Chester Conklin (1886 – 1971) was an early circus clown and vaudeville actor, appearing in over 280 films. He gained fame through his roles in the Keystone Cops movies.
It was this movie series that originally brought him to the Antelope Valley when one of the untitled Keystone Cops movies was filmed at Red Rock Canyon between 1912 and 1914. He would eventually own a turkey ranch in the area, off of the old Mojave-Randsburg road. His property was later purchased by California City developer Nathaniel Mendelsohn.
Chester is shown here at the far right.
"Gurba, Norma H. Legendary Locals of the Antelope Valley. Arcadia, 2013.
Photo courtesy of MOAH Collections"
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