History of Living Free Animal Sanctuary, Mountain Center CA.

1. History of
The Land
Living Free Animal Sanctuary

2. For thousands of years, our site was home to the
Cahuilla Indians, who left behind substantial
archeologically significant evidence of their presence
in the petroglyphs and grinding stones in the area.
(The petroglyph image to the left denotes water.)
We have taken steps to protect the Cahuilla legacy,
and to live in harmony with the natural world
surrounding us.
Summer Home of
the Cahuilla Indians

4. In the 1880s the land was annexed by the
United States Government, and later sold as
homesteads.
In the early 1900s, John Keen (Keen Camp
Summit) bought the property and developed it
into a camp. Eventually his family built a resort
known as Tahquitz Lodge.
Tahquitz Lodge

7. In the 1920s the Tahquitz Lodge and mountains and
meadows surrounding it were used as a shooting
location for filmmaking pioneers, who shot many
westerns on and around the property. Mary Pickford,
Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, John Wayne, Elvis Presley
and Katharine Hepburn filmed here, among others.
The ruins of the lodge can be seen in the center of
the property which has been renamed “Court of
Friends”, and a prop chimney built for a film shot in
the 1920s can be seen in Johnson Meadow.
Movie Location

9. Camp Tahquitz
Meadows
In 1944, the lodge was purchased by the Pasadena YWCA to be a Summer Camp.

10. YWCA Camp
Until the Camp Tahquitz Meadows was sold in
1980, the property was used every summer
for camping and recreational activities for
young girls.
Mountain Center and the surrounding area of
Idyllwild continues to be a popular place for
summer vacations and exploring.

11. In 1980, our founder Emily Jo Beard visited the area
for the first time, purchased the land and donated it
to the cause.
Living Free is one of the first privately funded, no-
kill sanctuaries where animals would be safely
housed without being caged.
Living Free
Established in 1980

12. Early Days at
Living Free
Emily, 3rd from the left of the people
standing, put our mission of the
sanctuary into perspective, "Foremost is
our conviction that the animals have the
right to live, and in having this "right", it
follows that their lives should be free
from fear, abuse, and starvation."

14. Living Free Animal Sanctuary began with ten dogs,
five cats and Emily. She added the kennels, catteries
and other support buildings to carry on the vision “to
provide refuge and to bless our fellow creatures. If
homes cannot be found for them, they will live out
their lives in dignity and peace at Living Free.”
Emily passed at the age of 66, but her vision lives on
at Living Free through the many who share her
passion and through the thousands of animals saved
through her legacy.
Providing Refuge

16. Living Free consists of 155 acres of pine forest and mountain meadows. The property is located
125 miles from Los Angeles, 50 miles from Palm Springs and 5 miles south of Idyllwild in the San
Jacinto Mountains in Riverside County, CA. The property slopes west to east with the low point
at 4,450 ft and its the high point at 4,900 ft. The property is rectangular in shape with its length a
little more than a mile and its width a little less than a quarter mile.

17. Living Free
Today
We continue to rescue, rehabilitate and
find homes for dogs and cats whose time
has run out at nearby shelters. We are
now home to War Horse Creek, an
immersive reintegration training program
using wild mustangs to assist veterans in
their transition from military to civilian
life.