HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF THE UPPER MOJAVE DESERT

Vol. 20 No. 9 November 2005
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NOVEMBER SPEAKER: "BODIE'S BOSS LAWMAN" By David Carle

Author David Carle will speak about "Bodie's Boss Lawman," John Franklin Kirgan, who was the law in the Eastern Sierra town of Bodie from 1877 to 1881, at the Society's November meeting. The meeting will take place on Tuesday, November 15 at 7:30 PM at the Maturango Museum.

After serving with the 1st Illinois Regiment in the Mexican War, John Franklin Kirgan made his way westward, where his saga intersected with that of the new state of California's constitutional convention in 1850. Years later, the Comstock excitement brought Kirgan to Carson City and a stint as a prison guard at the Nevada State Prison. Finally, fate delivered him to Bodie in 1877, where he worked as constable, jailer, and deputy sheriff during the mining town's boom years. Serving as the "boss lawman" of Bodie was the culmination of Kirgan's life--an odyssey that placed him in contact with the emerging history of the American West. A volunteer archivist and guide at Bodie State historic Park, Bill Merrell unearthed the story of a Western lawman who was responsible for law enforcement in a violent town far better known for its "Badmen of Bodie." Bill worked on a book about Kirgan for many years, but died in 1995 with the manuscript incomplete. His meticulous files and notes made it possible for David Carle to complete the final four chapters of this book and prepare the entire manuscript for publication.

David Carle grew up in Orange County, received his bachelors degree at UC Davis in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology and a masters degree from CSU Sacramento in Recreation and Parks Administration. He was a ranger in California State Parks for 27 years, including the Mendocino Coast, Hearst Castle, the Auburn State Recreation Area (in the gold country of the Sierra foothills), and the State Indian Museum in Sacramento. From 1982 through
2000, at the Mono Lake Tufa State Reserve, he shared the unit ranger position with his wife, participating in the long effort to protect that Eastern Sierra inland sea from the effects of stream diversions to Los Angeles. He has taught biology and natural history courses at Cerro Coso Community College, Eastern Sierra College Center in Mammoth Lakes. Carle recently completed another book for the California Natural History Guide series, an Introduction to Air in California, to be published by UC Press in Spring 2006.

The Society meets on the third Tuesday of the month. All are welcome to attend. December activities of the HSUMD will include the annual Christmas party on December 13. For more information on these or future meetings, call Society President Bill Nevins at 375-4764
Andrew Sound

NO "CHRISTMAS IN RAND CAMP" THIS YEAR

There will be no "Christmas in Rand Camp" activities this year. They were reluctantly canceled when arrangements could not be completed in a timely fashion. Perhaps another effort will be made later.

DECEMBER PROGRAM

Our December meeting is scheduled for TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, at 7:00 p.m. (Please mark your calendars now since this is not our usual third Tuesday of the month and we may not get a newsletter out in time to remind you.). As in years past it will be a dessert and entertainment function. There will not be a speaker. So, please bring a dessert, yourselves, and maybe a guest and just plain have some meaningful social time. See you there!

SPEAKER IDEAS WANTED

Jim Kenney, our lead person for obtaining speakers, is always looking for prospective speakers. If you have an idea for a suitable speaker for our general meetings, please e-mail him at j.kenney@verizon.net Or, you may call him at 371-2458 if you want to discuss the proposed speaker. But, either way, he prefers an e-mail which is easier for him to file. Thanks.

TOURS PLANNED

The HSUMD is planning some trips around the area soon. A list will be in the December newsletter for your perusal and reaction. A tour to Bickel camp is one possibility.

DUES REMINDER

As noted in the October newsletter, we reluctantly have had to increase out dues to $20 per family membership and $30 for business membership. If you wish, you may send a check for the 2006 membership year now to Fred Weals, Treasurer, at P.O. Box 2001, Ridgecrest, CA 93556.

MYSTERY PHOTO

We have a somewhat different mystery photo to display this time. One of our sharp-eyed board members, Andrew Sound, figured out that the flag which appeared at the top of the curtain in a number of photos of activities in the old USO building was the state flag of Wisconsin. Our question is ­ why that particular flag?? If you know, please contact Andrew or any other board member with the answer. Thank you

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

PETE AGUEREBERRY
Death Valley Prospector - Gold Miner

Yes, Aguereberry Point, on top of the Panamints looking down into the depths of Death Valley, one and the same. This is the story of Jean Pierre "Pete" Aguereberry, born in the Basque country on the French side of the Pyrenees. But before we begin Pete's story, let's get introduced to the author from whose book most of this story was taken and who was a personality in his own right.

