverment with working democracy than capitalist nationalism
Good video Dr. Besides the Silver shirts in Asheville NC there was a nazi compound to the west of Asheville in Jackson County NC. It even had (and still does) a smaller replica of Hitler's 'Eagle's Nest' house built on a mountain side overlooking the Tuckaseigee River. I understand that the property was owned by the Woolworth family. So yes, lots of interesting things politically going on on both the national socialism and internationale socialism sides in the U.S. during the 1930s.
Interesting. Nearly got to visit the real Eagle's Nest, but my girlfriend wasn't interested and won the debate. So i only saw it from the distance. Should have just gone there alone in hindsight. Stunningly beautiful location. I heard Hitler didn't much care for the place and only visited it a few times at most. How about that?
@@morningstar9233 from what I've studied over the years, regarding Hitler & the (actual) original Eagle's Nest, this was true... And if I recall correctly, it was initially designed & built for Der Führer by Albert Speer, although it was actually gifted from Martin Börmann, as one of countless attempts that he (along with the rest of those who were a part of "Hitler's Inner Circle") were endlessly fighting over one another to please Hitler. And yet, despite all of these countless favors, gifts & extravagant efforts presented to AH by those wanting to please him, the Eagles Nest was a classic example of how said efforts nearly always turned out, as indeed it's also true that Hitler only ended up visiting/using it once, MAYBE twice! Side note fun fact: unlike nearly almost all Third Reich & Nazi-era structures, relics, monuments, symbols, etc (particularly regarding use of the swastika) that were destroyed or otherwise thoroughly removed in post-war Germany, as well as the vast majority of any of the territory that, at one time fell under the auspices of the Third Reich, the Kellsteinhaus (which is the actual name given to the Eagle's Nest mountaintop tea house) is one of the extremely rare, incredibly small handful of structures leftover from the era, that has survived up to today, and what's even more unique is the fact that, besides the removal of all the swastikas, it is otherwise nearly perfectly intact, as well as almost entirely authentic to that original time period!!
Gotta love those FBI agents. Everyone of them is posing with their fingers on the triggers of the firearms. Most of them had their muzzles pointed at the guy next to them. So much for gun safety. 8:12
@@scottabc72 Oh, I'm sure he did to appeal to the public's imagination. Also notice he timed it for just after Pearl Harbor when people were afraid of enemy agents and says.
Another great video, Mark. As a lifelong L.A. resident who is 59 years old… I’ve been up there many times… We used to go up there in the 70s & 80s to get high, trip on psychedelics & throw parties. That was always a perfect place for overnight generator parties, raves and the like. It’s mind blowing to know how close Nazis & fascism were to the people in Los Angeles. Lastly… I recently read a book by Steven J Ross called “Hitler In Los Angeles” which really explained a lot about things I used to wonder about… Like why in the past there were so many hofbrau restaurants here in LA. Anyway… Thanks for always having incredibly interesting videos. They always make me look into the subjects of the videos even more. ✌🏽
Why were there so many hofbrau restaurants in LA? My brother worked for the family of one; Hoppe's Old Heidelberg Hofbrau in one of those LA towns like Van Nuys, or Anaheim
@@drdr76 because of the heavy German influence in the city. And it was within those communities where to local Silver Legion & German Bund groups were able to hide amongst. There there used to be a park close to the border between the cities of Glendale & La Crescenta called “Hindenberg Park” (named after the German president) where the German-American Bund used to hold Nazi rallies in the 1930s. Check out the book I mentioned in my main post “Hitler In Los Angeles” by Steven J Ross. It tell a lot about the history of the Nazis in the LA./ Southern California area.
Speaking of hofbrau huts in the LA area longtime German restaurant, supermarket, and Ocktoberfest location Alpine Village in Torrance is shutting its doors after 50 years.
At 4:47 you show a picture of the stables at Will Rogers state historic park, that is NOT murphy’s ranch, I just don’t want people to confuse the beautiful stables at Will Rogers SHP with the Nazi compound at murphy’s ranch. I used to lead tours of the stables and the historic main house at Will Rogers SHP, there was talk about tearing down Murphy’s ranch years ago but I guess it never happened.
I was a Ranger there for about 17 years. The photo of "terraced" gardens shown in the video actually shows the area near the stables at adjacent Will Rogers SHP. There was staff in residence at the canyon until the fire of '78. There was always graffiti but social media made it worse by an order of magnitude. The state didn't want to add it as a park because of the liability for toxics and demolition of dangerous structures, and the county neglects it (it's actually a county park basically surrounded by state park property. I met the surviving Stevens family about 10 years ago. They were children at the time of the ranch, but claimed the Nazi thing was bogus, perhaps the result of confusion with another site in the canyon. I believe they were doomsday cultists ("preppers"...?), led not by the mysterious Herr Schmidt, but by a man named Anderson who held sway over Winona Stevens. Norman Stevens worked as an engineer for Douglas in Santa Monica, and won an award for work done on the Dauntless dive bomber. I'd like to see some sources listed, because most of the stories (FBI raids, Nazis, etc.) were pretty much debunked. The ruins are completely overgrown and largely destroyed by mudslides, fires, etc.. If you explore the canyon, get an early start. It's not a long hike, but it's very rough, and the trails are not well marked.
I'm not making excuses for fascism but the list of people and organizations that sympathized with the nazis prior to 1939 are long. Canada's longest serving Mackenzie King was a nazi sympathizer and an anti semite. As preppers the stevens family might have found some things in common with the silver shirts but might not have shared all their beliefs. It sounds like they ran with a bad crowd, that said some people aren't inherently evil but instead fall in with bad people. Being under Hoover's surveillance in and of itself isn't proof of guilt.
Unfortunately he never lists sources. I enjoy his videos but always take them with a pinch of salt for this reason. It is interesting to see in the comments just how many people take it all as complete verified fact, just because it's a well presented video on RUclips. It sheds light on how easy myths can take root and how misinformation abounds in what is generally termed the age of information.
I randomly hiked through this compound during one of my work visits to LA in 2018! Got lost when my phone lost reception. Never realised the history of the place. The stairs nearly killed me in the 38-degree heat.
You ever notice that in certain cities in Southern California there are swastikas decorating the lamps? About a month a go I went to a used book store in Whittier, I bent down to tie my shoe and I noticed a ring of swastikas on the street lamp. Blew my mind. Found out they were there before any of this Nazi stuff. Also found out that several cities have the same lamp decoration.
