HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF THE UPPER MOJAVE DESERT

Vol. 16, No. 9 A United Way Agency November 2001

THIS MONTH'S PROGRAM - LEARN ABOUT OPERATIONS, LOGISTICS AT TRONA PLANT

Our program this month features Warren F. McGowan, director of distribution
services for IMC Chemicals Inc. Fred Kletka, our program chair, pointed
out that, in a sense, this program will be a follow-up to the wonderful
historical overview we got from Lit Brush last month.

Now that we know a bit about some of Trona's history, we're ready to
experience McGowan's slide-illustrated talk about the IMC Chemicals
operation.

As usual, the meeting will be on the third Tuesday - Oct. 20, at 7:30 p.m.
at the Sylvia Winslow Gallery of the Maturango Museum.

Our speaker's responsibilities encompass plant logistics, packaging and
Trona Railway Co. operations in Trona, plus maritime port terminal
operations at North American Terminals in San Diego and Trona Export
Terminals in Long Beach.

McGowan's career spans some 30 years in engineering and operations. He
worked for five years in marketing for Republic Steel in Buffalo, N.Y, then
for 16 years in maintenance, engineering and logistics management with
Kerr-McGee Corp. in Trona. For four years he was the general manager for
the IWV Water District here in Ridgecrest. For the last six years, he has
worked for IMC Chemicals.

A Vietnam-era veteran, McGowan holds a bachelor's degree from the State
University of New York. He and his wife Donna live in Ridgecrest and have
four children and six grandchildren.
Liz Babcock

HOLIDAYS, DONATIONS AND ARCHIVES

Because of the September 11 tragedies it is difficult to look forward to
what are traditionally the most festive and happy days of the year. Yet,
by considering and following the maxims of Faith, Hope and Charity, we can
look forward to a peaceful future.

Mentioning charity brings to mind how much our historical society has
benefited these past years due to the generosity of individuals and
institutions. The benefits I speak of are not just financial but also
consisted of labor, material and services of members. Financially we are
most grateful for grants from WACOM and the Kern County Community
Foundation. We are very grateful for member donations not only in money
but also what they have contributed as volunteers.

As readers of our past newsletters you are aware that because of the
aforementioned grants, and other monetary donations, that we have a
state-of-the-art computer and accessories dedicated to digitizing our
archives. Not too long ago an Accessions Committee (George Silberberg,
Susan Hueber and Bruce Wertenberger) was established. They have been
preparing our collections for computerization. Additionally, Mary Kus has
spent a considerable amount of time determining how best to organize our
files and enter them as a computer record.

There remains a need for one or more individuals to volunteer to enter data
and photographs into the computer. (We have more than 2000 photographs to
process).

Have a great Thanksgiving!
Lou Pracchia

HOW SWEET IT WILL BE -- CHRISTMAS PARTY DEC. 18

Get ready for a sweet time at the HSUMD December get-together.

Our party coordinator, George Silberberg, has sweet treats, sweet
surprises, and sweet voices on his agenda for the party, which will occur
at our regular monthly time and place: Tuesday, Dec. 18, 7:30 p.m., at the
Maturango Museum.
Once again, the Farris Family Singers have agreed to delight us with their
beautiful voices singing some of our Christmas favorites. George has also
lined up a surprise guest and a fun history-type game similar to that one
that so perplexed us last year.

Bring your favorite dessert to share, plus your expectations for a warm,
wonderful time.
Liz Babcock

HSUMD GIFTS -- A GOOD WAY TO GET YOUR CHRISTMAS SHOPPING DONE EARLY

Now that it's November, we're once again in that season of gift-giving
perplexity. Here are some good suggestions about what to give local friends
and relative, as well as history buffs from any part of the country.

INDIAN WELLS VALLEY -- HOW IT GREW, a fascinating new book by our own Fred
Weals, is a highly readable treasure trove of information about land
division, land ownership, tract development, and street naming in the early
Indian Wells Valley. With nearly a hundred pages of text, maps, and
historic photographs,the book is a bargain at $12.00* + tax.

