Ducey's Bass Lake Lodge facts for kids
Ducey's Bass Lake Lodge is a famous old mountain lodge located by Bass Lake in California. It's a special place with a long history and beautiful views of the lake.
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History of Ducey's Bass Lake Lodge
The story of Ducey's Bass Lake Lodge began in 1941. A man named Buddy Freeman built a place called Freeman's Bass Lake Lodge. It was on the north side of Bass Lake, not far from the Pines Village. The lodge had a restaurant, a bar, and cabins that people could rent for their vacations.
In 1947, Buddy Freeman sold the lodge to new owners. Then, in 1950, Maurice and Marie Ducey bought it. They were the ones who made the lodge even more special!
What the Duceys Added
Under the Duceys' care, the lodge grew a lot. They added a general store and even campgrounds for people who wanted to camp. The Duceys also collected many interesting items. These included Native American artifacts, old guns, antiques (which are very old and valuable items), and taxidermy (stuffed animals). They also changed the name of the lodge to Ducey's Bass Lake Lodge.
New Owners and a Movie Star
The Duceys retired in 1968 and sold the lodge. Over the next few years, it had a couple more owners. Finally, in 1975, it became part of the Pines Resort.
Ducey's Bass Lake Lodge even appeared in a movie! It was featured in the film The Great Outdoors in 1987. The movie was filmed right there at Bass Lake. The movie makers even built a special vacation cabin set at Universal Studios that looked just like the real cabins at Ducey's.
The Fire of 1988
Sadly, on June 2, 1988, a fire started in the kitchen and destroyed the lodge. The building had many hidden spaces, which made it very hard for firefighters to put out the flames. After four hours, almost nothing was left except the stone chimneys and the porch.
Ducey's on the Lake: A New Beginning
Right after the fire, the Pines Resort decided to rebuild the lodge. They hired a local architect named Michael Karby to design a brand new lodge. This new lodge would be built along the lakeshore, about a mile east of where the old one stood.
Grand Opening of the New Lodge
The new Ducey's on the Lake opened its doors on Saturday, April 20, 1991. It was a big event! Members of the Western Mono tribe performed a special dance to celebrate the opening.
A lot of effort was put into replacing the special items that were lost in the fire. The original 12-foot Ducey's road sign, which survived the fire, now hangs in the lobby. You can also see donated hunting trophies and old photos of the resort from the 1900s.
