On May 18, 1973, Hollywood actor, bootlegger and Sand Canyon businessman Ace Cain died at the age of 69 in Saugus after living one of the most colorful lives in Santa Clarita Valley history.

By the time of his death, Cain had already built a reputation that stretched from Prohibition-era bootlegging to Hollywood nightlife and eventually to operating the infamous Rocky Springs Country Club in Sand Canyon.

Born Asa “Ace” Cain, the towering 6-foot-5 entrepreneur briefly appeared in films during the 1930s before turning his attention to business ventures in Southern California.

In 1955, Cain officially incorporated Rocky Springs Country Club, an “adult resort” tucked away on 24 acres near the corner of Sand Canyon Road and Sultus Street southeast of Santa Clarita.

Nestled on 24 acres at the corner of Sand Canyon Road and Sultus Street, the “adult resort” featured a clubhouse (technically a three-bedroom home) with a bar, a pool hall, and private cabanas. Cain stocked trout ponds under the guise of creating an outdoor retreat, but as the club grew in popularity, few visitors came for the fishing.

By mid-1955, Cain had pulled permits to build a heated swimming pool, offering $10 annual family memberships advertising warm water, picnic and playgrounds – as well as a 2,976-square-foot, two-story clubhouse with live entertainment shows and “very friendly” women.

Cain, ever the businessman, ingratiated himself with the local community, serving as president of the Mint Canyon Lions Club and leading fundraising efforts for the Mint Canyon Community Building, later the Elks Lodge.

The club’s run came to an unofficial end in January 1969 when flooding struck the area, washing out bridges in Canyon Country and Saugus and killing one person.

In 1971, Cain leased the property to VFW Post 6885. The VFW remained in the hall for another two decades before relocating in 1993 by order of the Santa Clarita City Council after a dispute with the Sand Canyon Homeowners Association.

Cain died four years later on May 18, 1973, in Saugus at age 69.

Today, the main building that housed the Rocky Springs Country Club survives as a private residence in Sand Canyon.

To read yesterday’s Today in SCV History, click here.

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