HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF THE UPPER MOJAVE DESERT

Vol. 15, No. 6
September 19, 2000

WELCOME BACK!

Welcome back to a new season of Historical Society programs and activities.
We hope the summer went well for all of you, both those who traveled and
those who stayed here and endured the summer heat and humidity!

"TREASURE HUNT" AT OUR SEPTEMBER MEETING

Almost every household has treasures from the past - tools, tableware,
gadgets that were used in the late 1800s or early 1900s, etc. Bring your
item in to share at the September meeting of the Historical Society and see
if you can stump the audience as to its use and purpose.

If you have an interesting item that could be shown but you are not able to
attend the meeting, call George (377-5241) and he will gladly present it
for you. This is an audience participation meeting and should be lots of
fun.

The meeting starts 7:30 p.m.,Tuesday, September 19, in the Winslow Gallery
of the Maturango Museum. Bring a friend! Refreshments will be served
after the meeting George Silberberg.

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

It won't be long until we can sing this ditty I recall from grade school days:

"Come little leaves said the wind one day,
Come o'er the meadows with me and play.
Put on your dresses of red and gold,
Summer is gone and the days grow cold."

So, how was your summer? Do anything involving history? While vacationing
I started another collection. This one is about our country's renowned
Liberty Bell. Other than some small Liberty Bell replicas it consists of a
couple of bicentennial items such an aluminum ice bucket in the shape of
the Liberty Bell, and a decanter that has a music box which plays the Star
Spangled Banner when you pick it up to pour. I am also looking for texts
about the bell.

How familiar are you with where and in what year was our Liberty Bell at
Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia actually made?
England? France? United States? 1752? 1753?

Did you know that Kern County has a full scale operational replica of the
Liberty Bell in Bakersfield? It is a fascinating historical subject.
Lou Pracchia

HISTORICAL SOCIETY OPEN HOUSE

The board of the HSUMD invites all its members of the Historical Society of
the Upper Mojave Desert to an Open House at its present location, 302
Station St., Ridgecrest.

The Open House will be held on Saturday, October 28, between 1:00 and 4:00 p.m.
This is your chance to see some of our collections and get an overview of
our activities, as well as visit with other members. Light refreshments
will be served.

We are grateful to Mr. Jody Allred who has generously provided us with this
temporary home of our own and enabled us to have a presence in the
community. Susan Hueber

CALL FOR OLD TELEPHONE DIRECTORIES

We have a need for Ridgecrest telephone directories for the period prior to
August 1959, although we do have one for October 1950. Our collection is
good from 1959 to the present. If you have any old local directories which
you would be willing to give to the Society, please give Lou Pracchia a
call at 375-7385. Lou Pracchia.

DESERT MAGAZINES STILL NEEDED

Although we have acquired a pretty good collection of copies of Desert
Magazine, we are still in need of more, including duplicates which are
useful in trading for needed issues. If you have any copies you are
willing to donate to the Society, please give Lou Pracchia a call at
375-7385. Lou Pracchia

CATHOLIC MASS IN RANDSBURG.

On Sunday, 24 September 2000, at 5.00 p.m., a Sunday Mass will be
celebrated in the Santa Barbara Roman Catholic Church in Randsburg by Fr.
Robert Gamel of St. Ann's, Ridgecrest. Jim Vascov, an Azusa-based
musicologist, will play the hymns - all very familiar - and other authentic
service music on the church's historic harmonium. This is the first time a
Sunday Mass with 'live' music has been celebrated in Randsburg in many,
many, many years! Seating is very limited for this special worship
experience.
Lorraine Blair

VISIT TO PLUM COTTAGE, RANDSBURG

A visit by Historical Society members is planned to the Plum Cottage in
Randsburg at 10:00 a.m., on Saturday, November 4. Details will be in our
October newsletter.

OCTOBER PROGRAM

A panel discussion of the history of medical services in the Indian Wells
Valley, led by Gary Staab, will be our Tuesday, October 17, program.
Details will be in our October newsletter.

NEW HSUMD BOARD MEETING DATES.