A very forgotten (and rightfully so) history of beautiful Sussex County, New Jersey, is the fact that right before WWII there was an American Bund camp in Andover. The camp was raided after the US declared war and was raided by the NJSP as well as deputized American Legion members. The old cabins are now gone but the central hall is still there and used as an event space by the town. The property is now a public park and is kept tidy. However, even after all these years, it's still called "The Bund Camp" under hushed tones when talking about the property. I should add that these guys were investigated as the possible reason for the Hercules Powder Company explosion that killed 51 and injured well over 200 on September 12, 1940.
Yay! I have lived in LA for the past 6 years and it is awesome to see Mark make a video about the city I live in. Thank you, sir! Looks like I’ll be going on a hike this weekend!
Was just in LA a few days ago and witnessed homeless encampments all over the place. I think Mark Felton just gave many of them another place to go live!
There's a book about 1960s pop music called 'Weird Scenes Inside The Canyon' that goes into the Murphy ranch, and the history of the whole Laurel Canyon scene. There was a secret military film studio called the Lookout Mt. Lab nearby, Charlie Manson's family had a place near the Murphy ranch. All the musicians that lived there in the sixties had parents that were either military intelligence officers, special forces officers, very, very old Establishment wealth, OSS/CIA/senior Mafioso. For example, Jim Morrison of The Doors who lived close by had a father who was the Admiral in command at Tonkin Gulf. Mark Felton could have a field day making multiple vidoes about that one small area.
As a pacific palisades native, Thanks for sharing this. Topanga state park is a beautiful area with lots of mysterious stories about cults/secret organizations hiding out close to the media’s cultural center in the US. There are tons of other mysteriously abandoned buildings in the park which deserve research and investigation. Thanks
What an amazing video proving that Old adage, that you can learn something new every day. I can’t help but wonder what legacy these people left behind, their children and their children’s children. These heinous ideologies don’t just fade away, unfortunately they are passed down and let to fester and seep to the mind.
I grew up in Brentwood, in Mandeville Canyon. I went horseback riding and on Brownie and Girl Scout treks in Rustic Canyon. My brothers and I had some friends who lived there as well. It was always kind of strange, shabby and unkempt. I didnt know about the bunker. Thank-you.
In some way it is worse, because that knowledge about how all that horror worked 90 years ago is freely available, and you see it imitated by the letter TODAY. Back then the methods were rather fresh, you had had monarchies before.
Some viewers may recall an early Seinfeld episode where Jerry and George mistakenly hop into a limo heading to Madison Square Garden for a far right rally. Coincidentally, one of the fake names they use is "Murphy". I wonder if this was where the original idea came from? Anyway thanks again for another great video Mark!
Keep 'em coming Mark - I just wish you'd do one on Hitler in the newsreels in the UK in WW2...could we actually see him in our local Odeon whilst the war was in progress?
It's particularly helpful and insightful to learn of the sometimes extreme political divides that existed in the "free world" prior to my entry. Lately I've had a tendency to feel like there are just too many events that might indicate an unprecedented shift in our national philosophy towards a darker, more sinister future. It really helps me, personally, to learn about the challenges and hurdles that we have faced in the not-so-distant past, and to realize that democracy is an endless process, and never a guaranteed outcome. Dr. Felton thanks for doing the heavy lifting and bringing concise accounting and clear presentions to those of us hoping to make sense of it all.
Many folks around the world were anti semitic back then. Also many folks around the world were bedazzled by the pretty pretty of the G.Nazi's, in the 30's. Happen not so many after the War had been fought, and the truism of their heroes was more fully made clear.
I wasn't interested in history at all when I was in high school. Now in middle age, I realise just how vital it is to have good knowledge of history so (as is often said by wise people), that we do not repeat mistakes of the past. Sadly, it looks like we have a very long way to go before we learn this.
Thanks for mentioning, so far you're the only one I've seen on this thread to even mention it! Absolutely fascinating and yet to me still a very underrated & even somewhat unknown series, but definitely one of my all time faves. I'll most certainly be checking that episode out. Thanks for sharing
Many have eventually and too late come to that conclusion, and many understood it already before and during the war. Since you're referring to an American general, you probably mean Patton.
Very interesting Dr Felton. I live about 50 miles from there. I had never realized the place existed. I feel that a part of it should be preserved for historical reasons
Thank you for this bit of local history. Grew up 10 miles from there, and have never heard of the Murphy Ranch. Hopefully the Paul Williams gate can be preserved as he is an important part of L.A.'s history.
I used to do a lot of hiking down there about 15 years ago. I can tell you that if you wander off trail and follow the creek you will find other structures lost in the overgrowth.
Absolutely fascinating!! I’m from the east coast of the US and am well aware of the German American Bund and the Madison Square Garden rally, as well as George Lincoln Rockwell and his compound in Arlington Virginia (good topic for a future video) but I was completely unaware of a west coast Nazi movement. Great research and reportage. Love this channel!!!
@@OompaL0ompa fascism has never been an international movement. It’s regional and parochial and suffers (thankfully) as such. It should be noted, however, that fascism is an action, not a political movement. As such, communist movements can, and have, taken on the character of fascism. America was founded along enlightenment values that cherished “natural law” forgotten today, but seriously challenged the precepts of hereditary rights and divine birthright. A much older beginning point of the great questioning of 18th century status quo. From there it begins. Karl Marx is late to the game. Both Communism and Facism are European perversions forced upon us where they inorganically never existed. The southern confederacy was soundly defeated and Marxism failed to sufficiently infiltrate American labor unions. The pathetic wokism of today is a flickering ember for a desire for international revolution. Not going to happen in the land of Jefferson, Adams, Madison, and Hamilton. And of course, Washington.
Hey Mark, this all happens to be in my neighborhood. Many noted Jewish names had escaped Nazi Germany to live in Pacific Palisades. You might wish to contact the Villa Aurora in Pacific Palisades, they can furnish more more material for your next companion video presentation.
My Grandpa (RIP) was, not entirely sure, but some sort of pilot during WW2 with possibly the Civil Air Patrol or a Guard unit who's job it was to spy on Nazi compounds in the woods in New Jersey. I always thought it sounded too incredible until I saw a documentary about it circa 2008. I have the propeller from a Airplane he supposedly built in the 20's or 30's. We also found an unregistered Kar-98 in his belongings, no idea how he got ahold of that.
I’m from Asheville and have some pretty close ties to WW2 (family came here in 1956 after serving in Germany) Never knew about the Silver Legion. I did know about this ranch in LA however.
