HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF THE UPPER MOJAVE DESERT

VOL. 12. No. 8 October 21, 1997

OCTOBER MEETING TO FEATURE HOT-AIR BALLOONS

Our October meeting will feature a talk by Duane Powers on the history of hot-air ballooning, with special emphasis on the part balloons played as test and evaluation platforms at China Lake.

Our speaker is the balloonmeister for the Ridgecrest Balloon Festival - the person who arranges for the hot-air balloonists who will be coming here from all over the country on Nov. 7-9 to participate in two races and a "balloon glow."

Our meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 21, at the Sylvia Winslow Gallery of the Maturango Museum.

Ballooning has been Powers' work - and his hobby - for three decades. He started flying in balloons in 1967, when he began providing support at China Lake for hot-air balloon tests for all three services, as well as other organizations. Powers has piloted Navy hot-air balloons in free flights of up to 15,000 feet in altitude and tethered flights as high as 3,500 feet.

He has developed and supervised the manufacture of a special R&D gondola used at China Lake, as well as a new manned helium balloon system that enhanced the Navy's testing capabilities.

Under the tutelage of Ed Yost, the father of the modern hot-air balloon, Powers became qualified to fly helium balloons in 1977. That same year he became the only person in the Navy to be officially classified as an R&D balloon test pilot. He was China Lake's chief balloon test pilot until his retirement from NAWCWPNS in 1993.

In his spare time, Powers has also maintained an active race schedule, achieving second place in national standings in gas balloons for two years in a row and racing internationally in Switzerland and France.

Admission to the presentation is free, and refreshments will be served.

MAURICE CURTIS PASSES AWAY

On September 2, 1997, HSUMD member Maurice Curtis died at Santa Rosa, CA. Maurice would have been 84 this coming December. He is survived by his wife Betty, two daughters and one son. In our November 1995 newsletter, Maurice had provided some of his recollections about early days at the Naval Ordnance Test Center (NOTS) in 1945 and his "meeting" Captain Burroughs.

STORAGE SPACE

Since May 1994 your Society has (through the generosity of the City of Ridgecrest) been permitted to use two rooms in the old USO/County Building on W. Ridgecrest Blvd. The space we occupy (about 500 sq. ft.) is used for storage of our files, acquisitions, and miscellaneous property. As you may know our quarters have no heating or cooling and this seriously limits the amount of comfortable working time. One possible solution would be the donation to the society of a suitable building. As a non-profit organization we may be able to provide tax deductible incentives. Anyone have a building or perhaps a solution?

RECENT ACQUISITIONS

Some of the latest additions to the HSUMD. Pop Lofink's book "Mojave Desert Ramblings" and the "Trail of a Desert Artist" by Sylvia Winslow from the Lil Fletcher estate. A framed picture of Earl Standard, an early Inyokern settler, from Mary Williams and several late 50's and early 60's Rocketeers from Mary Ann Henry along with clippings on the dedication of Mt. Jenkins, the mountain just south of Owens peak. Ilene Huss from "The Huss-E" in Randsburg donated a T-shirt with a silk screened post mark reading "Randsburg, CA, established 16 April 1896 93554" along with a matching 1896 silver dollar.

HSUMD PARTICIPATION IN BALLOON FESTIVAL

We will add our own special contribution to the Ridgecrest Balloon Festival on Nov. 8 and 9. We'll be selling "Balloon Mail," special cachets with a "Balloon Festival Station" cancellation from the Inyokern Post Office. Envelopes with a balloon design on them are being printed for the cachet, and Lou Pracchia has put together a special insert that includes the balloonist's prayer and a listing of all the pilots taking part in the balloon race.

By special arrangement with the balloon festival, we'll be selling the cachets out of the official souvenir booths, both at Balloon Festival Park (two miles south of Inyokern on Brown Road) and at the Balsam Street 1950s street fair.

Wouldn't you like to be part of this history-making endeavor? Just give Lou Pracchia a call at 375-7385.

P.S. If you should happen to be out of town or otherwise unable to get your own collector's-item cachet on Nov. 8 or 9, they will be available for 30 days afterwards too.

NEW MEMBER

The society welcomes Richard Brock as a new member.

THANKS FOR THE HELP!

Thanks to members who helped with our presence at the Inyokern Block Party on Sat. Sept. 13. They were: Linda Lou Crosby, Dot Gould, Dick Moe, Harold Platzek, Lou Pracchia and Bruce Wertenberger.

CALL FOR CABINET DONORS

The Historical Society board is about to do the final design and ordering of the plaque honoring the contributors to our oak and glass cabinets in the vestibule of the Maturango Museum, -- hence this call to our members who would like to help defray the cost of having the custom cabinets made and have their actions noted. (We dipped into our limited reserves to have those cabinets made.) For a contribution of $40.00 or more, we will list your name on the plaque as helping fund the display cabinets. Any and all contributions will be gratefully received. Please send your check to Fred Weals, Treasurer, HSUMD, at 551 E. Dana, Ridgecrest, CA 93555, or bring a check to our meeting on October 21 at the Museum. Many thanks!

