My husband, Mel Courson, started building the first motel ever built in the Antelope Valley during September of 1941. At that time Palmdale had a population of 300 and the town consisted only of the drug store owned by Bill Baker, the post office, a filling station, and the Joshua Athletic Club with the slogan "You're A-Stranger Only Once". The main activity of the area was alfalfa and due to the lack of people and the remoteness in general everyone thought Mel was crazy to start a Motel business.

    To compound the situation the War started in December, 1941 and when the motel was completed in January it appeared all the more ridiculous that the motel would ever make it. However Mel's enthusiasm for the area began to prove out when some of the movie producers used the area for Laurel and Hardy movies as well as various westerns. Roy Rogers kept his horse Trigger at our stables. John Wayne and Jean Arthur stayed at the motel during a picture being shot near Palmdale and as the War activity increased our most celebrated patron was Howard Hughes. Cornelius Vanderbilt stayed with us one weekend and Huey Long Jr. was married at E1 Rancho Courson.

    Mel helped bring the first bank (Bank of America) to Palmdale and he convinced Lockheed to come to the area. With his great enthusiasm, "things" began to happen and later he was elected Palmdale's first "Mayor."

    One of the most vivid recollections was the incident involving the man who built the fence around the ranch, a hunchback named Oscar Newquist, who picked up with a lady of the evening for sometime, Later when he became ill and felt that he was going to die he ordered that doves fly around his grave at his funeral. During his very last days he called in all of his friends that he wanted to be pall bearers and gave them each a bottle of whiskey and at his funeral they had the doves fly around during the ceremony.

    With the addition of the restaurant we had people driving out all the way from Los Angeles to dine because we raised our own beef, chickens, pigs, etc., and had real butter which was practically unheard of during those war years.

    The war years were trying and most difficult for millions of Americans but our association with the servicemen and their wives (from nearby Muroc Air Base now known as Edwards Air Force Base), the movie people, the business executives, and people from all walks of life who left their imprint at the ranch during those hectic and exciting years leaves memories that are unforgettable to all of us who remember the hey days of E1 Rancho Courson.