HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF THE UPPER MOJAVE DESERT
Vol. 19 No. 6 June 2004
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NO MEETINGS IN JUNE, JULY OR
AUGUST
At a recent board meeting, the HSUMD board members decided not to have a general meeting in June. Since our bylaws state that we will not have meetings in July and August, our next general meeting will be on September 21, 2004. We hope all of you will have a good summer of rest, relaxation and travel.
REPORT ON OUR ANNUAL MEETING
The Society's Annual Dinner was held May 18 at Victoria's at the Heritage. The meeting was well attended, including guests representing nearby Historical Societies: "Lit" Brush and Sharon Hartley from the Searles Valley Historical Society, and Pam Raneri and Shirley Harrington, respectively the newly-elected and immediate past presidents of the Kern-Antelope Valley HS (based in Rosamond), along with their husbands. Also present and celebrating her 91st birthday was past board member Jenny Miller.
First order of business was the election of members of the Board of Directors for two-year terms. Four board members' terms expired this year: Kathy Armstrong, Ron Hise, Marcia Nevins, and Andrew Sound. The nominating committee (Dan Burnett, Mary Kus, and Katy Bell Pomeroy) had identified three candidates this year: Charlotte Paulsen, John DiPol, and Andrew Sound. No further nominations (nor volunteers!) were received from the floor, so the three candidates were unanimously elected and the new Board of Directors authorized to act as a committee to fill the vacancy. At a subsequent formation meeting held on June 1st, the new board selected officers for the coming year: Bruce Wertenberger returns as President, Andrew Sound will be Vice-President, Charlotte Paulsen Secretary, and Fred Weals Treasurer.
The next order of business was drawings for various door prizes. Charlotte Paulsen won a copy of the Society's new book on the history of Churches in the IWV, Jenny Miller won a copy of the SEEP DVD, Lou Pracchia won a $20 bill, and Donna Kenney won the 50/50 pot.
President Wertenberger then reviewed the Society's activities
over the past year. These included exhibits at the Maturango
Museum on the Korean War and the Centennial of Manned Flight,
Christmas in Rand Camp, field trips to the Boron Museum and the
Japanese-American Museum (upcoming), the publication of the
Society's sixth book on the History of Churches in the Indian
Wells Valley by Fred Weals, the transfer of the SEEP video onto
DVD, and Kathy Armstrong's project of identifying the people in
a large collection of old newspaper photos donated by the Fox
family (the source of the "Mystery Photos" that have
been appearing in the newsletter these last few months). In addition,
of course, we had a number of interesting presentations at our
monthly meetings.
Bruce also noted the recent passing of past board member Fred Kletka.
After dinner, it was time for the guest speaker, James Barnes,
an archaeologist with the BLM
who spoke on the topic of his Master's thesis, the history and
archaeology of the Reilly silver mine in the Panamint Valley.
His talk, well
illustrated with slides of the site, focused on the business aspects
of the mine. Although there are some extensive records of early
mining operations, especially ownership and claims, archaeology
is the most useful way to learn more detail about the day-to-day
aspects of their operations. The Reilly mine, although it was
worked for only about 24 months between 1882 and 1884, developed
a regular little settlement about it, including stone buildings,
a post office, and even a voting precinct. The workers often
built their own housing, which along with the rest of the site,
is relatively well-preserved today. The preservation and the
workers' "vernacular" architecture were among the reasons
the site has been listed on the National Register.
The Reilly mine was ultimately unsuccessful. The ore proved to be rich, but not much of it. Despite this, a large and well-engineered four-level stamp mill was built at the Reilly site. Some of the members present even commented on the very square corners on the remains of the mill's foundations. The mill was built before there was evidence that enough silver would ever be mined. In fact, the mill was reported to have cost $50,000, but only about $23,000 in silver was ever taken from the mine. Mr. Barnes speculates that part of the purpose of the mill was to promote an image of a prosperous and viable mining operation, in order to aid the sale of shares in the "Argus Range Silver Mining Company." This might be the sign of a 19th-century scam, but Barnes thinks not. Edward Reilly, developer of the mine and president of the ARSMCo., did not just fly away into the night after selling stock in the company. He visited the mine several times, attempting to lead it into profitability. In the end, though, the company collapsed amid a barrage of lawsuits by unpaid workers and suppliers.
Barnes mentioned that part of the appeal in his working at
the Reilly was that there was a lot of local interest in area
history, and he was able to get a lot of local volunteer help
in his efforts. He also donated a copy of his thesis to the Society,and
we in turn gave him an honorary membership in the Society.
Andrew Sound
WEB PAGE ACTIVITY
The number of "hits" on our web page has remained well above 100 per month for the past year, but dropped to 84 in May.
BUSINESS MEMBERS
Please patronize our business members: The News Review, BevLen Haus Bed and Breakfast , Jack & Dana Lyons, the Swap Sheet, Ridgecrest Moving & Storage, Farris' Diner & Italian Gardens, and Indian Wells Valley Insurance Co.