At its September meeting, the HSUMD board of directors decided to meet the
first TUESDAY of each month at 1:00 p.m. in our building at 302 Station
Street. The meetings are open to our members.

RAILROAD CAR HOUSE TOUR

Another tour of the "railroad car house", hosted by owner Bill Reed, is
being planned for Saturday October 14. The house is located at 761 W.
Church. Parking at the curb is recommended The house incorporates a
former Trona Railroad caboose. The tours will start on the hour, beginning
at 9:00 a.m. and last for about 40 minutes each. A maximum of 14 people
per tour can be accommodated. This will be an ADULTS ONLY tour because of
the fragile nature of much of the contents of the house. The tour cost per
person is $5.00 cash or check payable to the Historical Society at time of
reservation. The tour is by reservation only. Arrangements have been made
for the Gift Shop at the Maturango Museum to handle the reservations. .
Lou Pracchia

CONDOLENCES

During the summer, Margaret "Peggie" Thorpe, daughter of members Richard
and Kathi Moe, passed away. Our condolences to the family.

JOHN FARON

Word has been received that former HSUMD board member John Faron has
successfully received a heart transplant. His mail address is 4427 Old
River St., Oceanside, CA 920557.

BUSINESS MEMBERS

We appreciate the support of our business members: The Swap Sheet, Granite
Construction Co. Sand and Gravel and Farris' at the Heritage.

SAGE BRUSH WHISPERS

Following is the fourth installment of an historical article about the
Chambers' homesteading experience in Indian Wells Valley. On October 26,
1926, Irene Chambers wrote the following memories of their move to the
Indian Wells Valley in 1918.

The Chambers' homestead was located 3 miles east of Leliter and 4 miles NNE
of Inyokern.

In the previous installments, she told of their decision to homestead in
the Indian Wells Valley , their move to the homestead and their settling
down experiences.

Spelling and punctuation are as in the original.
Ed.

In the evening, we would sit out on the sand and watch the lights of
machines come up over the top of the mountain twelve miles away. We would
watch and wait to see if there was any coming by Inyokern or go on around
the mountain. We had hopes that if they came towards Inyokern they would
be some of our folks. Oh, how glad we were for some one to come! One
night we saw a big light bob up over the top. Yes, No. Yes! It was
coming down by Inyokern. Fred said it's Uncle F.G." Mollie said "You
can't tell yet who
it is." "But I tell you it is Uncle F.G." he insisted, even though he were
ten miles away.

We all watched and waited. Yes it's coming right through Inyokern and right
this way. Oh who is it? Are they coming here? Fred again said it was
Uncle F.G. and on they came. At last they were down to the corner and
headed up the lane. Oh! only a desert rat knows how glad we all were. For
when the machine stopped there was F.G. and Winnie. They had a little boy
with them, taking him to Lone Pine. He had been visiting his grandma in
Los Angeles. He was very bashful and would not come in the house to eat
his supper, and Fred and Peggy took it out to him. He also slept in the
car. His name was Lester.

One damp, cold Sunday morning, almost a snow, the children saw a man coming
up the road from Leliter, the railroad station. Of course we all guessed
who it was. Must be a tramp. He had a big bundle on his back and he
walked as if it were heavy. Coming awfully slow --- now he is resting. Oh
we all knew it was a tramp! How scared we were. What would we do if he
should come to the house! Oh, would we talk to him! What would we do?
Then Fred peeped out from around the curtain and yelled; "Mamma, it's Daddy!"

We were all out and around him in a jiffy. You see, he came in on the
train. The sun was not shining so he could not signal us. He had to walk
and carry a big bundle of fresh vegetables and fruits. He stayed until
train time (nine o'clock) that night. Mollie and Fred went part way with
him. They came back sobbing---he went on crying. HOME SICK --- all of us!
Home sick and heart sick! Would the land be worth the trouble we were
going through? No, we would not be quitters. Others were having a harder
time than we.
Yes, we would stay, but we wanted to go home.

One dear, good woman there with two little babies, no machine, had to
depend on neighbors for her provisions and mail, and many others were
having a harder time than we were.

(To be concluded)