HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF THE UPPER MOJAVE DESERT

VOL. 14 NO.2

February 16, 1999

LEARN ABOUT THE RAND MINING DISTRICT

This month we will have the privilege of hearing from Bart Parker, one of our members who specializes in the history of the Rand Mining District. If you went on our field trip to the Rand District a couple of years ago, you probably remember Bart's illuminating remarks at the old Rand Cemetery.

Come to the meeting to hear more!

Bart will talk about the history of Randsburg's business district from 1895 to 1925, with anecdotes about the first merchants, the merchants who remained the longest and the effects of the major fires that destroyed large parts of the business district three different times. The influence of the Yellow Aster Mining and Milling Co. on the town's business will be another of his topics.

Bart is the author of "Bakeries, Bordellos and Bars. An Early History of the Rand Mining District Merchants As Told Through Its Tokens, Tags, and Spoons." He will bring copies of his book to sell at the meeting. In addition, the book is available at the Maturango Museum, Randsburg General Store and the art galleries in Randsburg, Johannesburg and Red Mountain. Most of the antique and gift shops in Randsburg also stock the book.

The meeting will be held on Tuesday evening, Feb. 16, 7:30 p.m., in the Sylvia Winslow Gallery of the Maturango Museum. As usual, refreshments will be served. Liz Babcock.

WE WANT YOUR FAMILY HISTORY!

Have you documented your family history? The Historical Society is interested in getting copies of all histories of families that have lived in this area. We would like to obtain copies of anything written or taped - oral histories, manuscripts, books - as well as photographic documentation. By working together to collect the rich history of the Upper Mojave Desert, we can save a treasure trove for future generations!

DIGITS TO DIGITAL

We are in the process of installing a new exhibit - "From Digits to Digital"-in both vestibule cases in the Maturango Museum. Many members have come forward with photos and artifacts.

NEW MEMBERS

We welcome new members Mike Patterson and Jody Stewart of the Cerro Gordo Mine.

WHERE IS THE SOCIETY HEADING?

Your Board of Directors has scheduled a special Director's planning meeting that should have occurred prior to your receiving this newsletter. From that meeting, and perhaps another, we hope to outline your society's thrust for several years. We anticipate presenting our approach in the next or following newsletter and will be soliciting member comment.

The Nominating Committee comprised of Charlotte Paulson, chair, Bill Ward and Joan Woodman, has been activated. They will be seeking nominees this year to fill five board positions. The board positions are for a two-year period. Board members meet monthly at 1 p.m. on the first Wednesday, except for July and August. The four officer and the five director assignments are decided jointly by the newly elected and the carry-over board members.

The Nominating Committee hopes to complete the task in March so that the nominee slate can appear in the April and May newsletters.

Please consider getting more involved in carrying out our mission of "Education, Preservation and Presentation for public benefit."

We are making progress in acquiring Desert magazines and still need to fill in the early and late years. Duplicates are desirable as they can sometimes be traded for missing issues. Last month we acquired 53 issues in a trade with the Searles Valley Historical Society.

The Fifth Annual Death Valley Conference on History and Pre-History will be held March 4-7 at Stovepipe Wells. Two of our members are giving presentations. Mark Pahuta, will show his wonderful video "Visions in Stone: Rock Art of the Coso Range" on Friday evening March 5 at 7:30 p.m.. Joan Brooks, author of "The Desert Padre" has a thirty minute talk titled "Padre of Death Valley" scheduled for Saturday, March 6 at 10:30 a.m. Attendance is limited. Information can be obtained from Jean Johnson, Conference Secretary at (760)387-2720.

Lou Pracchia

DUES

A reminder that dues are now due and payable for the 1999 year. They are $l0.00 per family. You can bring them to our next meeting (see elsewhere in this newsletter or mail them to our treasurer, Fred Weals, 551 E. Dana, Ridgecrest, CA 93555).

SAND CANYON ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAM (SEEP)

Spring is coming and that means Sand Canyon resounding to the excited voices of Valley fifth graders following the trail through history and learning about the natural world at five other stations.

Our Society's contribution to SEEP, by providing the history walk, has been well received by accompanying adults, as well as by the students. It is three dimensional learning involving most of the senses. The history walk's success as an educational experience has owed a great deal to the presence and active participation of Hank Schuette and Lois Carr. This year the students will first "meet" them and Litha Mattis and Bob Ramsey when viewing our video Sand Canyon Station in the classroom. With that added preparation the educational value of their trip to Sand Canyon will be even greater.

Dates of the field trips are March 5 and 19, April 28 and 30, May 10, 14 and 21.

Volunteers are needed to help guide the fifth graders through our portion of the program, the history walk. If you can help please contact Charlotte Goodson, our coordinator, at 375-6449. She would be most appreciative of your help.

