HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF THE
UPPER MOJAVE DESERT
P. O. Box 2001, Ridgecrest, CA 93556
Vol. 21 No. 8 October 2006 ___________________________________________________________________________
OCTOBER MEETING: HISTORY OF IWV DISTRICT AND DEVELOPMENT OF
LOCAL WATER, Lucinda Sue Crosby
The Society's October meeting will feature Lucinda Sue Crosby speaking about the history of the Indian Wells Valley Water District and about the development of water resources in the local area. The meeting will take place on Tuesday, October 17 at 7:30 PM at the Maturango Museum.
As the Coordinator of Education and Conservation for the Water District, Lucinda Sue is pleased to have the opportunity to educate the public about water, which she feels will be the big issue for the next decade, if not century. She has researched the history of water in the area from 1849 to about 1987. One of the highlights of her presentation will be the members of the very first water board in the valley, five characters who recognized what was needed and went about it with a perseverance and skill that promises to make for a fascinating presentation that will tie into much else that was happening in the nation, and especially in the West.
Lucinda Sue Crosby has had a varied career. Born in Palo Alto, she may be most noted locally as an award-winning journalist with the Daily Independent, but has also been a professional tennis player, as well as writing songs (most recently for a Shawn King album) and screenplays.
Coming programs: On November 21, Bart Parker will talk on some of the history of the Kelley Mine in Red Mountain. December 12 we will have our traditional Christmas program with singing and refreshments.
The HSUMD meets on the third Tuesday of the month. All are
welcome to attend. For more information on this or future meetings,
call Society President Bill Nevins at 375-4764.
Andrew Sound
USO BUILDING FUND RAISING UPDATE
What a yard sale on September 16th! Thanks to so many we made $1,134.00!
Then there was the memorable dinner/auction at the Elks lodge on September 29! Swap Sheet owner, Peggy Breeden, and Great Sport, Mayor Chip Holloway, added $2600 for a total of $6577.75 for the building fund!
Look for us at our booth at the Fall Fair (October 1215) and at the Maturango Junction on in Jackson Park on October 21. We'll be promoting the Historical Society and the fund raising for our future Cultural History Center.
All window sponsorships were sold in 27 days. Several checks as due from out of town. When they are received we'll add $12800 to our building fund. We're proud of the many plaques which will honor those with "history" in the USO /community building.
We continue to sell the 2 for 1 Pizza Hut cards. The $10 purchase gets you a dozen medium or large pizzas. Purchase one, get one free.
Partial proceeds from the All-American Bar B Q's John McEuen concert on October 27 will go to our project. Our committee has the limited seating tickets at $35 each. Reserved tables may be acquired. Ticket holders get a 15% discount on dinners that night.
We have the November 10th Community Dinner tickets for sale. They are still $10 and the Society gets to keep $9! Habitat will provide their great B B Q. Do consider our needs for funds this year when purchasing your tickets buy them from the Historical Society board members and committee members.
For questions or further information call Kathy Armstrong at
375-2643.
Kathy Armstrong
COMMENTS FROM THE PRESIDENT
The HSUMD board and USO Building Committee thank you for the
continued great support received for the many ongoing events/activities.
The HSUMD, like any other nonprofit organization, depends on
members and community support. The HSUMD board is cognizant that
your support is based on your confidence that we are managing
the HSUMD and USO building projects in an open and proper manner.
Your HSUMD is fortunate to have Fred Weals and Andrew Sound as
your financial administrators. Fred is the treasurer of the HSUMD
and Andrew is the USO Building financial/donation administrator.
Both are available to answer any questions you may have concerning
our financial status. Financial reports are also provided monthly
during the HSUMD board meetings. The board meetings are scheduled
for the fourth Tuesday of each month, 7:00 p.m. at the HSUMD office,
302 Station Street. Any HSUMD member is welcome to attend and
join in and provide inputs on the discussion of your Society's
plans/activities. Hope to see some of you at our board meetings.
Thanks, Bill. Phone 375-4764 or b.nevins@mchsi.com.
Bill Nevins
LARRY ZABEL PRINTS OPPORTUNITY DRAWING
The Historical Society, as noted in last month's newsletter,
is sponsoring a fundraiser that will feature two signed Larry
Zabel limited edition prints. Longtime Ridgecrest resident, Larry
Zabel is one of the nation's premier Western artists. He spent
twenty five years in commercial/technical art and served with
the Navy on two tours as a combat artist during Vietnam as well
as here at China Lake. His works have been shown in such prestigious
places as the White House, the Smithsonian and the Pentagon.