TRIP TO THE JAPANESE/AMERICAN MUSEUM IN LOS ANGELES
The bus trip to the Japanese/American Museum in Los Angeles was sponsored by the HSUMD and was a follow-on to the trip to the grand opening of the museum at Manzanar. Twenty people went and had a great time at the museum and a walking tour of the Little Tokyo area.
HISTORICAL ARTICLE
Below is another article from our great local historian member, John Di Pol, drawn from his library of local history books. Ed.)
JOSEPH R. WALKER AND HIS PASS
Well. not really. The pass belongs to the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, and the native inhabitants of the south fork of the Kern River Valley knew about it long before Walker came along. But Walker was the first Euro-American to learn about this passageway across the formidable Sierra and to traverse it.
Joseph Rutherford Walker (1798-1876) was born in Tennessee. Together, with his brothers, the family moved into western Missouri in 1819 which, at that time, was on the leading fringe of settlements to the west. The following year he joined a fur trapping and trading company, working in the central and southern Rocky Mountains, gaining much experience in topography and exploration. In 1825 he guided a government party to survey and mark the Santa Fe Trail. At that time Mexico had separated from Spain and a brisk trade was beginning to develop with the U. S. For the next several years, Walker continued as a "mountain man" active in the western fur trade and trade with Santa Fe.
By the early 1830s the U. S. was mindful of the need to know
more about the central portion of he continental land mass. Mexico
had been situated in the southwest for two centuries and the British
were becoming more strongly entrenched in the northwest by their
Hudson Bay Company. In 1833 Congress tasked the U. S. Army to
explore and map this central area clear to California. Capt.
B. L. Bonneville was selected as expedition leader. The U. S.
did not want this to be seen as a military operation. Bonneville
was given a leave of absence from
the army and the expedition was clothed as a fur trapping and
trading venture. Joseph Walker was appointed as the guide and
titular leader. He recruited a number of experienced mountain
men and, with good fortune, young Zenas Leonard as his clerk.
Leonard kept a journal which gave a detailed account of the journey.
The expedition assembled on the Green River in Wyoming, headed
west to the Great Salt Lake, thence down the Humboldt River ad
Sink, south to Walker Lake and west to the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
The crossing of the Sierra was the first by Euro-Americans.
It was done with much difficulty, but no men were lost. In this
passage, the expedition passed through the now Yosemite region
and were able to look down at the Yosemite Valley. They continued
dow to the SAn Joaquin Valley, crossed it and stopped at the coast
south of San Francisco. Bonneville, Walker and a few others traveled
to Monterey to pay a courtesy call on the Governor of Alta California,
Jose Figueroa. They were treated courteously and welcomed to
spend the winter, which they did in the San Juan Batista area.
In the following spring (1834) the return journey started: South
down the San Joaquin to the Kern River, then east, over the Greenhorn
Mountains to the forks of the Kern (now under Lake Isabella).
Local native guided them eastwardly to the gap at the crest of
the Sierras, later name WALKER PASS, which was crossed on or about
May 1, 1834. Down into the Indian Wells Valley, north through
Owens Valley up past Walker Lake to the Humboldt River and intersection
with their westward trail.
Walker used the Walker Pass route many times during the ensuing years, including the Chile's emigrant party in 1843, which had the first wagons come into California from the east. Walker was also the guide for Capt. John Charles Fremont's Third Expedition; the main body of which came into California over the Pass; Fremont with a smaller group had proceeded directly west over the Sierra to Sutter's Fort. This Third Expedition was the one in which Fremont got all tangled up with the Californios and the Mexican War; actions that lead to his court-martial in 1848. But that's another story.
Circa 1850 Walker made California his permanent residence, settling in Contra Costa County at his home, called Manzanita Ranch. He still did quite a bit of traveling as a consulting Pathfinder, leader of emigrant groups and topological consultant for railroad road developers. He was a strong proponent for the Walker Pass route as being the best for railroad crossing of the Sierras. The results of the Pacific Railroad survey, however, made by the army in the mid-1850s and led by Lieut. Williamson, concluded that, due to heavy grades, "Walker's Pass is badly situated and impracticable" as a railroad route.
His last wilderness trip was in Arizona, after which he returned home to Manzanita Ranch in 1867 He led a quiet life in his latter years, passing away on October 27, 1876 and is buried in Alhambra Cemetery, Martinez, California.
There is much more to this very interesting man. Bil Gilbert's biography is excellent and easy reading. John Di Pol
References: WESTERING MAN The Life of Joseph Walker, by Bil Gilbert; WALKER'S PASS, by Ardis Walker, 1983; WALKER'S RAILROAD ROUTES 1853, by Adler and Wheelock; EDWARD KERN AND AMERICAN EXPANSION, by Robert V. Hines, 1962