HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF THE UPPER MOJAVE DESERT

Vol. 21 No. 1 January 2006
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JANUARY PROGRAM: BICKEL CAMP, CHARLIE HATTENDORF

The January meeting of the Society will feature Charlie Hattendorf speaking on Walt Bickel and Bickel's mining camp in the El Paso mountains. Charlie will also host a Society-sponsored tour of Bickel Camp on the following Friday. (See the article below.) The meeting will take place on Tuesday, January 17 at 7:30 PM at the Maturango Museum.

Walt Bickel mined for gold in Last Chance Canyon from 1934 until 1987. Looking like a desert prospector straight out of central casting, Walt and his camp became legendary for his hospitality and the wide variety of useful stuff he had collected. The "useful stuff" might look like a junk pile to the untutored eye, but Walt was able to find items within it he could use to fashion and repair his mining equipment. Even when desert travelers stopped by his camp needing car repairs, there was often a little something in his collection that could be used to get them going again. But visitors, whether needing car repairs or not, were always welcome at Bickel's camp. He had visitors from all walks of life, including his fellow miners, field-tripping fourth grade classes and Boy Scout troops, and archeologists and search-and-rescue teams. Some of these visitors became lifelong friends of Walt's, and helped save Bickel camp in 1987 when the BLM briefly threatened to raze it to return the area to its wild state. Eventually, an agreement was worked out to preserve Bickel camp, with a new group called "Friends of Bickel Camp" caretaking the camp and preserving it for public visitation.

At the HSUMD meeting, Charlie Hattendorf will bring us up to date on Bickel's camp and discuss what needs to be done to continue its preservation. First catching "gold fever" as a fourth grader panning for gold at Knott's Berry Farm, Charlie today is involved in the "Friends of Bickel Camp," helping to save the last remaining depression-era mining camp in the El Pasos. Following the presentation on Tuesday, on Friday January 20, Charlie will lead a tour of Bickel Camp. Reservations are required for this tour, but no charge will be made. More details and a reservation sheet will be available at the meeting, at the Maturango Museum afterwards, or by calling Jim Kenney at 371-2458.

The HSUMD meets on the third Tuesday of the month. All are welcome to attend. The February meeting will feature Margaret Brush speaking on George Pipkin and Wildrose Station. For more information on these or future meetings, call Society President Bill Nevins at 375-4764. Andrew Sound

TOUR OF BICKEL CAMP

The tour of Bickel Camp will start by assembling at the Maturango Museum parking lot by 8:30 a.m., Friday January 20. (If you plan on meeting someone else there and riding with them, please park your car in the outer (dirt) parking lot.) Please make no-cost reservations earlier at the Maturango Museum, at our meeting Tuesday night or by calling Jim Kenney. If you need more information, please call Jim Kenney at 371-2458.

CHRISTMAS PARTY THANKS

A number of people contributed to the success of our Christmas party. Marcia Nevins and Jerry Mumford did the organizing and table decorations, Jenny Miller provided us with one of her unusual games and musical entertainment was provided by Bud Sewell. Setup was done by a number of volunteers and then, of course, there was all those wonderful desserts provided by the attending members! Thank you, one and all!

In the latest development concerning the USO Building project, the Society recently signed a Disposition and Development Agreement (DDA) with the City of Ridgecrest. The DDA turns the title of the former USO/County Building over to the Society, providing we find the funding and refurbish it to serve as a History and Cultural Center. This agreement is necessary for us to make a grant application to the California Cultural and History Endowment, as we plan to use the value of the building as a major part of the matching funds in the grant. The next step in the process is to finish the actual grant application by the January 31 deadline. John DiPol and Bill Nevins, working with other Society members, have this well in hand and anticipate no problems in completing the application on time.
Andrew Sound

MYSTERY PHOTO

We hit pay dirt on getting the identity of all three young women featured in the "Mystery Photo" in our December 2005 issue! Pat Burke has identified them as Sonia Bubar, Monica Young and Sarah Cashore. Thanks, Pat.

ANNUAL DUES DUE

As has been noted in the past several newsletters, membership dues are now payable. For those of you who have not sent in your renewals, there is a renewal form elsewhere in this newsletter. Please tear it out and send it in with your check to our treasurer, Fred Weals. Dues cover the cost of operating the Society, which includes the cost of the newsletter and its postage, membership in several history-related state organizations, rent (nominal) and utilities for our offices, etc.

HISTORICAL ARTICLE

(Following is an article prepared by our great local historian member, John Di Pol, drawn from his library of history books. Ed).