You can get this book and all other HSUMD publications at the Maturango
Museum gift shop daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Here are some other HSUMD
gift ideas:

SAND CANYON STATION, a 37-minute video created by Mark Pahuta. Learn about
construction of the first Los Angeles aqueduct and the lives of the
families living in Sand Canyon after the aqueduct opened. Also covered in
the video is information about the coming of the railroad to this valley,
development of the town of Brown, local homesteading, two great floods, and
an earthquake. The video features historic aqueduct footage and rare family
photos. You can also view some of our favorite HSUMD members -- Litha
Crowell Mattis, Bob Ramsey, Lois Ramsey Carr, and Hank Schuette -- as they
reminisce about their early memories of Sand Canyon. The price is only
$12.00* plus tax.

ZIG-ZAG POST OFFICE and ITS NEIGHBORS, 1885-1971, by Jane Thomann,
postmaster of the Little Lake Post Office in the 1970s. The book contains
information about the history of the Little Lake Post Office, as well as
photographs and vignettes of early settler families in the surrounding
area. $14.00* plus tax.

INDIAN WELLS VALLEY STAGE AND FREIGHT STOPS, 1874-1906, with comments by
Lou Pracchia. Included in this publication are photographs and historic
information about the Native American trails along the eastern side of the
Sierra Nevada. The book also discusses the trails' development into routes
for transport of bullion and people in the last quarter of the 19th
century. Learn the history and locations of waystations along those trails.
All that information is only $4.00 plus tax.

HOW IT WAS - SOME MEMORIES BY EARLY SETTLERS OF THE INDIAN WELLS VALLEY AND
VICINITY. Read five different colorful accounts of life in the desert and
nearby Sierra Nevada. At only $5.50* plus tax, this book is a "must-have"
for your collection of local history.

*Buy these books at our upcoming November 20 meeting at special
reduced member prices.
Liz Babcock

HSUMD SHARES A NEW HOLIDAY TRADITION -- CHRISTMAS IN RAND CAMP

Once again, Dr. Lorraine Blair of Randsburg has invited us to be part of a
wonderful new holiday tradition -- Christmas in Rand Camp. The festive
event will occur on Saturday, Dec. 8, when those with advance reservations
will be welcomed at Plum Cottage, Rose Cottage and the historic Santa
Barbara Church.

This special day will begin at 10-11:30 a.m., when a colorfully decorated
Plum Cottage (the second house west of the fire station) will welcome
visitors. "Pop in to sign our guest book and have a fancy biscuit and some
cocoa or coffee," says Lorraine. On display will be a gallery of newly
acquired photos of the early days in Rand Camp.

Maps and a list of places to visit will introduce visitors to the next
activity: a self-guided Rand Ramble.

When the church bell rings at noon, Dr. Jim Vaskov will play a concert and
accompany a sing-along on the old pump organ at the Santa Barbara Church.
"Hear those familiar Advent and Christmas songs the way they sounded a
hundred years ago," says Lorraine. New this year will be a reading about
Christmas in 1897 Randsburg as written by Teresa Kane.

After a break for an "on-your-own" lunch and further looking around
Randsburg, Rose Cottage will be open from 2 to 3 p.m. with more snacks and
a chance for chatting by the wood stove.

The cost for this whole day of fun is a mere $5.00. The deadline for
reservations is Dec. 7; call HSUMD at 375-8456 or Jean or Mike King at
446-2887. Leave a message including your name, phone number and
information about the number of people in your party.
Liz Babcock

CLARENCE CARR PASSES AWAY

It is noted with regret that Clarence Carr has passed away at age 91. Our
condolences to his widow, Ellen, and family. Mr. Carr was the first
homesteader child born in the Indian Wells Valley. He was a lifetime
member of the Historical Society and he and Ellen, participated when they
could in Magnolia Days in Inyokern and our activities at Maturango
Junction.

BUSINESS MEMBERS

We appreciate the support of our business members: Farris' at the
Heritage, the Swap Sheet and Granite Construction -- Sand and Gravel.
Please patronize them whenever you can.

NEW MEMBERS

Recent new members are John Lightburn and Lit Brush, each of whom have made
presentations to the Historical Society at meetings this fall.

ARCHIVIST NAMED

At its November meeting the HSUMD board of directors was pleased to accept
board member Pat Rogers as its Archivist/Historian. Pat will oversee our
filing, artifact registration and computer entry of information relating to
our collection.