JOAN BROOKS BOOK

In our September newsletter we announced that HSUMD member, Joan Brooks, has published a book, DESERT PADRE - The Life and Writings of Father John Crowley. The book is now available in the Museum Store.

NOVEMBER PROGRAM

The November program will feature a panel discussion on the NWC Community Federal Credit Union which is celebrating its 50th anniversary. See you at the Museum on November 18 for this program.

DECEMBER MEETING

Our annual Christmas party and meeting will be Tuesday evening, December 16. Mark that date on your calendar now and we'll see you then for another of our special Christmas celebrations.

COOKIES AND CONVERSATION AT MATURANGO JUNCTION DAYS

Co-coordinators Charlotte Goodson and Barbara Hall report that plans are well underway for the "Cookies & Conversation" booth and that the cooks are baking and the early timers are rounded up to discourse upon local history at the booth. Come one and all to enjoy our hospitality at the Junction Oct. 18 and 19 at Jackson Park.

DID YOU KNOW? ...

Did you know that in 1943 what is now China Lake Boulevard was called Randsburg Road? One street led off to the west with Bill Bentham operating his grocery store which housed the library and post office. Also there was a gasoline pump if one had gas ration stamps during the war years (WW II). Joe Fox and his family lived at the west end of the road. There wasn't much in between.

Did you know that Joe Fox came to this area in 1934 when he got a job on the Los Flores Ranch, later called the Shangri La? He built a house from parts of old houses he found. When he had to pay $12.00 a month for water from the Crum Dairy, he and his sons dug a well, three feet in diameter, 119 feet deep, all by hand with a bucket and winch and the dirt was scattered out on the desert so no one could tell they were digging or else their water supply might have been cut off before they hit water.

Did you know that Prohibition brought a variety of problems? Here on the desert complaints were that the officers thought the bootleg whiskey was so good that after they sampled the evidence, they decided to take plenty of evidence with them in case of snake bite?

FROM OUR PAST

The following article is taken from a book of interviews conducted and written by a group of sixth graders under the direction of Ms. Gaylinn Cloonan, a teacher at Los Flores School in 1982. They wrote the book because they were interested in the history of Indian Wells Valley.

MEMORIES OF THE KIRSHMEIERS

by Heather Williams Aerann Wallace

The Kirshmeiers have been residents of the Indian Wells Valley for over thirty-five years. Mr. Kirshmeier came to Trona in 1938 to visit a cousin. He ended up getting a job working for the American Potash and Chemical Company bringing the Kirshmeier to Ridgecrest in 1946. Mr. Kirshmeier worked on the base for about a year, and then started building his own business, the Midway Hotel and Cafe, which he owned for about ten years.

After selling this first business venture, he built apartments that he rented to families in the area.

Neither Mr. nor Mrs. Kirshmeier can remember the population when they first moved here, but they know it has increased tremendously. When they first arrived, Ridgecrest looked like a field of desert. There was a store called Corcoran's Corner. Corcoran's Corner (Bentham's Corner? Ed.) had a service station, a grocery store and a post office and was located on the corner where the Bank of America is now.

Neither of the Kirshmeiers went to school here, but they know the school system is a lot bigger now. When they first came, James Monroe was the elementary school and Murray was the high school on base.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Kirshmeier agree that there were some good things about living in Ridgecrest then, and yet there are some very good things now, as well. In 1945 there was not so much of the red tape which slows down work and construction; however, they think we have a better town now. They like the way Ridgecrest has grown larger, but hope never to see it become a gigantic town. They also like Ridgecrest because there is not as much crime and no smog.

However, the weather is one thing the Kirshmeiers do not like. They dislike the sandstorms and the very hot summers. The one thing that Mr. Kirshmeier would change if he could is to stop wind from blowing and to get a little more rain. He feels a greater rainfall would lessen our need to irrigate. He said, "If we didn't have to irrigate, we could raise nicer lawns. This town could then be called a farm."

If there are any specific improvements they would like to see, they would be for the kids to grow up to be good citizens and that people quit filling the streets with trash. Mr. Kirshmeier feels, "It's a messy deal to drive down a street and see all of these (sic) paper sacks, the McDonald cups, and all of that stuff. Besides, since there is a five-hundred dollar fine to do that, you would think people wouldn't do it."

We enjoyed interviewing Mr. and Mrs. Kirshmeier, who were very helpful. We hope to see the Kirshmeiers' dream for the future come true. It would be wonderful if people would pick up the litter and always keep in mind that the desert is our home.