I like how the story still had that unique Californian weirdness to it, a Nazi compound with a doomsday prophecy and a black architect. The L on their shirts may as well have also stood for Lines of coke. We need more WWII related stories like this coming out of California.
I'm now left wondering what happened to, not only the 50 people arrested at the ranch, but the 5000 or so members of the German sympathetic organizations in the United States in 1941 that were disbanded. By all rights, these people should have been interned for the duration of the war, just like Japanese Americans were. I don't know much of the details, but my paternal great grandfather was a German sympathizer living in the State of Texas before December 7, 1941. He flew a German flag in his yard that many in his community strongly objected too. As the story that I have been told by my father goes, a sheriff's deputy drove out to my great grandfather's ranch and demanded that he take down the German flag and a gun fight broke out. In the end, my great grandfather was alive and the deputy was dead. After the investigation was complete, my great grandfather was never charged with killing the deputy because the deputy had no legal business demanding that my great grandfather take the German flag in the first place as the US and Germany were not at war yet. I am now wondering if my great grand father was a member of these German/American organizations. Is there any on-line resources to search their memberships?
Mark, not so sure I would preserve all the structures there considering what it all stood for. I'd tear it all down and put a small memorial type of structure on it detailing what the place was and for what it stood for. Hopefully, all the local residents in LA and everywhere would learn what not to repeat.
Hah! We used to ride our mtn bikes down to this place quite often, back in the 1990s. Back then we weren't sure what it was. Didn't have paint all over it in those days of course. It was just a weird, concrete ruin. We might have heard the rumors later on though.
Just sent you an email. The LA story is the first of yours I’ve listened to. Also the first I’ve heard of it and I lived in LA county 30 years. Will listen to more.
Hey Dr. Felton, I’ve been a huge fan of your videos. I would really like to learn more about the end of the war in Europe, specifically when the Soviets were closing in on Berlin. Thanks!
I am an Angelino- I know there are WWII Bunkers around but I didn't believe that There would be pro-nazi bunkers- I also Had no idea that the Silver legion had a Base of operations there
That's hilarious I live literally 10 mins away and go to school like 5 mins away from there and yet in by nearly 2 decades of living in this area I've never heard of this bunker
I lived in Welch, West Virginia for two years. The house we bought had some unusual ornamentation. There were swastika tiles grouted into the fireplace. When I asked the realtor about it, he said that the man who built the house was a German immigrant who fought in WWI and had been an early admirer of Herr Hitler.
I live in an adjacent county, and I've been to Welch and much of McDowell County. I saw ruins of cabins from the late 1800s/early 1900s, but this surprises me even though I am well aware of the political leanings of many of the residents there. Thanks for sharing!
@@briancrawford8751 Hi Brian. The house was built in 1931, just before the Nazis came to power. Whoever did the interior work on the house must have been a master plasterer, as there was a lot of ornate lathe and plaster work, including a gold-painted, Romanesque bas-relief over the fireplace. The house is listed on Zillow (56 Grandview Street, Welch WV), but has very little information. I don't know that the swastikas were related to an organized group, such as the ones that Dr. Felton described in his video, so much as just an individual who admired the Nazi movement at that time. I think the original owner was a mortician, as parts of the attic ceiling were lined with wood that had been salvaged from crates used to ship coffins.
I find it amusing that people view West Virginia as anti-american, yet they separared from Virginia due to Slavery. Many of the same people that view WV negatively, are the same who were mad it left to oppose slavery. They struggle to see how identical their views are to ever oppressive regime throughout history.
I find it amusing that people view West Virginia as anti-american, yet they separared from Virginia due to Slavery. Many of the same people that view WV negatively, are the same who were mad it left to oppose slavery. They struggle to see how identical their views are to ever oppressive regime throughout history.
@@gokissasickmonkeyswetass Hi Jeb. I never found the people I met in McDowell county particularly anti-American. As I indicated to Brian above, I think this was a German immigrant who seemed to admire the Nazi movement in the early 1930s. I found that the people in McDowell County seemed to endure grinding poverty with surprising Grace. There was a certain amount of resentment against the mine companies.
Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s father Gustav was a Brownshirt I believe. Later took part in the siege of Leningrad before being wounded.
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OK, finally a Mark Felton video that I can contribute something to. I grew up in Woodland Hills, in the San Fernando Valley and a great deal of my misspent youth, and some of my early adulthood, was spent riding dirt bikes in the Santa Monica mountains. My buddy and I did a lot of exploring and one day, we stumbled into the ranch. This was in the early 80's and while riding off road was still illegal, it wasn't nearly as frowned upon as it would be now. Anyway, we wander into the ranch, and spent maybe an hour just checking it out. It was almost completely intact. No graffiti, no tire tracks, no footprints. Like they had just walked away. So 25 or so years later, my buddy sends me an email with a link, and that was when we learned the history of the ranch. We found it pre internet and way before it was a hip hiking and urban art destination.
Great story. That’s a beautiful location!
I've found abandoned sites here on Oahu since the '90s, and seen how they have progressively been found by taggers & vandals. These range from 19th century plantations to WWII era emplacements. There have been a few books published on urban exploration, authorized & otherwise.
That is a bummer it's completely destroyed. Vandals suck so much.
@@tomfrazier1103What did they grow on the plantations? Sugar cane? Plantations would be fascinating, if you could find some historic photos.
Your misspent youth sounds like it was a lot of fun to me!
As a Los Angeles local, I thank you Dr. Felton for bringing light upon this largely unknown yet amazing local story to many more people 🫡
@@TheDogGoesWoof69 Jfc, get lost wehraboo
LA is a hell hole. I live north of LA county and I stay away from that crime ridden pile of disease needles at all costs.
@@TheDogGoesWoof69 I'm hoping you're playing the part of my hero Don Rickles just really really well at the moment and not actually meaning such !
You should also look at a few other YT channel's, Oddity Odysseys, and California Through My Lens, on this subject.
Same!!!
Been to this place many times as a kid. Thought it was just a cool abandoned building didn’t learn the reality until much later.
Mr. Mike my grandpa Harold Johnson has the gum 1939 it was black the white gun was more of his commemorative 7.65mm Walther PP ,Wings of Honor WW2 Wings oF Honor MUSEUM the one he shot his self with as well as A Silver Nazis Crown 👑 that Hitler wore during the 2 would war Kathrine Ponder is one of the few WW2 vets we have in our community from Pearl Harbor, we have Douglas Macarthur authentic pictures we got 2 BT-13 one is in A Hanger my Grandpa bought he is Order of DEADALIN Gold metal from Skyjacking Southern Airways flight 49, November 10th, 1972!!
