The Tehachapi News presents
UR HISTORY O
A Fourth of July parade, circa 1890, is seen here proceeding north along Curry Street. The building with the peaked roof is seen on the present-day location of the Talmarc Building.
COURTESY TEHACHAPI HERITAGE LEAGUE A collection of historic photos, stories and personal memories of how Tehachapi became the community it is today. EarlyEarly settlers,settlers, PagesPages 2-32-3
City’sCity’s pathpath toto successsuccess followedfollowed ImpactImpact ofof thethe thethe railroad,railroad, 19521952 earthquake,earthquake, PagesPages 6-76-7 COURTESY OF THE TEHACHAPI HERITAGE LEAGUE PagesPages 8-98-9 John Brite erected the area’s first sawmill COURTESY OF KELCY’S CAFE ALEX HORVATH / THE CALIFORNIAN in 1860 in a canyon just south of his ranch The 1952 earthquake devastated Tehachapi’s commercial house (from the book “Images of America A BNSF freight train starts a slow trek around the Tehachapi district. TEHACHAPI,” by Gloria Hine Gossard). Loop, Oct. 23, 2018. A look at our history TEHACHAPI NEWS Today, Tehachapi News quake, our old cemeter- We’re often looking at takes a step back in time ies, the people who have what’s next — When do with this special history lived here for decades we have to drop the kids section. and more. off at school or shuttle We tapped local his- There’s something here them to their next ath- torians and our staff to to surprise and delight letic event? What’s for present key dates in local even those who are well- dinner? What preparation history. We’re taking a versed in local history. is needed to deliver that look at our early begin- We hope you enjoy fantastic presentation at nings, the importance of our look back — as Te- work? What’s there to do water delivery and the hachapi continues to make this weekend? railroad, the 1952 earth- progress.
Prominent events in Tehachapi’s history...... 2-3 COURTESY OF THE TEHACHAPI HERITAGE LEAGUE John Brite erected the area’s first sawmill in 1860 in a canyon just south of his ranch A look at Tehachapi before house (from the book “Images of America TEHACHAPI,” by Gloria Hine Gossard). and after Europeans arrived ...... 5 Tehachapi’s history follows the railroad...... 6-7 Tehachapi’s early 1952 earthquake was defining moment in town’s history ...... 8-9 City’s oldest commercial building
OUR HISTORY history ... at a glance TEHACHAPI NEWS survived the earthquake...... 10-11 n 1987, local historian Pat Gracey wrote a 100- Researchers unearth clues Iyear history for St. Mal- to past at old cemetery...... 12-13 achy Church’s centennial commemoration. Vintage postcards show “Each notation has vol- umes of history behind it, how things have changed ...... 14-15 but it’s nice to get a glimpse of the ‘goings on’ of the Older residents talk people who came before about what used to be...... 16-17 us,” Gracey wrote in her introduction. BAKERSFIELD CALIFORNIAN FILE PHOTO Old Timers Reunions bring past, Among those historical dates noted by Gracey: Jedediah Smith present residents together ...... 18 COURTESY OF MOJAVEDESERT.NET Local man Everett Sims Padre Francisco Garces celebrates 105th birthday...... 19
Padre Francisco Garces Hospital a prominent part Kit Carson guides trappers traverses the Tehachapi through the valley over Jede- of community ...... 20 Pass with four Mojave Indian diah Smith’s route. guides. Water was key ingredient to communities coming together ...... 22 John C. Fremont crosses Jedediah Smith crosses Tehachapi and Oak Creek History’s all around us with the Tehachapi Pass as the
Wednesday, November 27, 2019 27, November Wednesday, News Tehachapi passes. first American to see the installation of downtown plaques ...... 23 2 area. WIKIMEDIA.ORG Please see TIMELINE | 3 John C. Fremont OUR HISTORY Wednesday, November 27, 2019 Tehachapi News 3 - . The church is church rick Bannon. The with citizens local built by help financial considerable The family. the Fickert from include boundaries parish east Valley, Owens north to the to and south Needles to priest The area. Lancaster and train by travels often in the engine with therides engineer. Tehachapi becomes an in- becomes Tehachapi city. corporated Tehachapi Bank of The in $100,000 of boasts capital. parish by the bishop. The the bishop. by parish Pat is Father pastor first COURTESY OF THE TEHACHAPI HERITAGE LEAGUE HERITAGE TEHACHAPI THE OF COURTESY COURTESY OF THE TEHACHAPI HERITAGE LEAGUE HERITAGE TEHACHAPI THE OF COURTESY - - The Tehachapi Methodist