HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF THE UPPER MOJAVE DESERT

VOL. 13. NO. l ; JANUARY 20, 1998

JANUARY PROGRAM - PAT FARRIS

This month's Historical Society meeting will feature a talk by News Review Publisher Patricia Farris on "Ridgecrest - Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow."

Pat will tell us stories about the Indian Wells Valley before the Navy came here in November 1943, as well as about the boomtown experience after the Navy's arrival. She'll also touch on her beliefs about the Ridgecrest of today and tomorrow.

The meeting will be at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 20, at the Sylvia Winslow Gallery of the Maturango Museum. As always, the public is invited and refreshments will be served.

Our speaker first came to the Indian Wells Valley at the age of 11, staying until her graduation from Burroughs High School in the Class of '47. She went on to college at Southwest Baptist University, Bolivar, Missouri, where she met Fred Farris, a young Baptist minister. The following year the two were married.

After serving several churches in Missouri, Fred Farris was called to a church in San Diego. Other assignments all over the country followed. In 1969, when the Farrises were living in Florida, Pat said, "We decided to come to Ridgecrest and visit my folks, Cletus and Edith Tharp. By that time Fred had retired from the active pastorate. After we got here, we liked it so well, we decided to stay."

Beginning with business interests in Inyokern - a service station, a garage and a restaurant - the family supported John Coe's efforts to start a newspaper in Inyokern. In 1981 Pat bought controlling interest in what was then called the Inyokern News Review. The newspaper moved to Ridgecrest in 1985.

In recent years Pat has specialized in finding a need in the community, then coordinating a solution. The most recent example of this proactivity is the Ridgecrest Balloon Festival, for which she has been prime mover and president.

She also spearheaded the Burroughs High School 50th Anniversary celebration and the Randsburg Centennial.

A member of Rotary International, Pat is on the boards of the Maturango Museum and United Way of the Indian Wells Valley. A charter member of the Ridgecrest Regional Hospital Foundation board, she helped form the first American Heart Association chapter here.

Pat and Fred Farris have four children, 30 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, all residing in the Indian Wells Valley.

Liz Babcock

REVIEWING 1997 EVENTS

Reflecting on how the HSUMD has faired during 1997, I believe it isapparent we have been very successful in fulfilling the projects that were undertaken. Most visible of the projects was that of providing the Maturango Museum with those two beautiful display cases in their entryway.

Another accomplishment was participating in the Sand Canyon Environmental Education Program (SEEP) where we provided hundreds of students with first-hand and historical accounts of people living in that place.

As most of you may know, we have a standing agreement with the Museum to provide a display in the north gallery and in the vestibule. Also, in cooperation with the Museum's Gallery Committee, we have access to the Sylvia Winslow Gallery for the summer months on an every-other-year basis. This past July and August "Post Offices of the High Desert" was our selected theme. We received many nice compliments about the manner in which the contents of the display were featured.

Our ten general meetings this past year, except for December Christmas Party, featured speakers with very interesting topics. This was evidenced by the number of people attending. Two very popular meetings were the Annual Dinner in May, and the December Christmas Party.

Our Cookie and Conversation booth was once again a hit with those attending the Maturango Junction. Cookie and drink sales provided a needed boost to our finances.

Unless things* change, we need your ideas on what kind of fund raising effort should be undertaken to replace our traditional cookie sale at the Maturango Junction in 1998. As you know, the nice profit we get from the sale of cookies is obtained only through the generosity of members making and donating these delicious items.

*The County Health Inspector advised us during the 1997 event that no longer could we have "home-made" cookies offered for sale to the public at this event.

For now your Board of Directors is anticipating changing the wonderful vestibule display of "Nutcrackers" to another interesting topic within several weeks. The new display title will be announced when plans are finalized.

The plaque listing those whose generous donations made the vestibule display become a reality, is in the process of design and hopefully will appear within the next month or so. An interim listing should be in place shortly. It's not too late to make a minimum donation of $40.00 to join this select group. (See related article on the next page.)