WOW. I've lived less than 16 miles from this place my entire life, and I've long been a WW2 history buff. I've NEVER heard of this before your video. Thank you so much Dr. Felton for making this video!
they dont want you to know about any of this ..fast forward to today and ask yourself whose running your country?
@@WillyEckaslike People with a grudge against grafitti evidently 🙄
In *all* seriousness I like it, the place would be drab dump without it.
@@WillyEckaslike Always a mysterious "they". You're going to have to be more specific.
@@WillyEckaslike let's not start with the politics, please
@@julienvalley28 politics is a sham...theres only one party and thats the moneyed elites
I have hiked here and can attest to it’s spookiness.
5:24 The 20,000 gal diesel fuel tank is not far from this spot and has a hole big enough to climb into it. And makes for an incredible echo chamber.
5:33 Something we were told was a ‘meat locker’ is below this building and is almost totally filled with 70-odd years of debris. 7:49
7:32 these gardens smelled like urinals. Likely due to them being used as such by countless vandals
I was also told by a person who works for the city of LA who took me there that they were tasked with keeping it ‘safely clean’ but not open for visitors and hiking. And I believe you can be trespassed if caught - so keep that in mind, potential explorers.
Eh, it's California. You'll probably get told to leave at the worst.
Good looking out!!
@@Charles_Anthony Only if you're on drugs or a criminal though.
I grew up near Asheville in the 1960s and 1970s and I never heard mention of The Silver Legion. Thanks Mark for enlightening me.
I’ve never heard of them either but am aware of the other aspects of this video. Mark always has something up his sleeve of WW2 knowledge. They were like the American Legion but evil. Lol
I grew up in Asheville ....first heard about the silver shirts early 90's ...the guy operated out of one of the older buildings in Biltmore ...Building is still there in the town squire next to Railroad tracks ....
I was born and raised in New Jersey and was familiar with the history of the German American Bund, which operated a 200 acre resort in Andover, New Jersey called 'Camp Nordland'. I like to think I'm knowledge about European and US history but holy crap! Dr. Felton knocked another one out of the park. This is the first time I've heard of the California Reich.
SIR," Thank You".
There was a documentary about them also called the California Reich.
People used to think Mark Felton could run out of videos to make, now we know this will never be the case!
If he starts to ... there's lots of wars for him to cover.
has anyone told you to run for office?... you look like a true leader
Ok there Putin Uke Boy, No Using Hitler's Photo for anything unless it's a Mel Brooks Version from "To Be Or Not To Be"......... Then you can continue on with "Seme Putin's" Propaganda !
Top sycophant *
Have we met before? You look familiar
Rainy days are better spent at home listening to Dr. Feltons channel.
Mark makes my Fridays much more enjoyable !
@stevenhershman2660 that is true my friend!!
I grew up and still live in LA. And after 60 years this is the first I’ve ever heard of this place. Not surprising really as LA is HUGE! It just goes on and on. An endless expanse in every direction. It truly is impossible to explore every corner. Especially the hilly mountainous areas.
its actually in Brentwood.
@@SidewaysBurnoutsexactly, Brentwood LA
Same here, never knew of this place at all. And @sidewayz LA is considered to be everything in its county and sometimes beyond.
Another great video, very informative and well narrated as always
You could at least watch the video before commenting.
I've hiked there a couple times, years ago, when it wasn't well known. I'd looked up it's Nazi mythology and it was still rather hard to piece exactly how true it was, but this video cleared it up nicely.
Thank you, Dr. Felton, for unearthing this historical find. I have only heard about the Silver Legion, but for you to find pictures along with the information of the LA bunker is extraordinary.
Thanks Mark, for another great video. I saw you recently on a documentary the other day. It's good to know you are ubiquitous as your content is always entertaining and spot-on!
Mark never disappoints with the topics
Love seeing local lore. I've heard of this place many times by friends who jog/hike near the area, and of times when the place wasn't known as it is now and used as a local hangout spot.
In Asheville N.C.??!! Really??!!! That's mind-blowing. I live only an hour away from there and had absolutely no idea that there had been a Ntl. Soc. enclave hatched there. Incredible! Thanks for the amazing history lessons that you provide Dr. Felton.
Probably one in every city. Like today. I mean, political groups in general.
I to live a hour from there an never knew
Something never taught in school
@@ruobe1 You're right, they don't. They didn't teach about the "German American Bund" run by Fritz Khun either, but that info did at least become mainstream in the early 90's thanks to "The History Channel" on television.
The silver shirts weren't a national socialist organization at all
I've been in there many many times as hiking and mtn biking trails drop down to Murphy ranch. I was aware of most of it's history, although you filled in some details and photos I haven't seen before. One note - the actor & humorist Will Rogers owned the property at the end of the canyon and ran cattle in the mtns to the west. Another man, Josepho, owned the property to the north, in the same canyon - he was said to despise the nazis and took to carrying a revolver in his truck in case of any issues with his distasteful neighbors.
Nein!
I've been to Camp Josepho, a Boy Scout camp in the canyon. Now I know where it got it's name. Thanx.
To be fair lots of people do t like their neighbors and packing heat is common
@Tom Henry - sure, but when they wear Nazi brownshirt uniforms and march around doing Hitler salutes, it probably has a little more urgency. Good thing the FBI rolled the nazi neighbors up the day after Pearl Harbor! Josepho, who'd made his fortune back East by designing and selling those "Fortune-Teller" arcade machines with the animatronic people inside - he bought the land in L.A with his fortune and upon his death, gifted the land to the Boy Scouts who still have it as a camp today
@@DaveSCameron Nein was?
Very interesting, Mark. Previously, I've viewed a video tour of the site on the Los Angeles based Oddity Odysseys RUclips channel. Each of the two videos complements the other and both are well worth watching.
Can you do a video on the WWII bases in San Pedro Ca. I visited the Korean peace bell and was more in awe of the close bunker system more than anything else.
Another great and informative video. Dr. Felton never ceases to amaze me. We'll done.
Only heard rumors about this for years & years..now I know. Great work once again, Mark.