Church, shown here in 1916, is in 1916, here shown Church, Methodist Tehachapi The streets. D and Green of corner the southeast on located (From in 1871. conducted first were services Protestant Gloria by TEHACHAPI,” America of the book “Images Hine Gossard). ing located on Green and D on Green ing located be known to later streets, Congre as the Community church The Church. gational services holds regular still E and Green of on the corner streets. - Method Tehachapi The is Church ist-Episcopal build with the first founded, Church Catholic Malachy St. a is built and designated The St. Malachy Catholic Church and rectory located on located and rectory Church Catholic Malachy St. The The built in 1916. was streets F and Pauley of the corner The and Highline. Dennison to moved later was rectory the Bank and became of remodeled was building church Sierra. The Indians build rude hutsThe A Mass. offer him to for hair and man with red large robes, plus the white beard, the Indians think he is makes divine origin. of - - , assistant , assistant Marron thew Church Mary’s St. of pastor at is offered Mass in Visalia. Pauley Anton the home of built yet. was no church since , Denpflin William Father travels Priest, a Dominican California, of a wide area In The including Tehachapi. Blanco him Padre dians call robes. his white of because The first Catholic Mass, Catholic first The in is celebrated on record, Mat Father by Tehachapi greatly changes the shipping changes greatly the for and transportation citizens. local COURTESY OF THE TEHACHAPI HERITAGE LEAGUE HERITAGE TEHACHAPI THE OF COURTESY COURTESY OF THE TEHACHAPI HERITAGE LEAGUE HERITAGE TEHACHAPI THE OF COURTESY - - - vent the necessary altitude. the necessary vent mit Station, but the name mit Station, with the moves Tehachapi in from who come settlers The Old Town. is now what Railroad Pacific Southern the spelling finalizes also had a which Tehachapi, of spellings up to of variety railroad new The point. that The town of Tehachapi is Tehachapi of town The Rail when the S.P. founded the on builds a depot road Sum called It is first site. Pat Gracey, left, and Nadine Hessing stand in front of a of in front stand left, Nadine Hessing and Gracey, Pat YRS.” 100 Celebrates “Tehachapi says that photo framed Tehachapi to the southland. to Tehachapi is the Loop Tehachapi The in the accomplishment first special Loop The project. the old allows construction circum to engines steam - - - Hos , Wiggins and Hale. Tyler Louesa MarieLouesa , Cuddeback , Brite Hart, family arrives in arrives family Fickert becomes theJohn Narboe becomes Tehachapi. of postmaster line opens from A railroad - Free Farmer William Susan man and his wife, by , arrive Medlin Freeman in settle to wagon covered their year, That Tehachapi. child, Susan “Califor first , is born. The nia” Freeman them seven takes journey Na from travel to months Texas. County, varro The The Valley. Bear moves Pauley toAnton his health for Tehachapi and a farming and pursues Pauley business. butcher him. is named after Street the land for donates He later on Church Malachy St. first F Street. The old Tehachapi School in Old Town in 1890. Students and their teacher pose before before pose and their teacher Students in 1890. in Old Town School Tehachapi old The district The District. School the Tehachapi represented that school one-room the new, the approved legislators state after months eight just 1866, 9, on Nov. created was in the county. district making it the first County, Kern of formation teacher, teacher, in arrives (Crites), Jewett The on horseback. Tehachapi her students of names last include sick, , Dozier -
- LEAGUE , Brite John Moore Lucinda Caroline Caroline Lucinda COURTESY OF THE TEHACHAPI HERITAGE HERITAGE TEHACHAPI THE OF COURTESY
The first woman school woman first The Valley. ducts school in Tehachapi in Tehachapi school ducts Store. - con first Wiggins William cated at Ed Green’s General General Green’s Ed at cated (then Tehachapi). It is lo Tehachapi). (then postmaster of Old Town Old Town of postmaster is the first is the first Wiggins Squire held in Tehachapi. ebration in Kern County is County in Kern ebration - July cel of Fourth first The he settles in the valley bear in the valley he settles while on a cattle drive. Later, Later, drive. while on a cattle ing his name. sees the Tehachapi Valley Valley the Tehachapi sees George Cummings firstGeorge . Wiggins “Callie” marries marries John Moore Brite’s son, Jim, son, Brite’s John Moore two families unite when unite families two settles in Brite’s Valley. The Valley. in Brite’s settles this year, the Wiggins family family the Wiggins this year, called “Brite’s Valley.” Also Valley.” “Brite’s called family settled in what they in what settled family hachapi. Amanda, and their his wife, possible railroad route. railroad possible - Te in arrives settler first The explores Tehachapi Pass as a Pass Tehachapi explores
