Sculpture in the old west is the focus of the Old Trapper’s Lodge in Woodland Hills. This is a folk art environment that was created by the artist John Ehn. His creations were built over thirty years. The characters in his sculptures were based on Ehn’s family and his personal mythology. His Boot Hill Cemetery is based on his favorite stories and folk songs. The statues feature busts of deceased characters and their tombstones contain epitaphs.
John Ehn, a former trapper who grew up in Michigan, moved to Southern California in the early 1940s. He was a real life mountain man and a tall tale spinner. He worked for the State for twenty years. He died at the age of 84 in 1981. He was partially disabled, but still had a passion for Old West history. He created goggle-eyed statues of California pioneers. During his last thirty years of life, he created several sculptures based on his family. He displayed them in his motel, which he named The Old Trapper’s Lodge.
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Several of Ehn’s sculptures were relocated to Pierce College in Woodland Hills. He created these statues as a memorial for his family. The College acquired most of the art that was originally on display at the motel. The College agreed to maintain these sculptures and to display them in Alvin Cleveland Park. However, in 1988, the College quietly moved the art and did not announce this to the public. This move violated the agreement that was in place when the College bought the art.
The statues were threatened with demolition. In response, the Ehn family agreed to place the sculptures on long term loan. They also asked the California State Historical Resources Commission to help them navigate this difficult situation. The Commission agreed to help, but did not agree to move the art to a location that was more appropriate for the art.
The State of California designated the Old Trapper’s Lodge as a California State Historical Landmark in 1985. It is an important historical site because it was created by a real person and represents a culturally important part of American history. Several members of the artist’s family have visited the site, including Ehn’s great-granddaughter. The family has been a part of the community and has had a strong interest in the history of the site.
SPACES (Saving and Preserving Arts and Cultural Environments) has nominated ten California folk art environments as landmarks. SPACES has worked with the Ehn family to place smaller sculptures in museums and has worked to move large sculptures to a single location to reinstall them. It is the mission of SPACES to preserve the cultural heritage of California. This website provides information on the history of the lodge, the current state of the artwork, and a free webinar on the issue. It also includes a short film by Damian Sullivan that features Ehn’s family on their first visit to the site since the desecration of the Boot Hill Cemetery section.
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