Thank you Mark Felton. I love your channel. This location is a little over an hour away from where I grew up and currently live. I never knew about it but had an idea something like it existed. I am saddened by all the graffiti, from sites like this to everything. History, like it or not is all around us. We should preserve and restore it, regardless of personal feelings, so that we can learn from it. Hiding it doesn’t make it go away.
Fully agreed. Witnessing countless different sites, statues, monuments, graves/mausoleums & headstones, plaques, signs and not to mention God only knows how many vast sums of books, films, wide varieties of artworks and even (perhaps especially) digital and/or online articles, pictures, videos, comment threads & forums, and all sorts of other documents have been scrubbed, removed, vandalized, edited/changed or often rewritten and/or otherwise destroyed, and nowadays only increasingly more often happening all over the country, in nearly every part of the country... For me, as a profoundly passionate & dedicated lifelong history buff, to put it very simply & mildly, it downright disgusts me and is infuriating to no end. I grew up being taught & always remembering the saying: those who forget about or fail to learn history, are damned to repeat it. And most of the figures I was taught by came from the older generations... often those who fought in Vietnam & Operations Desert Storm & Desert Shield; however several others (whom I was very, VERY fortunate to have learned from) were from the even older, tougher, wiser (Greatest) generations, who had taught the generation who taught me; the very same people who had defeated the Nazis & Imperial Japanese, and (to me) were the very reason & still very much the living embodiment of how & why the Allies won the Second World War. They were very much aware of just how important it is to never forget where we all came from, and to do as much as possible to share & pass down as much knowledge & experience to the younger generations, so that they could maybe learn from it, and perhaps even avoid repeating the same mistakes yet again
I have been there many times. Much of it is gone. There is another structure, the remains of a greenhouse? Maybe. It is a destination for locals and tourists alike.
Are you talking about the other site just a little way up canyon from this bunker? Might even be visible from the bunker. We used to ride our mtn bike around there back in the early '90s. Back then that other site was the ruin of a 2-story structure, still had the second story on it. Had a basketball court right in front. I remember the hoops, and a small bicycle, maybe a BMX bike that someone had shoved through one of the hoops. That bldg was really weird. Seemed to be made largely of corrugated sheet metal on the outside. But there was a lot of broken glass around it too, which we thought was odd. Maybe it was some kind of greenhouse. The building's purpose was a source of much speculation to us. My cousin, who lives in LA had since told me that particular building was "gone now".
@@SDwriter.and.surfer I believe we are talking about the same second structure. I was there in the early 90s as well. Was a strange place to be sure!
Every time I think everything has been learned you manage to turn another stone. Well done. It's pretty jarring how wide spread these sorts of ideas really were only less than a century ago. Massive, rapid change since then.
Let's hoe it's not just hibernating. Hard to tell with the recent back to front claims of a current AgGrEsSoR.
I literally step out of business meeting to listen to Dr Felton any time he has a new video!
Dr Felton is a world treasure!
It's important to preserve this to remind people that Nazism was not only a German phenomenon.
Just amazed how you always find those interresting stories.
In the late '80s I was in Boy Scouts and worked one summer as a staffer at a day camp for Cub Scouts at Camp Josepho. During our off time, we all would roam through the canyons exploring and generally goof off. On a solo hike one evening I came upon these ruins down the canyon. I didn't find out until years later it was Murphy Ranch. I told my dad about the place and the caretaker at Josepho raised all kinds of hell, told me to stay out of that place and not to tell anyone else about it. He was mum as to why but was really angry at me.
"Nazis in LA" sounds even more fictitious than "Nazis on the Moon"
Why? Nazis staged mass marches in New York.
Henry Ford was a major supporter.
Lmfao 😂 4th reich coming straight outa Compton
Never heard of the Aryan Brotherhood?
There are more Nazis in USA than in Germany today
We’re here
Very much real and growing lol
Mark Felton needs his own show on the History Channel
Why ruin a good thing?
He’s have to change to Bigfoot and ufos
What an old way of thinking. The history channel is a mess.
He narrates a certain WW2 program on the military heroes channel which name I can’t recall
Yes, I was there before the graffiti. Was a campmaster at the Boy Scout camp further up the canyon. The walk through there gives a good impression of what LA looked like so many years ago.
Powell s Boy Scouts, eh.....
Pon which was styled the Hitler Yoth. 💦
Born and raised in a LA suburb and had no idea this existed. Thanks Dr. Felton!
One thing most of us don't usually consider is that this wasn't ridiculous for the politics of any western country in the 1930s.
Domestic opposition in the 1930s even compared FDR to Hitler because of his New Deal policies which we're seeing as resembling similar policies in Nazi, Germany.
In both countries, government programs were touted as a necessary alternative to socialism.. or in the case of Germany, bolshevism.
Before anyone loses their mind, of course, this policy comparison is only valid in certain areas.
And then there was the Business Plot exposed by Maj. Gen. Smedley Butler, USMC. It's telling that no one was particularly interested even as he testified in Congress.
Authoritarianism is bad period. You can't replace one with another because the outcome is the same. I would rather have a socialist goverment with working democracy than capitalist nationalism
I never knew Los Angeles had this peculiar history thank you Doctor Felton, next time I pass through Los Angeles I'll take a detour to check it out
Good video Dr. Besides the Silver shirts in Asheville NC there was a nazi compound to the west of Asheville in Jackson County NC. It even had (and still does) a smaller replica of Hitler's 'Eagle's Nest' house built on a mountain side overlooking the Tuckaseigee River. I understand that the property was owned by the Woolworth family.
So yes, lots of interesting things politically going on on both the national socialism and internationale socialism sides in the U.S. during the 1930s.
Interesting. Nearly got to visit the real Eagle's Nest, but my girlfriend wasn't interested and won the debate. So i only saw it from the distance. Should have just gone there alone in hindsight. Stunningly beautiful location. I heard Hitler didn't much care for the place and only visited it a few times at most. How about that?
SIR--" Thank You".
Wasn’t it torn down?
@@thEannoyingE I haven't been up there in several years (10?). I would have to drive up there and see.
@@morningstar9233 from what I've studied over the years, regarding Hitler & the (actual) original Eagle's Nest, this was true... And if I recall correctly, it was initially designed & built for Der Führer by Albert Speer, although it was actually gifted from Martin Börmann, as one of countless attempts that he (along with the rest of those who were a part of "Hitler's Inner Circle") were endlessly fighting over one another to please Hitler. And yet, despite all of these countless favors, gifts & extravagant efforts presented to AH by those wanting to please him, the Eagles Nest was a classic example of how said efforts nearly always turned out, as indeed it's also true that Hitler only ended up visiting/using it once, MAYBE twice!