George C. Pipkin, writer, historian, speaker and guide was born at the turn of the century (1900, that is) in Arkansas. Mother died in his infancy and was raised by his father who traveled extensively for his work. They first came to California in 1911 to spend a year in Coalinga, then back to Arkansas where he "got a little schooling, grew up and married Annie." Back to California for good in 1923 - lived in L.A., then Cartago where he acted as Postmaster. Moved to Trona in 1928, employed by American Potash and Chemical, where he lived permanently on and off for many years. This included a stint as co-owner and operator of the Wildrose Station in Death Valley National Monument. During all these years he made many friends of the "old desert characters," gathered their histories and stories and soon was writing a column for the old Trona Argonaut entitled "Desert Sands." This column soon transformed into the "Desert Sands Bulletin." He also co-authored, with Paul Hubbard of Randsburg, and Doris Bray of Trona, the book BALLARAT, 1897 - 1917, Facts and Folklore. His biography of Pete Aguereberry, published in 1971, was the result of a nearly 20 year friendship which ended with Pete's death in 1945.

Jean Pierre Aguereberry was born in 1874 on his father's farm. His mother died when he was six years of age, but he continued to grow up with his father. As he grew he became more and more fascinated with the U.S., especially California. He badgered his father constantly about letting him go to California and join an older brother who lived in San Francisco. The father finally relented and Jean Pierre, at age 16, started on the long journey, arriving in San Francisco in 1890. For the next 10 years he had a variety of jobs in the San Joaquin Valley as a sheepherder, ranch hand and stage driver. He became a naturalized citizen in 1897.

The year 1900 found him in Eureka, Nevada, employed as a miner, then to Tonopah for a year, winding up in Goldfield by 1902 where he worked in a mine for a couple of years. By early 1905 he started prospecting on his own in Death Valley proper, grubstaked by two partners in Goldfield. Pete had two near-fatal incidents when trying to cross the valley in the middle of summer. He survived and was recuperating at Greenland (now Furnace Creek) Ranch where he met Frank "Shorty" Harris (yes, the "Shorty" of Death Valley fame). They agreed to travel together across the Panamints to Ballarat; Shorty to celebrate the 4th of July, Pete to refit and resupply. They traveled west via Blackwater Wash. Four miles past the summit they dropped down into what is now Harrisburg Flat. There Pete left the trail to explore a rocky outcropping on a small row of hills. He gathered some samples, caught up with Shorty who was hurrying ahead. Yes, the samples showed GOLD!

After camping for the night at Wildrose Springs, they returned to the outcropping that Pete had discovered, filed location notices for several claims, then proceeded to Ballarat. Despite Pete's admonitions, Shorty loudly proclaimed his discovery back up the trail. The word quickly spread. On the third day, Shorty was gone. Pete became suspicious and hurried back to the outcropping. There he encountered a claim jumper who was in cahoots with the double-crosser Shorty. With the aid of his six-shooter and other proof, Pete reestablished his claims.

Pete properly filed his claims, gave partial interests to his grubstakers, and retained a large share. Shorty did
the same, but he had many grubstakers to satisfy, thus
winding up with a small share which, as was his wont, he sold to finance another binge. Pete built his own camp, a neat, permanent cabin and developed his holdings which became the Eureka Mine. He successfully fended off counter claims and other challenges to his ownership. For 40 years he lived at the Eureka, digging out high-grade ore when he needed the cash, locking up the mine and finding other odd jobs in between. He hand-built the original road
from Harrisburg up to the point which overlooks Death Valley; now known as Aguereberry Point. He was the victim of several mishaps during those 40 years: shot and wounded by a neighboring miner who erroneously thought that Pete had rifled his cabin; Pete's own cabin and other buildings totally demolished by fire; a near fleecing by promoters offering to purchase his holdings; the death of his older brother while visiting at the Eureka.

But through it all, he kept his dignity and honesty. Did he ever marry? Apparently not. When, as a young man in the San Joaquin Valley, he fell in love with a young lady. The lady jilted him and ran off with another. Pete obviously became gun-shy: ("First time, a wise man; second time, a fool."). In 1943 his health began to fail, worsened by 1944, surgery for removal of tumor in 1945. While recuperating at Tecopa Hot Springs he passed away on November 23, 1945 and is buried at the Mt. Whitney Cemetery in Lone Pine.
John Di Pol

Ref: PETE AGUEREBERRY, Death Valley Prospector - Gold Miner. George ß, 1971.