The two signed and framed prints represent Larry's great talent
for portrayal of Southwestern scenery. "Where Rams and Hornets
Meet: was one of four commemorative paintings commissioned for
the 50th anniversary of the Naval Air Warfare Center. It features
bighorn sheep in a mountainous terrain with low flying F/A 18 aircraft in the background. The desert bighorn shares some common traits with the Navy's F/A 18 Hornet aircraft. Among these is the need for wild spaces where crowds never go.
A brand new painting "Return to the Valley of Flowers" depicts Native Americans on horseback overlooking the confluence of the two Gallatin River forks in Montana.
Tickets for this outstanding opportunity drawing are $35 each
or two for $60 and go on sale October 10th at the Maturango Museum,
the Ridgecrest Chamber of Commerce, by calling 375-2610 or use
order form on page 5. Only 200 tickets will be sold and the drawing
will take place at a HSUMD gala event to be held at the Kerr-McGee
Center, December 3rd at 7:00 p.m. Proceeds will benefit the restoration
of the USO Building Project sponsored by the Historical Society
Ann Roseman
TOURS
Saturday, October 14, there will be another tour of the U.S. Borax open pit mine. Limited to 20 people (bus capacity). Reservations mandatory. Space is still available. Drive to the mine on your own. Details and reservations by calling Jim Kenney at 371-2458.
Saturday, November 4. Atolia Mining Tour with John
Lightburn. Meet at the Maturango Museum parking lot at 8:45-9:00.
We'll leave from there for Atolia where we'll meet John Lightburn
at the Shady Myrick Project and old Staff House. After touring
the Staff House, John will lead us on a tour of the local mines
and mill sites. For more info call Jim Kenney at 371-2458
Jim Kenney
RECENT BOARD ACTION
The HSUMD board at its August meeting passed a resolution to authorize the collection of donations (passing the hat) at its general meetings and tours to help us cover our expenses.
DONATIONS TO OUR COLLECTION
The Society recently received a donation of several local interest books from the family of the late Fred Alpers. Andrew Sound also donated a number of books, including a copy of the newly released book on Pearsonville.
OPEN HOUSE FOR EUNICE CAFFEE
An open house birthday celebration honoring long-time HSUMD member Eunice Caffee on her 90th birthday is planned for Saturday, November 25 from 1:30 to 4:00 p.m. at the Inyokern Senior Center, 1247 Broadway. An RSVP is requested to Sherrie at 446-4477. No gifts, please. If you have a favorite memory or photo of Eunice to share, please send to Kelly Caffee, 507 Taylor Dr., Mahomet, Il, 61853 or e-mail to bkjjcaffee@hotmail.com Kelly is creating a memory book. See you in Inyokern!
FUNDRAISER FOR RAND DESERT MUSEUM
A dinner play will be presented as a fundraiser for the Rand
Desert Museum at 6:00 p.m. on October 21, at the Opera House,
26741 Butte Ave, Randsburg. The play "Modjeska" is
a one act play written and performed by Pamela F. Marshall. Dinner
will be served before the play. The cost is $25 per person.
For further information and reservations, call Ilene Huss at (760)
374-2239, Judy Dietrichson at (760) 374-2359 or Bart Parker at
(760) 371-0965
BEQUESTS
Please remember the Historical Society in your wills and trusts.
HISTORICAL ARTICLE
(Following is an article prepared by our great local historian member, John Di Pol, drawn from his personal library. Ed).
The Red Rock Railroad
Yes, there was a railroad line at one time which ran through our Red Rock Canyon. Not much known now, but it was an important link in the transportation system supporting the construction of the Los Angeles Aqueduct.
A bit of a recap: The main line of the Southern Pacific from Los Angeles to San Francisco via Mojave and the Tehachapi Pass was completed in 1876. Mojave, then, was the jumping-off point for the arduous and long journeys to the Inyo mines and Owens Valley by team, wagon and stage, using roads pioneered by Remi Nadeau and other freighters. By 1908, with the start of construction of the Los Angeles Aqueduct, the SP began building a heavy duty standard gauge branch line from Mojave north to the Owens Valley. This was the "Jawbone Branch", the southern portion of which is still in operation. (See HSUMD Newsletter of Dec. 2003).