Side note fun fact: unlike nearly almost all Third Reich & Nazi-era structures, relics, monuments, symbols, etc (particularly regarding use of the swastika) that were destroyed or otherwise thoroughly removed in post-war Germany, as well as the vast majority of any of the territory that, at one time fell under the auspices of the Third Reich, the Kellsteinhaus (which is the actual name given to the Eagle's Nest mountaintop tea house) is one of the extremely rare, incredibly small handful of structures leftover from the era, that has survived up to today, and what's even more unique is the fact that, besides the removal of all the swastikas, it is otherwise nearly perfectly intact, as well as almost entirely authentic to that original time period!!
Gotta love those FBI agents. Everyone of them is posing with their fingers on the triggers of the firearms. Most of them had their muzzles pointed at the guy next to them. So much for gun safety. 8:12
They’re complete and total morons. They couldn’t survive in the private sector.
Hoover was famous for manipulating the media, maybe they were deliberately going for a gunslinger look for the pictures
@@scottabc72 Oh, I'm sure he did to appeal to the public's imagination. Also notice he timed it for just after Pearl Harbor when people were afraid of enemy agents and says.
Think those were the guards in side the compound
Just moved back to LA after 20 years in Chicago. Gonna check this out. Thanks
"I hate Illinois Nazis!"
- Jake Blues 😜🤣
Another great video, Mark. As a lifelong L.A. resident who is 59 years old… I’ve been up there many times… We used to go up there in the 70s & 80s to get high, trip on psychedelics & throw parties. That was always a perfect place for overnight generator parties, raves and the like. It’s mind blowing to know how close Nazis & fascism were to the people in Los Angeles. Lastly… I recently read a book by Steven J Ross called “Hitler In Los Angeles” which really explained a lot about things I used to wonder about… Like why in the past there were so many hofbrau restaurants here in LA. Anyway… Thanks for always having incredibly interesting videos. They always make me look into the subjects of the videos even more. ✌🏽
Why were there so many hofbrau restaurants in LA? My brother worked for the family of one; Hoppe's Old Heidelberg Hofbrau in one of those LA towns like Van Nuys, or Anaheim
@@drdr76 because of the heavy German influence in the city. And it was within those communities where to local Silver Legion & German Bund groups were able to hide amongst. There there used to be a park close to the border between the cities of Glendale & La Crescenta called “Hindenberg Park” (named after the German president) where the German-American Bund used to hold Nazi rallies in the 1930s. Check out the book I mentioned in my main post “Hitler In Los Angeles” by Steven J Ross. It tell a lot about the history of the Nazis in the LA./ Southern California area.
As a SoCal native, I am very intrigued by the mention of this book. Thank you for telling me about it!
Speaking of hofbrau huts in the LA area longtime German restaurant, supermarket, and Ocktoberfest location Alpine Village in Torrance is shutting its doors after 50 years.
Dr Felton, a piece on William Dudley Pelley would be great!
At 4:47 you show a picture of the stables at Will Rogers state historic park, that is NOT murphy’s ranch, I just don’t want people to confuse the beautiful stables at Will Rogers SHP with the Nazi compound at murphy’s ranch. I used to lead tours of the stables and the historic main house at Will Rogers SHP, there was talk about tearing down Murphy’s ranch years ago but I guess it never happened.
I was a Ranger there for about 17 years. The photo of "terraced" gardens shown in the video actually shows the area near the stables at adjacent Will Rogers SHP. There was staff in residence at the canyon until the fire of '78. There was always graffiti but social media made it worse by an order of magnitude. The state didn't want to add it as a park because of the liability for toxics and demolition of dangerous structures, and the county neglects it (it's actually a county park basically surrounded by state park property.
I met the surviving Stevens family about 10 years ago. They were children at the time of the ranch, but claimed the Nazi thing was bogus, perhaps the result of confusion with another site in the canyon. I believe they were doomsday cultists ("preppers"...?), led not by the mysterious Herr Schmidt, but by a man named Anderson who held sway over Winona Stevens. Norman Stevens worked as an engineer for Douglas in Santa Monica, and won an award for work done on the Dauntless dive bomber.
I'd like to see some sources listed, because most of the stories (FBI raids, Nazis, etc.) were pretty much debunked. The ruins are completely overgrown and largely destroyed by mudslides, fires, etc..
If you explore the canyon, get an early start. It's not a long hike, but it's very rough, and the trails are not well marked.
I'm not making excuses for fascism but the list of people and organizations that sympathized with the nazis prior to 1939 are long. Canada's longest serving Mackenzie King was a nazi sympathizer and an anti semite. As preppers the stevens family might have found some things in common with the silver shirts but might not have shared all their beliefs.
It sounds like they ran with a bad crowd, that said some people aren't inherently evil but instead fall in with bad people. Being under Hoover's surveillance in and of itself isn't proof of guilt.
Unfortunately he never lists sources. I enjoy his videos but always take them with a pinch of salt for this reason. It is interesting to see in the comments just how many people take it all as complete verified fact, just because it's a well presented video on RUclips. It sheds light on how easy myths can take root and how misinformation abounds in what is generally termed the age of information.
Dr Felton must do these videos in his sleep and always so well researched.
3:31 “L” also stands for “Lunatic.”
Thank you for your informative videos mr. Felton
I randomly hiked through this compound during one of my work visits to LA in 2018! Got lost when my phone lost reception. Never realised the history of the place. The stairs nearly killed me in the 38-degree heat.
Wow! I'm a native Southern Californian and I never heard such a thing. Amazing!
You ever notice that in certain cities in Southern California there are swastikas decorating the lamps? About a month a go I went to a used book store in Whittier, I bent down to tie my shoe and I noticed a ring of swastikas on the street lamp. Blew my mind. Found out they were there before any of this Nazi stuff. Also found out that several cities have the same lamp decoration.
@@skutchwashere Nazis don't own the swastika.
Lmao the Silver Legion having an L on their shirts, is some high level comedy
A very forgotten (and rightfully so) history of beautiful Sussex County, New Jersey, is the fact that right before WWII there was an American Bund camp in Andover. The camp was raided after the US declared war and was raided by the NJSP as well as deputized American Legion members. The old cabins are now gone but the central hall is still there and used as an event space by the town. The property is now a public park and is kept tidy. However, even after all these years, it's still called "The Bund Camp" under hushed tones when talking about the property.