Speakers for the monthly meetings have been arranged through February. Planning ahead for more than two months has not been very successful in the past. There is a proposed person for March that remains to be confirmed.

Indian Wells Valley Days are to be held February 21 and 22 at Inyokern Park. Our participation consists of having our porch and a sales booth. Additionally, we will man a field trip to some of the local (IWV) historic places.

Our mailing list has now reached the minimum requirement to obtain a non-profit mail rate. A few details need to be resolved before we can take advantage of this Post Office program. It appears that using this program will not provide much in the way of financial savings until 1999. Once the program is in operation, it is critical that membership must be increased to assure compliance with the postal rules.

Have a great 1998. Lou Pracchia

FEBRUARY SPEAKER- Hank Schutte

Hank Schuette will be our February speaker. Since his slide-illustrated talk immediately precedes Inyokern's Indian Wells Valley Days celebration, Hank will include a discussion about the Death Valley 49'ers route out of Death Valley and through the Indian Wells Valley.

NEW MEMBER

The Society takes pleasure in welcoming new member Janice McCalester and looks forward to working with her in her areas of interest.:

CORRESPONDENCE

Dear Folks,

Thank you for the life membership to the Historical Society. It is a very thoughtful and precious gift.

(s) Charlotte (Braitman) (dated 12/25/97)

DISPLAY CASE DONORS

According to our records, the following have contributed to the oak display cabinets now installed in the vestibule of the Maturango Museum. Because of the length of time over which these contributions were made, we are publishing the list to verify that we have everyone's name on it before we have a plaque made. If there are corrections or additions to be made, please immediately contact Lou Pracchia, President, or Bruce Wertenberger, Secretary (phone numbers on back page of the newsletter). It's not too late to donate and get your name on the permanent plaque!!

Our present list of donors is: Elizabeth Babcock, Gary Babcock, Katy Bell, Carroll Evans, John and Mary Hall, Don Harris, Don and Joan McKernan, Dick Moe, George Pomeroy, Lou and Gerry Pracchia, John and Roberta Ward, Fred and Helen Weals, Bruce Wertenberger, and the WACOM Thrift Shop.

DUES DUE

Our membership year is the calendar year, therefore dues for 1998 are now due and payable. Please send your $10 annual dues to Fred Weals, HSUMD Treasurer, 551 E. Dana, Ridgecrest, CA 93555. Our dues pay for the printing and mailing of 10 newsletters per year, cost of some acquisitions and the cost of mounting exhibits in our three display areas in the Maturango Museum. Our treasurer will appreciate your prompt response.

THANKS ALL AROUND

We came to the Christmas Party in hopes of a good time. And that, it seemed, everyone had! So many people contributed to the success of the evening, not the least of whom were everyone who brought delicious food to the festal board.

Helping to get the party's "infrastructure" in place were Carroll Evans, Bruce Wertenberger, Harold Platzek, and Lou Pracchia. Refining touches were energetically supplied by Eileen Dietz, Joan Woodman, Barbara Hall, and Mary Lee McBride. Many thanks for great ideas and the table decorations go to Edna Laytart, who unfortunately couldn't be there to receive them in person. Thanks are due, also, to Dan and Brenda Burnett and Dick and Kathy Moe's Craft Factory for the prizes on each table. The lucky winners were especially appreciative, as were those who won the eight end-of-the party door prizes! The latter were kindly donated by the Maturango Museum and the following local businesses: The Mayfair Flower Shop, Eagle Mountain, The Old Yellow House, Classy Cookie Connection, Lou's Hallmark Shop and the Balloon Festival Committee at the News Review. They would all, I'm sure, appreciate a mention of thanks when any of us stop in.

The highlights of the evening, without a doubt, were Winter Tales told by Gladys Merrick and the singing of Holiday songs led wonderfully by Dan Peterson. The sound of fifty voices enthusiastically raised in song was joyous in the experience and will surely be warmly recalled long into the future..In those oft spoken words of party hosts, "We're very glad you came and please come again!"

Charlotte Goodson