Lt. Robert Williamson Lt. TIMELINE 2 PAGE from Continued George Cummings George The History of RE/MAX Tehachapi 1988 to present
A lazy little intersection with stop signs, old farm houses and two Every agent that ever worked for Jack loved him dearly. He was an Icon lane roads has become a thriving center with double turn lanes, in the community. While agents and staff have come and gone, each 4 lane roads, and a State Highway. It was risky, but Jack Williams had one that graced the doors of the RE/MAX office offered something a vision when he developed the mini-market and then the strip center special and unique. This legacy is evidenced by our current front where RE/MAX Tehachapi has resided for 31 years. His motto even desk administrator that was in the same position 20 years ago, but before the movie made it famous… if you build it, they will come. returned 2 years ago. In Rene’e’s return interview we asked what she liked best about RE/MAX and she said, “Jack”. Through the ups and downs of the real estate market, Jack and Diana remained steadfastly committed to the RE/MAX office. Even the great recession of the late 2000’s did not stop them from serving their clients faithfully. The RE/MAX philosophy has always been to serve the client first. When Jack passed away in 2018, it was a blow to the community, the RE/MAX family, and especially to Diana who had been his partner in Soon Jack’s vision marriage, real estate, and life for became Diana’s over 30 years. OUR HISTORY vision as they made But even his passing didn’t stop the front page of RE/MAX Tehachapi and Diana from the Tehachapi News: honoring his legacy by bringing in a partner who is a young visionary, An event the entire Adonae Faris. She and Diana are dedicated to the continued town talked about… a development of the RE/MAX tradition in Tehachapi. Within 2 months wedding in the RE/MAX of his passing, and with heavy yet hopeful hearts, Diana and Adonae hot air balloon. Right in honored Jack with a celebration of his life and the 30th anniversary the parking lot! of RE/MAX Tehachapi. Jack’s legacy continues as Adonae and Diana have big plans for RE/ MAX Tehachapi. Always modeling their vision after Jack’s vision over Our Mission: Empowering Agents 31 years ago, but in preparation for the next 30 years serving a to live joyful and abundant lives. community they both love. As we say goodbye to 2019, RE/MAX Tehachapi will roar into 2020 with a new state of the art office location! Stay tuned for more developments, big announcements, and RE/MAX Tehachapi exciting days ahead for the RE/MAX family. Serving Tehachapi for more than 30 years DRE# 00997386 Wednesday, November 27, 2019 27, November Wednesday, News Tehachapi Call us at 661-822-8888 • 798 Tucker Rd Ste. 1, Tehachapi, CA 93561 4 OUR HISTORY Wednesday, November 27, 2019 Tehachapi News 5 - - e. in as for rag e ve Approx ga Approx ser producing car interim $645,000. acreag uld the high w/2 nd! hachapi! Wo location. Fi in & Te Zoned ty of Ag ate rkshop visible tential. luable City Priv Wo . Va proper Po the County 1980! Highly cial of t rental 4B/2B nished able acs. Fi As for the wind, it has lopment. hear nice ve ll. as far as descriptionas far goes. however, is documented, It word that the Kawaiisu “hard means “Tiha-cipi-a” must also so it, too, climb” on the list. Ibe included nest” “high eagles the favor myself. However, always prevailed. ofjust 20 miles southeast the our fair city in Mojave, master of all winds can on occasion, 80-plus reach, hun One miles per hour. been winds have dred-mile and have officially recorded the small town, battered mywhich happens to be of my first One birthplace. memories lis is lying in bed tening to the wind whistling our home. around wrote Davis Gracey Pat this story to be included in “The of Tehachapi,” Spirit 2008. 2, copyright Aug. with is included here It permission. a Desir Commer de 7.81 the 1751sf We Since n w/ ate 20 - 15 Dual Bar . - Priv Mtn! Approx Built Stall wing Approx BEST ters Local boards 4 arena.