REMINISCENCES

(Local resident, Martha Jauregui, shares with us the following. Ed.)

In 1926, my aunt and uncle, Charlie and Harold Porter, lived in Bartlett, a
few miles south of Lone Pine. Harold worked at a plant that took potash
out of Owens Lake, which still had water in it at the time, and there was a
steamboat that went back and forth across the lake. The plant that Harold
worked at is still there, but hasn't been used for many, many years and has
fallen into disrepair.

My mother, Clementine, or Pat as she preferred to be called, was fourteen
that year and was living in St. Louis, MO. Charlie, who was ten years
older than my mother, gave birth to my cousin, Hannah, that year and
decided to send for my mother to baby sit. There were three houses off
Bartlett Rd., and Charlie and Harold lived in the northernmost house. One
night, the first house caught fire and there was enough wind to blow sparks
to the second house, which in turn caused sparks to blow to Charlie and
Harold's house. These were wooden frame houses and all three were gone in
no time. Everyone managed to get out with what they were wearing. For
many years the three cement foundations could be seen from the highway, but
they were destroyed when the highway was widened.

Charlie wanted to live in Lone Pine and after the fire, she got her wish.
She decided she couldn't handle a teenager, so she sent my mother to live
with their father and stepmother in Maywood. They would make frequent
trips to Lone Pine to visit, taking the train to Mojave where Harold would
pick them up and drive them to Lone Pine. This was before they put in
Highway 6, which later became Highway 14, and it was nothing more than a
wagon road which followed the railroad tracks. Needless to say, it took
hours to reach their destination. One one occasion they had gone up for
Thanksgiving and Harold was waiting for them in Mojave. They hadn't been
on the road too long when the lights on Harold's car went out, so my mother
was elected to sit on the fender and hold a flashlight so he could see the
road. She described it as being the coldest night this area had ever had,
EVER.

When Hannah was in grade school, Charlie and Harold divorced and they all
moved back to Los Angeles. Hannah had already met her future husband,
Chuck Milligan. Chuck graduated from Lone Pine High School and joined the
Army. He and Hannah married in 1945 and when they both retired in the
early 1980's, they settled in Cartago. Hannah passed away five years ago
and Chuck is still living in Cartago, restoring old vehicles and showing
them in the parades in Lone Pine.

RENEWAL TIME

Dues renewal time is upon us. We operate on a calendar year basis. Dues
are $15.00 per family unit per year. Dues help support our programs,
publish and mail our newsletter, and in various other ways support our
activities. To renew your membership in the Historical Society send your
renewal check and the form below (see article just below) to Fred Weals,
Treasurer, P. O. Box 2001, Ridgecrest, CA. 93556, or bring your check to
the next HSUMD meeting and give it to him then.

HELP WANTED, PLEASE

To our loyal members: We are in need of two kinds of help. First, we need
to recruit some younger members into our ranks to broaden our interests and
our skills base. Members of any age are welcome, of course, but we feel a
need to concentrate on those whose home responsibilities are just now
lessening due to kids leaving for college, etc. Look around and see if you
can find some likely candidates and talk up the Historical Society.

Second, we need to update our information on the interests of our current
members in terms of volunteer skills. Below is a list of areas in which we
could use some volunteer help. As you renew, please fill out this form,
tear it off and send it in with your renewal check.

(Annual dues: $15.00 per family per calendar year).

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Please send with your 2002 HSUMD membership dues to Fred Weals, Treasurer, P. O.
Box 2001, Ridgecrest, CA 93556

Name:_______________________________________Phone Number__________________

Address:________________________________ State_________ZIP__________________

I have checked those areas where I am willing to volunteer.

__ Oral History (interviewing/transcribing) __ Publicity

__ Photography/Videotaping (meetings, field trips) __ Archival research

__ Newsletter (writing articles, editing, mailing) __ Writing

__ Creating/arranging exhibits __ Fund-raising

__ Field Trips, Tours (Arranging, leading, etc.) __ Sand Canyon(SEEP)

__ Collection management __ Preservation (Clothing, paper)

__ Sorting, filing or computer entry of archive documents q Education

__ Other: _________________________________________________________________