We are considering a mini-field trip to the Canyon to introduce our members and others to the history walk. Such an outing would include that old,but still-fashionable pleasure of a stream side picnic. The date is yet to be determined. If you are interested, please contact Charlotte.

HELP! HELP!

After our Christmas program, three pie servers went astray. Would those of you who brought food to the party that evening, please take a look in your flatware drawer and if you have any new pie servers give Charlotte Goodson a call, 375-6449, so she can get them back to the rightful owner. Thank you.

FATHER CROWLEY EXHIBIT

At the request of the Knights of Columbus we will hold over our Father Crowley exhibit in the north gallery of the Maturango Museum until after their commemoration of the 50th anniversary of his death later this spring. If you have not yet taken the opportunity to see our exhibit, now is the time to do so before we replace it with another exhibit.

BEANS, BACON AND SPUDS

With this issue we conclude the serialized story, through letters, of George Enos entitled, Beans, Bacon and Spuds." They are letters which he wrote as a young man to his mother after he left home to seek his way in the world. They were written over a period of roughly three years. This correspondence was sent to the Society's Board Member and Director of History and Collections, Dot Gould, by native Californian, Elinor Monjar, of Reno, Nevada, who is related to Mr. Enos. (The spelling and punctuation are as used in the original letters. Ed. )

No other letters remain from George, but there are a few from his mother and sister, Dotha:

Los Angeles

July l9,1900

"Dear Geo.

I was surprised today to receive a few lines from you from a new place. I will write you a little immediately for fear that if I wait you will have flitted to a new place. Dotha has got the Criniger School 10 months at $65 a month. Has bought herself a bicycle and intends on boarding at home. They wanted her again at Belleview--in fact--elected her. She has got that school for Jane Knight. I am still making plans to get off for Wisconsin about the 1st of August. Write soon & often.

Mother

On August 3rd, 1900, Mary writes a long letter telling George of a bad fall his grandmother had taken early one morning, when the old lady is badly shaken and bruised. Maw postpones a planned trip to Wisconsin for a few days, but finally buys her tickets to leave on the 6th of August.

Perhaps she is worried about the trip and her mother's condition, for she proceeds to write rather gloomy news of people's deaths, sickness and accidents, including one in which George's brother-in-law Warren Wing:

"....was on duty at an engine house last night and was called out to a big fire.. .got badly burned and was lucky to escape with his life. Es stayed here with us last night.

I hope you will take care of yourself & keep well.

You must write to Dotha now I am away she must do your business here now

. .. Your mother, Mary B. Enos

Mary's next letter is from Prairie du Chien, written August 15, 1900, in which she expresses her gladness at receiving a letter from him, and describes the long, tiring trip to Wisconsin by railroad with some good and some bad accommodations and schedules along the way. She is visiting her brother Jerome.

"Jerome met us with an easy carriage. The last day was hot & all those changes with sick Gram who could not walk alone & all our hand baggage was very tiring. However. I managed it & came out triumphant.

Gram has been no worse for her journey & I don't know but that she is better than when we left home.

We have had several thunder showers which has been bad for her rheumatism. It is much warmer too than we are used to. Sunday we all went to dinner to a neighbor's elegant old stone mansion. Monday, Jerome, Mary and I went for a ride in Jerome's gasoline yacht around an 8 mile long island created by two channels of the Mississippi River. Jerome's house faces the west & the Mississippi & the view is unobstructed. The river out front is dotted with clammers. They are fishing for clams for the pearls.

I hope you will get over your cold all right. Gram has worried a good deal about you... I suppose Dotha has got home from the beach by this time. She was going for a week with Ray and his mother.

I do not realize that I am in Wisconsin, as this is a strange place to me."

Your Mother, M. Enos

1124 King St.. Los Angeles

Aug. 17, 1900

"Dear Brother,

I found your letter here when I came home from Santa Monica where I've been spending a week. Ma & Grandma reached Prairie du Chien safe and sound last Friday.

I suppose you know that Uncle Truman (Enos) is dead. Pa wants your address that he may write to you and give you some good advice. I am going to write to him and send your address today, so you will probably hear from him ere too long. Well your letter was short and sweet and mine shall be likewise also.

Are you going to be home in Sept. or October? I want you to dig a new 'slop hole' so that I can have a new sink and pipes put in.

Yours with love, Dotha

One must presume that George never received the "good advice" from his Pa, nor dug a new 'slop hole' for his sister Dotha, for when he arrived in Los Angeles the end of August, his bad cold had gone into pneumonia. He was beginning to recover, but suddenly died of typhoid fever on September 6, 1900 at age 23 years and 7 months. His sisters Dotha and Esther sadly accompanied George's body on its final journey to Winneconne, Wis., where his grieving mother and grandmother awaited. He was buried September 14 in the local cemetery near his grandfather George Stone Barnum.