SKIDOO

SKID - WHO? Well, if it wasn't for a couple of "incidents" this Death Valley mining camp would not have gotten as much press as many of its neighbors: Panamint City, Ballarat, Bullfrog/Rhyolite, etc. Why so? One reason might be because it was pure vanilla, i.e. no scandal, no fraud, not spectacular, but a steady payer. The original discovery was made in 1906 by two experienced mining men, who sold out to Bob Montgomery of Bullfrog fame for $60,000. He purchased other claims as well, to a total of 23. Montgomery rapidly commenced development: driving shafts and tunnels and bringing in a large mill. By this time the rush was on from Harrisburg, Rhyolite and other Death Valley Camps. But, Skidoo was a dry camp. Water from Emigrant Spring, 13 miles distant, was brought in by wagon in barrels. However, the mill was a thirsty machine. To solve this, Montgomery boldly laid an 8 inch steel pipeline from Birch Spring 23 miles distant on Telescope Peak at a cost of $250,000. Now plenty of water for the mill and for miners and citizens to drink (and bathe!).
The site of Skidoo is reached via the Wildrose Canyon - Emigrant Pass road, then east past Harrisburg Site, then north for 10 miles to the base of Tucki Mountain. (Check your Death Valley maps. Best call the N. P. Service at Death Valley for current road conditions. Usually OK for high clearance cars.)

The richest ore was dug out in the first year, but the mines continued to produce at a lower rate for the next decade. In 1917 production was very low and the pipeline was sold for scrap to support the World War 1 effort. After that sporadic work was done on a lease basis. Depending which historian is read, the total production varied from $3M to $6M (that is gross revenue, not net.)

Well, what about the two "incidents" that put Skidoo on the map? The first is the name: SKIDOO. How did it come about? A popular phrase at the time was "23 Skidoo", meaning "beat it", or "get lost". So take your pick: a. Montgomery had 23 claims. b. The pipeline was 23 miles long. c. At a town hall meeting to select a name, an inebriated miner hollered out "23 Skidoo!". The crowd unanimously accepted, but the postal authorities would not let a number be part of the post office's name, so the town had to accept the simple "Skidoo." Any others??

The second is a bit gruesome, so the sensibilities of some of our readers may be offended, so beware; but they are all facts taken from our references. On a Sunday in April, 1908, Joe "Hootch" Simpson, a saloon owner, was short of cash. He entered the mercantile store of Jim Arnold, which also housed a bank, pulled a gun and told the teller "give me $20". He was overpowered by bystanders and Arnold, gun taken away, was put under the guard of a partner and friend. But Hootch stewed over his "mistreatment", recovered his gun, went back to the store and shot and killed Jim Arnold. This time Hooch was put in a guardhouse. The town was in an uproar since Arnold was very popular. The inquest was held Monday, the verdict of the jury was "killed by gunshot wound, inflicted by Joe Simpson."
On Wednesday night, an armed group overpowered the sheriff and took Hootch. The lynching took place that night - the body was discovered the next morning hanging from a telegraph pole. Inquest was held later in the day, the verdict being "He died by strangulation by persons unknown." Hootch was buried, not in the cemetery, but in a ravine at the edge of town. By telegraph and otherwise, the news of the murder and lynching reach the cities of Reno, Los Angeles, etc. Reporters were dispatched. Travel conditions were such that Hootch was in the ground two days before they arrived.

Well, the reporters, having come a long distance, were not to be denied. By cajoling and with plenty of whiskey, Hootch's body was dug up and a second hanging staged. The classic photos show Hootch at the end of a rope, his hands tied, head lolling to one side, in a tent out of consideration for the women and children in town. After the reporters had all their pictures Hootch was not buried this time, but thrown into an old mine shaft.

Dr. R. E. MacDonald, formerly of Randsburg, but now practicing in Skidoo, had been treating Hootch for a mysterious brain disease and wanted to do an autopsy on the skull to see if the disease had an effect on the bone structure. So, one night, he lowered himself into the mine shaft and beheaded the corpse, brought the head to the surface and allegedly boiled it for three days to remove the flesh. Eventually the skull came into the possession of Dr. Homer Evans who came to Trona in 1914 as the first medical director for the borax company. The skull was kept in Dr. Evans' office on Panamint Street for many years. When he left Trona, the skull was passed on to others. Might anyone know of its whereabouts today?

Ref: PETE AUGUEREBERRY, Death Valley Prospector - Gold Miner, George Pipkin, 1971
DEATH VALLEY & THE AMARGOSA, R. E. Lingenfelter, 1986