I should add that these guys were investigated as the possible reason for the Hercules Powder Company explosion that killed 51 and injured well over 200 on September 12, 1940.
Yay! I have lived in LA for the past 6 years and it is awesome to see Mark make a video about the city I live in. Thank you, sir! Looks like I’ll be going on a hike this weekend!
Man how does Mark Felton put out so much videos?
Another great nugget on WWII history and this time close enough to visit! Thank you Dr Felton!
Was just in LA a few days ago and witnessed homeless encampments all over the place. I think Mark Felton just gave many of them another place to go live!
Maybe fighting Hitler was a mistake
Had to laugh at the photos of the guys with the big "L" on the shirts, reminded me of Laverne on "Laverne & Shirley".
There's a book about 1960s pop music called 'Weird Scenes Inside The Canyon' that goes into the Murphy ranch, and the history of the whole Laurel Canyon scene. There was a secret military film studio called the Lookout Mt. Lab nearby, Charlie Manson's family had a place near the Murphy ranch. All the musicians that lived there in the sixties had parents that were either military intelligence officers, special forces officers, very, very old Establishment wealth, OSS/CIA/senior Mafioso. For example, Jim Morrison of The Doors who lived close by had a father who was the Admiral in command at Tonkin Gulf. Mark Felton could have a field day making multiple vidoes about that one small area.
As a pacific palisades native, Thanks for sharing this. Topanga state park is a beautiful area with lots of mysterious stories about cults/secret organizations hiding out close to the media’s cultural center in the US. There are tons of other mysteriously abandoned buildings in the park which deserve research and investigation. Thanks
Nice to see that! I live in Granada hills which it isn’t too far!
What an amazing video proving that Old adage, that you can learn something new every day. I can’t help but wonder what legacy these people left behind, their children and their children’s children. These heinous ideologies don’t just fade away, unfortunately they are passed down and let to fester and seep to the mind.
I grew up in Brentwood, in Mandeville Canyon. I went horseback riding and on Brownie and Girl Scout treks in Rustic Canyon. My brothers and I had some friends who lived there as well. It was always kind of strange, shabby and unkempt. I didnt know about the bunker. Thank-you.
The more I see of reports like this the more I don't think our time is as crazy and atypical as it appears to be at first glance. Thanks as always.
In some way it is worse, because that knowledge about how all that horror worked 90 years ago is freely available, and you see it imitated by the letter TODAY.
Back then the methods were rather fresh, you had had monarchies before.
@@feedingravens That's a really depressing thought, but you're right.
Some viewers may recall an early Seinfeld episode where Jerry and George mistakenly hop into a limo heading to Madison Square Garden for a far right rally. Coincidentally, one of the fake names they use is "Murphy". I wonder if this was where the original idea came from? Anyway thanks again for another great video Mark!
I literally saw that episode the other day lmaoo. The other fake name they used was "O'Brian"
thank you for your work Dr Felton!
Keep 'em coming Mark - I just wish you'd do one on Hitler in the newsreels in the UK in WW2...could we actually see him in our local Odeon whilst the war was in progress?
Liverpool, tho some years before..... 💦
I have heard of LA, and I have heard of Nazi bunkers, but I have never heard of Nazi bunkers in LA. Great video Mr. Mark 👍
It's particularly helpful and insightful to learn of the sometimes extreme political divides that existed in the "free world" prior to my entry. Lately I've had a tendency to feel like there are just too many events that might indicate an unprecedented shift in our national philosophy towards a darker, more sinister future. It really helps me, personally, to learn about the challenges and hurdles that we have faced in the not-so-distant past, and to realize that democracy is an endless process, and never a guaranteed outcome. Dr. Felton thanks for doing the heavy lifting and bringing concise accounting and clear presentions to those of us hoping to make sense of it all.
Many folks around the world were anti semitic back then.
Also many folks around the world were bedazzled by the pretty pretty of the G.Nazi's, in the 30's.
Happen not so many after the War had been fought, and the truism of their heroes was more fully made clear.
I wasn't interested in history at all when I was in high school. Now in middle age, I realise just how vital it is to have good knowledge of history so (as is often said by wise people), that we do not repeat mistakes of the past. Sadly, it looks like we have a very long way to go before we learn this.
Mark Felton's intro never gets old.
Mysteries of the Abandoned also featured the Rustic Canyon Compound in a recent episode. Great content as usual, Dr. Felton.
Thanks for mentioning, so far you're the only one I've seen on this thread to even mention it! Absolutely fascinating and yet to me still a very underrated & even somewhat unknown series, but definitely one of my all time faves. I'll most certainly be checking that episode out. Thanks for sharing
A guy once said, We fought the wrong enemy... Can't remember who that was, but he was a true American patriot, and General in WW2.
Many have eventually and too late come to that conclusion, and many understood it already before and during the war. Since you're referring to an American general, you probably mean Patton.
Thank you Dr. Felton for posting this video. It's fascinsting to see the local connections with World War II, especially in such surprising ways.
Very interesting Dr Felton. I live about 50 miles from there. I had never realized the place existed. I feel that a part of it should be preserved for historical reasons
Burn it down.
I just love this channel. Thank you for always dig something out that i didn't knew.
Ironically, greetings and love from Germany! :)
Thank you for this bit of local history. Grew up 10 miles from there, and have never heard of the Murphy Ranch. Hopefully the Paul Williams gate can be preserved as he is an important part of L.A.'s history.
This is very interesting - and, another well-done video.
I used to do a lot of hiking down there about 15 years ago. I can tell you that if you wander off trail and follow the creek you will find other structures lost in the overgrowth.
another amazing documentary Dr. Felton!
' Did somebody order fried Saurkraut ' ~ Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Thank you Sir. Another great segment.
Absolutely fascinating!! I’m from the east coast of the US and am well aware of the German American Bund and the Madison Square Garden rally, as well as George Lincoln Rockwell and his compound in Arlington Virginia (good topic for a future video) but I was completely unaware of a west coast Nazi movement. Great research and reportage. Love this channel!!!
Do Americans hate communists more than fascists?to this day?