The Jawbone runs due north from Mojave 23 miles to the Cantil area at the mouth of Red Rock Canyon, then swings east around the El Paso mountains and continues past Searles Station. This detour was due to concerns about flash floods in the canyon and the relatively stiff grades (3.4%) that would be encountered. However, the line of the aqueduct in this area is several miles to the west of the canyon and roads past and present. So, the problem was how to get the heavy equipment, material and personnel up to construct some 20 miles of aqueduct conduit and tunnels, plus steel inverted siphons at Dove Springs and San Antonio Canyons (north of Red Rock) and a major construction camp at Dove Springs. In view of the prohibitive costs and time in hauling the freight by teams through the deep sandy canyon bottom, the decision was made to build a temporary railroad auxiliary spur line from the Cantil Siding, up Red Rock Canyon nine miles to the site of the Dove Springs Camp.
(Editorial Note: Much of the information contained in this article is derived from the historical research and field surveys conducted by Park Ranger Mark Faull in the 1990s and reported in his professional paper in 2003, a copy of which he generously made available to us.)
Construction of the Red Rock Railroad started in September, 1908 at the Cantil Siding, ran up canyon for 8.35 miles, reaching its terminus at Dove Springs Camp in January, 1909. The City of Los Angeles was the owner and operator of the line, having paid the SP for its construction, with the City also purchasing the rolling stock. It was in operation for 22 months and dismantled for salvage by December, 1910.
All evidence of the Red Rock Railroad connection at Cantil and the first mile north has been obliterated by agriculture activities in more recent years. However, a 1943 aerial photo shows railroad embankments forming a "wye" connection with the Jawbone line. After the railroad crosses the present state park boundary, but before entering the narrow mouth of Red Rock canyon, the right-of-way grade can readily be seen in the terrain. Occasional artifacts such as bolts, nuts washers, etc. were found during the field surveys to confirm the line location. At this point, and for 3 miles to the north all evidence of the line has been obliterated by highway construction. Striking archival photos of the Dept. of Water and Power show major damage to the railroad above and below the canyon mouth caused by the flood of August 30, 1909. In the decade prior to the 1990s, 11 rails had been exposed in this area, with some being reburied. Similarly, further up-canyon, where the modern Highway 14 bridge crosses the canyon wash, remains of 20 round pillars in the wash that had supported the Red Rock railroad trestle were documented in September, 1990. However, these remains were lost during the great flood of 1997 and the subsequent repairs.
Beyond Ricardo, now the site of the visitor center, intermittent remains of the railroad line consisting of embankments and cuts, with occasional artifacts of spikes, fish plates, etc. have been recorded. Toward the head of the canyon, the line crosses the "white pipe" (the Second Los Angeles Aqueduct). There all evidence of the old railroad has been lost as a result of construction. Shortly above the white pipe, evidence of the rail line reappears and continues on and off, until the terminus at the site of the Dove Springs Construction Camp is reached. The site of the camp is confirmed by archival photographs and the presence, over a large area, of artifacts, debris and scatter, with some foundations, level grade platforms, etc. There are surface indications that the terminus of the rail line was also in a "wye" configuration, as one might expect. Park Ranger Faull observes that the state of preservation of the camp site and the evidence of its extent, is quite good, considering that it was dismantled and is located in an area that later became an intensive OHV use area.
In conclusion, the words of Park Ranger Faull are appropriate: "The Red Rock Railroad served a vital function in supplying personnel, food, machines and materials to build a 22 mile segment of the Los Angeles Aqueduct. The purpose and function of the railroad were related solely for this purpose and it was an important facet of the overall success of the aqueduct project. Its archaeological remains following its dismantling are probably too scant for National Register consideration. The remnants of the Dove Springs Camp, in contrast, warrant a closer examination".
Ref: The RED ROCK RAILROAD: The History and Remnants of a
Short-Lived Early Twentieth Century Supply Spur. Mark R. Faull
manuscript, 2003
THE RAILROADS OF NEVADA AND EASTERN CALIFORNIA. David Myrick,
1963
John Di Pol
DATES TO REMEMBER
October 10...Opening of tickets sales, Zabel prints
.
October 14...Tour, US Borax Open Pit Mine
reservations required.
October 17...General meeting, Lucinda Lou Crosby, History of Water in IWV
October 24 Board meeting, 302 Station Street
October 28...Spook House at USO building with CLOTA
October 28...Booth at Hwy 178 celebration
November 4..Tour, Atolia mines, John Lightburn
November 10 Community Dinner