Lone Pine in Inyo County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

The Duke and the Dow

Photographed by Craig Baker, April 27, 2023

1. The Duke and the Dow Marker

Inscription.
The Dow Hotel was built in 1923 to accommodate the growing numbers of movie companies coming regularly to Lone Pine even then. The motel units were added in 1957. Those who stayed here over the years while filming in the Alabama Hills include Tom Mix and William Boyd (Hopalong Cassidy), Gene Autry and Roy Rogers and later, TV’s Clayton Moore and Gail Davis, among scores of others. Eddie Dean wrote songs here, Director William Witney planned shooting schedules here and when Republic Pictures came to Lone Pine to make its first western in 1935, the cast and crew (including John Wayne) stayed at the Dow. In August of 1978, motel room 20 was where Wayne stayed while working on what would be his last appearance on film, the Great Western TV commercial shot alongside Movie Road, 2.7 miles north of Whitney Portal Road.

Erected 1993 by The Lone Pine Film Festival and Festival Patrons.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment. A significant historical month for this entry is August 1978.

Location. 36° 36.241′ N, 118° 3.739′ W. Marker is in Lone Pine, California, in Inyo County. It is on Main Street (U.S. 395) just south of Post Street, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 310 S Main St, Lone Pine CA 93545, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in California’s Sierra Nevada.

It is also in the American Mountain West.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers.

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At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Lone Pine's 'Movie Man' (here, next to this marker); The Adobe Wall (about 800 feet away, measured in a direct line); Lone Pine Film Museum (approx. 0.2 miles away); Wedding of the Waters Pageant (approx. 0.3 miles away); Mt. Whitney Pack Trains (approx. half a mile away); Lone Pine Pioneer Cemetery (approx. 0.8 miles away); Fred French Family Oak (approx. 0.9 miles away); Disaster in 1872 (approx. one mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lone Pine.

Also see . . . History of the Dow Hotel and Dow Villa Motel. Originally the Hotel had 55 rooms and one apartment for the manager. The front porch gave a magnificent view of the Sierra with Mt. Whitney the central attraction. The Dow Hotel hosted countless producers, directors and stars. To name a few of the stars, John Wayne, William Boyd, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Pat Buttrum, Stewart Granger, Errol Flynn, Robert Mitchum and Clayton Moore. (Submitted on March 9, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Photographed by Craig Baker, April 27, 2023

2. The Duke and the Dow Marker

The marker is on the column at center.

The Dow Hotel image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 24, 2014

3. The Dow Hotel

Photographed by Craig Baker, April 27, 2023

4. Dow Hotel

Motel Room 20 image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Baker, April 27, 2023

5. Motel Room 20

Credits. This page was last revised on August 8, 2024. It was originally submitted on March 8, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,856 times since then and 165 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 12, 2023, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. 3. submitted on March 9, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 4, 5. submitted on May 12, 2023, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California.