@@OompaL0ompa fascism has never been an international movement. It’s regional and parochial and suffers (thankfully) as such. It should be noted, however, that fascism is an action, not a political movement. As such, communist movements can, and have, taken on the character of fascism. America was founded along enlightenment values that cherished “natural law” forgotten today, but seriously challenged the precepts of hereditary rights and divine birthright. A much older beginning point of the great questioning of 18th century status quo. From there it begins. Karl Marx is late to the game. Both Communism and Facism are European perversions forced upon us where they inorganically never existed. The southern confederacy was soundly defeated and Marxism failed to sufficiently infiltrate American labor unions. The pathetic wokism of today is a flickering ember for a desire for international revolution. Not going to happen in the land of Jefferson, Adams, Madison, and Hamilton. And of course, Washington.
Hey Mark, this all happens to be in my neighborhood. Many noted Jewish names had escaped Nazi Germany to live in Pacific Palisades. You might wish to contact the Villa Aurora in Pacific Palisades, they can furnish more more material for your next companion video presentation.
Leave it to Felton
to bring us the hidden gems of History!
My Grandpa (RIP) was, not entirely sure, but some sort of pilot during WW2 with possibly the Civil Air Patrol or a Guard unit who's job it was to spy on Nazi compounds in the woods in New Jersey. I always thought it sounded too incredible until I saw a documentary about it circa 2008. I have the propeller from a Airplane he supposedly built in the 20's or 30's. We also found an unregistered Kar-98 in his belongings, no idea how he got ahold of that.
So what's the issue with the K-98 Mauser?? Btw, a common military bolt action rifle.
Even in the most anti gun states the k98 should be fine.
I’m from Asheville and have some pretty close ties to WW2 (family came here in 1956 after serving in Germany) Never knew about the Silver Legion. I did know about this ranch in LA however.
I like how the story still had that unique Californian weirdness to it, a Nazi compound with a doomsday prophecy and a black architect. The L on their shirts may as well have also stood for Lines of coke. We need more WWII related stories like this coming out of California.
Absolutely fascinating, Dr. Felton. Thank you.
I'm now left wondering what happened to, not only the 50 people arrested at the ranch, but the 5000 or so members of the German sympathetic organizations in the United States in 1941 that were disbanded. By all rights, these people should have been interned for the duration of the war, just like Japanese Americans were.
I don't know much of the details, but my paternal great grandfather was a German sympathizer living in the State of Texas before December 7, 1941. He flew a German flag in his yard that many in his community strongly objected too. As the story that I have been told by my father goes, a sheriff's deputy drove out to my great grandfather's ranch and demanded that he take down the German flag and a gun fight broke out. In the end, my great grandfather was alive and the deputy was dead. After the investigation was complete, my great grandfather was never charged with killing the deputy because the deputy had no legal business demanding that my great grandfather take the German flag in the first place as the US and Germany were not at war yet. I am now wondering if my great grand father was a member of these German/American organizations. Is there any on-line resources to search their memberships?
Wow, that is quite a story! 😯😯
Your Great Grandfather is a legend, he knew then what most are too afraid to admit now
If that actually ever happened...
Greetings from LosAngelesCAUSA
great piece well put! Always
Thanks for sharing!
Ironically the only graffiti collage without a swastika
The L.A. City Council should hold their meetings there.
Best channel on youtube! Thanks for all the amazing content !
Reminds me a bit of that old abandoned Zoo that the Zed gang used as a hideout in Police Academy 2 :)
Mark, not so sure I would preserve all the structures there considering what it all stood for. I'd tear it all down and put a small memorial type of structure on it detailing what the place was and for what it stood for. Hopefully, all the local residents in LA and everywhere would learn what not to repeat.
Nazi rally in the Madison Square Garden... Wow... Imagine that! This channel never ceases to amaze me. Thank you for this Dr Felton!
Hah! We used to ride our mtn bikes down to this place quite often, back in the 1990s. Back then we weren't sure what it was. Didn't have paint all over it in those days of course. It was just a weird, concrete ruin. We might have heard the rumors later on though.
Just sent you an email. The LA story is the first of yours I’ve listened to. Also the first I’ve heard of it and I lived in LA county 30 years. Will listen to more.
I grew up in Rustic Canyon and went to this place many times on hikes!
Hey Dr. Felton,
I’ve been a huge fan of your videos. I would really like to learn more about the end of the war in Europe, specifically when the Soviets were closing in on Berlin. Thanks!
I am an Angelino- I know there are WWII Bunkers around but I didn't believe that There would be pro-nazi bunkers- I also Had no idea that the Silver legion had a Base of operations there
I've never heard of this manufacturer before . . . Great vid
That's hilarious I live literally 10 mins away and go to school like 5 mins away from there and yet in by nearly 2 decades of living in this area I've never heard of this bunker
I lived in Welch, West Virginia for two years. The house we bought had some unusual ornamentation. There were swastika tiles grouted into the fireplace. When I asked the realtor about it, he said that the man who built the house was a German immigrant who fought in WWI and had been an early admirer of Herr Hitler.
I live in an adjacent county, and I've been to Welch and much of McDowell County. I saw ruins of cabins from the late 1800s/early 1900s, but this surprises me even though I am well aware of the political leanings of many of the residents there. Thanks for sharing!
@@briancrawford8751 Hi Brian. The house was built in 1931, just before the Nazis came to power. Whoever did the interior work on the house must have been a master plasterer, as there was a lot of ornate lathe and plaster work, including a gold-painted, Romanesque bas-relief over the fireplace. The house is listed on Zillow (56 Grandview Street, Welch WV), but has very little information. I don't know that the swastikas were related to an organized group, such as the ones that Dr. Felton described in his video, so much as just an individual who admired the Nazi movement at that time. I think the original owner was a mortician, as parts of the attic ceiling were lined with wood that had been salvaged from crates used to ship coffins.
I find it amusing that people view West Virginia as anti-american, yet they separared from Virginia due to Slavery. Many of the same people that view WV negatively, are the same who were mad it left to oppose slavery. They struggle to see how identical their views are to ever oppressive regime throughout history.
I find it amusing that people view West Virginia as anti-american, yet they separared from Virginia due to Slavery. Many of the same people that view WV negatively, are the same who were mad it left to oppose slavery. They struggle to see how identical their views are to ever oppressive regime throughout history.
@@gokissasickmonkeyswetass Hi Jeb. I never found the people I met in McDowell county particularly anti-American. As I indicated to Brian above, I think this was a German immigrant who seemed to admire the Nazi movement in the early 1930s. I found that the people in McDowell County seemed to endure grinding poverty with surprising Grace. There was a certain amount of resentment against the mine companies.
Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s father Gustav was a Brownshirt I believe.
Later took part in the siege of Leningrad before being wounded.