At the top of Lake Avenue in Altadena, stone gates mark the former Cobb Estate. Lumber executive Charles H. Cobb and his wife Carrie acquired part of Las Flores Ranch in 1916 and built a substantial home in the San Gabriel foothills. Carrie died in 1935 and Charles in 1939. The property changed hands, suffered neglect and vandalism, and the house was demolished by the late 1950s.
The surviving gates, paths, reservoir remains and wooded setting later became associated with a “Haunted Forest” legend. Visitors have described footsteps, voices, lights and unsettling sensations during night walks. Yet the Altadena Historical Society, while documenting the property’s history and rare photographs, explicitly states that as far as it knows there are no ghosts haunting the estate.
That makes Cobb Estate a useful ODDKNOWN case: the ruins and local legend are real cultural phenomena, while the haunting itself remains unverified. The contrast between popular reputation and historical documentation is part of the story, not something to hide.