2018 2018 Mann split s” + cility $995,000 Custom quar rently Cummings Fa nouts. C of Cur tur . 3B/3B 2014 Guest Zoned. ws expansion Ag vie Ste Boarding ll. acres. 2B/2B for Multiple suites. 2034sf hachapi We / ehachapi’ rking Te stunning “T 800sf. Even the meaning of the the meaning of Even of water and “Plenty Wo Master useable horses. Approx w/room literacy was something that something was literacy not every possessed. citizen and not read could Some write those who at all and often not as could were learned could have as they to believe. liked people accountThis may possibly the in for the difference spellings that once pre Pacific The Southern vailed. it and is finalized Railroad for the current responsible spelling, Tehachapi. seems to vary withword story. the person telling the in print, people When it’s likely to think it is au are is not thentic, but that really Sometimes, always the case. creep local interpretations to beinto what is thought and as a result, actual lore many variations prevail. “windy place,” acorns,” “crow’s “high eagles nest,” place covered “flat nest, and could all be valid with oaks” Blvd Just & of . . Master mature - Elk rm l Million Shop- - by ve le local Boasting Approx Theresa $1.39 by 2400sf dotted tainment compressor main nt! hachapi 2 Office ga Air kind! + enter Te a Ele ounds & TRUSTED of gr Massive frequented bar W. finished, 5B/4B elements. One acs! 01281667 scenic Full 5 Casually trees, r Fully # finest ate ove 5500sf oak wildlife. the Priv Suites. 661.208.4088 LIC 1100 It is interesting to note to is interesting It Padre Blanco left for left Blanco Padre quest echoed his love of the quest echoed his love Americans Native California who had befriended him Indian when he asked for an hisblanket to be put around shoulders. anthe many spellings of to spell name: hard already the period of In Tehachapi. time when many spellings Tehichipa, such as Tehecita, and oth Tah-ee-chay-pay used, one must ers were that during theremember mid-nineteenth century, stature; thick, red beard and beard thick, red stature; calledThey robes. white and were Blanco him Padre not the last,the first, but Tehachapi the people in to be kind to visitors area their valley. coming to next in 1896 and was Rome of in the Mission heard Years of Guatemala. Fields thin and weather old, later, New beaten, he died in a last re His hospital. York Inthe beginning ws om .c ws ehachapiNe com/T COURTESY OF PAT DOODY PAT OF COURTESY ehachapiNe T cebook. Fa rude brush chapels (called built in which heKahnis) They Mass. could celebrate of somewhat in awe were him because of his large ews
s issue ’s ation ednesday or consider tablished such an orderly tablished such an orderly for his visits that theroutine able to send were Kawaiisu scouts ahead to announce his coming so as to have Father William Denpflin, who was a missionary to the to a missionary who was Denpflin, William Father 1879-1895. from mountains Nevada the Sierra Indians of e or call: wing W y sday - esday f - - - - ollo ednesday & Ad ecutiv hur - Tu rida ehachapi N - 28
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Get your N Later, in 1879, Father in 1879, Father Later, The first local people, The first local people, through the valley. He es He the valley. through Order, began yearly trips began yearly Order, priest of the Dominican William Denpflin, a Catholic Denpflin, William Fremont in the early 1800s. Fremont Jedediah Smith and John C. and John Smith Jedediah people as was Kit Carson, was greeted kindly by these kindly by was greeted Father Francisco Garces Garces Francisco Father Native Americans and wel Native 1776, into their land. In themselves, were peaceful were themselves, comed the first explorers (The as they called People), the Kawaiisu, or the Nuwa or the Nuwa the Kawaiisu, of the first residents. trude upon the ideal home Range, it didn’t seem to in it didn’t Range, range to the north, the val range Tehachapi the just over of the great Sierra Nevada Nevada Sierra of the great was blessedley in between Desert located was Mojave to the south and the tip endto the south and the the Tehachapi Mountains the Tehachapi along with pine and fir. With fir. along with pine and cent oaks grew in profusion cent oaks grew running streams. Magnifi running streams. grasses, wild game and grasses,
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Tehachapi... GRACEY DAVIS PAT BY News Tehachapi Special to T CARA JACKSON / TEHACHAPI NEWS The Tehachapi Loop can be viewed between Keene and Tehachapi on Woodford-Tehachapi Road.
