HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF THE UPPER MOJAVE DESERT

Vol. 20 No. 6 June 2005
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JUNE MEETING, TOM CHAPMAN, "THE MYSTERY FORT"

The Society will meet Tuesday, June 21, 7:30 PM at the Maturango Museum to hear engineer, publisher, and historian Tom Chapman present a program entitled "The Mystery Fort." Situated about 7 miles south of Darwin at Darwin Springs is a site that has long been believed to be a U.S. Cavalry Fort built by a detachment of Soldiers from Camp Independence. It was allegedly built the 1860's to protect the miners and prospectors of the region from Indians during the Indian Wars of the Owens Valley during that timeframe.

Chapman will lead the audience on a virtual journey to the site, which will include detailed photos of the site itself. Also presented will be all of the currently documented evidence that supports the belief that it was in fact a Cavalry Fort. Through extensive research, Chapman has developed an interesting theory that contradicts the Cavalry Fort story. At the end of the photo session, Chapman will enlist the audience in coming to their own conclusion on what it was really built and used for.

Born and raised in Ridgecrest, Chapman is the author of the book "Bottles of Eastern California," and is currently working on a new book entitled "A Pictorial History of the Owens Valley from 1860 to 1955". Other manuscripts are in work to be published in the future. Chapman was a humanities consultant for the recently completed California Stories Grant administered by the Maturango Museum. This grant resulted in a 63 minute video production entitled "Somewhere on the Edge of Nowhere" in which Chapman appears as an interviewee. This production covered the history of the entire IWV and surrounding communities over the last 100 years!

His love of the outdoors and western history was kindled by his father, who took him on various trips exploring the old mining sites of Southern Inyo County for many years as a youth. After graduating in Mathematics from California State University in Long Beach, he returned to his hometown to work at the China Lake Naval Weapons Center. He currently lives in Bishop and serves as the curator and historian of the Southern Inyo Museum in Lone Pine. He also owns the Hungry Coyote Publishing Company and publishes his books through his company.

Chapman's last presentation in March drew a standing-room only crowd, so be sure to arrive early for this presentation. This will be the Society's last meeting until September 20. For more information about this month's or future meetings, call Bruce Wertenberger at 375-2369. Andrew Sound

NOTES FROM OUR ANNUAL MEETING

The 62 people in attendance at our annual meeting (our 20th anniversary) enjoyed a great meal catered by Victoria's at the Heritage, an excellent Power Point presentation on the Old USO/County Building project by Bill Nevins, an interesting talk by Dr. Robert Pearce and elected six members to the board of directors. Elected was new board member Jim Kenney and reelected were Jerry Mumford, Bill Nevins, Lou Pracchia, Fred Weals and Bruce Wertenberger. This fills out the board to its full strength of nine members. Drawings were held for several of our DVDs and the 50/50 drawing was won by Jim Murray, who graciously gave back his $76 winnings as a donation to the HSUMD.

Thanks were expressed to Kathy Armstrong for the dinner arrangements, Mike Mumford for handling the 50/50 sales and drawing and to Carroll Evans for videotaping the meeting as well as previous general meetings

NEW OFFICERS

At its formation meeting, held June 1, the board elected Bill Nevins as President, Andrew Sound as Vice President and Secretary and Fred Weals as Treasurer.

RECENT ACQUISITIONS

The HSUMD was pleased recently to accept the donation by Larry and Bette Fox of a number of bound volumes of the Times-Herald covering the early 1950's. The Times Herald was a predecessor of the Daily Independent. The "Mystery Photos" which we have been featuring originally were published in the Times Herald and had been given to the HSUMD earlier. (Apologies to Larry and Bette Fox for my not properly crediting them for the photographs as they were published. Ed)

NO GENERAL MEETINGS IN JULY AND AUGUST.

As noted elsewhere in this newsletter, the June meeting with Tom Chapman as the speaker will be our last general meeting until September 20. Have a great summer!.

HISTORICAL ARTICLE

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

NEWS FROM PANAMINT

This month's article offers a selection of extracts from a facsimile copy of the PANAMINT NEWS, edition of Nov. 28, 1874:

PANAMINT NEWS
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PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY BY THE
Panamint Publishing Company
at Panamint, Inyo County, Cal.
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Subscription Rates:
One Copy one month, by carrier - - $2.00
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THE COSO MINES

We have spoken of the future of Inyo County, and some may think there is enough in the mines at Panamint, but, although we think there is enough in the mines right here to bring about such a result , still---not at all disparaging to Panamint, however---there are numerous other mines in the County which will do their share in the work, besides, as we firmly believe, others will be "brought to light." Among the latest discoveries, those lately made near Coso (Ed. The Darwin deposits), give every promise of creating a good deal of excitement. Mining for a number of years has been carried on at Coso, ten miles from the new discoveries, but only to a limited extent, and that by a few Mexicans working rock for gold in arrastras. The new mines are the discoveries of William and Robert Brown and consist of ore which assays made at Cerro Gordo show it to contain over seventy ounces in silver and fifty per cent lead.
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ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES
Via Bakersfield Line:
(Passengers listed.)

By Dodge's Line, from Lone Pine via Coso:
(Passengers listed)
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Local Intelligence
CABINET OF ORES.-----Judge Murphy, at the recorder's office, has collected a number of samples of ores from the various mines, and will ere long have quite a cabinet. We would be pleased to be remembered by our friends who have specimens to spare.

LODGING HOUSES ----- The one great want of our town has been lodging accommodations for transient visitors but this inconvenience is to be remedied soon. Mr. Jo Harris is soon to open a lodging house, and a team loaded with bedding for another arrived in town today.

OUR MAILS-----We have received one or two letters from parties "outside" to know if we have a Postmaster here, and whether, if so, he is receiving mails. We have a very gentlemanly Postmaster in the person of G. A. Swasey--we call him "Judge" for short - and he receives mail three times a week by the Bakersfield and twice a week by the Lone Pine stages.

A PALACE SALOON IN PANAMINT.-----The Oriental Saloon, soon to be opened in this place by D. Neagle, will be the finest on the coast outside of San Francisco. (Ed. The article continues ad nauseum to extoll the elegance of the Palace. At its apex, Panamint City had a total of 50 saloons).

TO BE HANGED-----From Mr. E. Mallory, who arrived here yesterday from Bishop Creek, we learn that the Supreme Court has refused to grant a new trial to the murderer Welch, who had applied thereto on a stay of proceedings.
Welch is the murderer of Frank Moore at Bishop
Creek, about a year ago, was tried for murder, found guilty thereof and was sentenced to be hanged on the 6th day of last July. The Supreme Court granted a stay, but on review of the case, refuses to grant him a new trial, and the lower Court is ordered to set a new date for his execution. As this Court will not meet until next May, Welch will have quite a long incarceration
as preliminary to hanging, though it is doubtful if he lives to be hanged, as we understand his health is very much impaired.

PERSONALS-----Among the arrivals in Panamint since our last issue we note: John J. Spencer, from Bishop Creek, on a "buck-board" loaded with chickens, which he succeeded in selling, with very little trouble, at prices ranging from $1.25 to $2 apiece.

FREIGHT------The Cerro Gordo Freighting Company has daily lines of teams between San Fernando and Panamint. All goods marked C.G.F.Co. will be forwarded with dispatch. Freight from San Fernando to Panamint: five cents per pound.

Ed. And so on. The PANAMINT NEWS is tightly packed with news, including national and international, which, due to space limitations is not included herein.