OUR HISTORY Tehachapi’s path to success follows the railroad BY CARA JACKSON The Southern Pacific that passed by the mines of of William Hood, Southern Engineers. The Loop was engineered [email protected] Railroad, in 1867, filed a Havilah, Cerro Gordo and Pacific Railroad Engineer. “This feat of civil engi- so the trains could easily ll who heard the map of the general route the Panamint, added the book. In gaining elevation around neering genius was the climb and go down the whistle, felt the vi- company would take start- “Construction of the line (the) central hill of loop a crowning achievement of steep elevation and rest or Abration and saw the ing at San Francisco and was not difficult until the 4,000 foot train will cross civil engineer William Hood prepare the brakes, said clouds of white and dark coming into the San Joa- barrier of the Tehachapi 77 feet above its rear cars of the Southern Pacific Rail- Thomas. smoke knew — business quin Valley. The path would range was met. Here engi- in (the) tunnel below,” said road Company. It is one of Thomas said the fastest owners’ goods would soon then turn south and into neers faced the problem of a plaque placed at the site the seven wonders of the speed the trains would go at be loaded; loved ones would the Tehachapi mountains rising 4,000 feet to traverse in 1953 by the Kern County railroad world,” added the the Loop was 25 mph or, “if soon see their relatives re- toward Mojave. The railroad 46 miles,” said a bulletin Historical Society. plaque. you went faster, you would turning from war; transpor- passed into Bakersfield on from “The Story of the San The Loop is located be- The completion of the fall off.” tation to see another place the north bank of the Kern Joaquin Division,” by F.M. tween Keene and the city railroad didn’t come with- Eyewitness accounts of its would be granted — it was River, and established the Worthington, superinten- of Tehachapi on Wood- out cost. construction are recorded the railroad. terminal of Sumner in 1874. dent of the Southern Pacific ford-Tehachapi Road and More than 300 Chinese in written form in the early Let’s take a look back The location was ideal since Railroad, dated 1920. can be partially viewed from workers were buried in 1900s. through the years at how Bakersfield was subject to Broome Road off of High- a basin east of Caliente. Mary Kessing of Te- the railroad came to the flooding in downtown Ches- THE TEHACHAPI PASS way 58. Their bodies were exhumed hachapi said in a personal area and what major events ter Avenue from the Kern AND LOOP The work resulted in 18 several years later and re- account in 1920, “My are noted through time. River, said the “Southern Laborers used pick tunnels, 10 bridges, numer- turned to China, said the husband and I joined the More than 130 years have Pacific-Santa Fe Tehachapi” and shovel, horse-drawn ous water tunnels for steam book, “The Chinese of Kern Southern Pacific construc- passed since the railroad book by John R. Signor. carts and more than 600 locomotives, all completed County 1857-1960,” by Wil- tion forces at Caliente to came to Tehachapi. It ini- Then, in 1875, a tem- kegs of blasting hercules in just two years, starting in liam Holland Boyd. keep a boarding house for tially began with a series porary railroad track line powder per week to cut 1874, said another plaque The Tehachapi Loop is the men who were on the of Pacific Railway Acts, in reached Caliente, where through solid and decom- dedicated in 1998 at the labeled by some to be an big work... The work was which the federal govern- the railroad recruited more posed granite through the Loop’s viewing site. The engineering marvel. rather monotonous, noth- ment provided loans and than 3,000 Chinese laborers Tehachapi pass, said the plaque was dedicated by Rufus Thomas, a Te- ing, but hard work day-af- land grants for a transcon- to continue the line all the “Southern Pacific-Santa Fe the History and Heritage hachapi resident and for- ter-day. The laborers were tinental railroad across way to Tehachapi. Business Tehachapi” book by John R. Committee of Los Angeles mer conductor of 40 years Chinamen who hauled dirt Wednesday, November 27, 2019 27, November Wednesday, News Tehachapi sections of the U.S. starting and land deals boomed Signor. Section and Southern San for the Southern Pacific, re- in little two wheeled carts.” in 1862, according to britan- in Caliente as the railroad The Loop was “completed Joaquin Branch of America, members traveling through 6 nica.com. made profit hauling freight in 1876 under the direction American Society of Civil the Loop. Please see RAILROAD | 7 OUR HISTORY Wednesday, November 27, 2019 Tehachapi News 7 ------$ p.m. a.m. to 4 - - /LJKW :H ,Q 6KLQHG $ The railroad changed The railroad She added, “There were were “There added, She As the work continued,As the work “While we were camped“While were we The living conditionsThe living TEHACHAPI AREA TEHACHAPI FORMATION OF THE THE OF FORMATION RAILROAD 6 PAGE from Continued cattle owned by the cattle by cattle owned a stage depot and post of a stage depot and post land for the was range valley out in the foothills.” Te the settlements in the of Greenwich, in the town no houses there then, only no houses there The fice called Greenwich. were men whose ranches Residents hachapi area. toward Tehachapi. toward they were transferred up transferred they were said Kessing. hunt the shelter of a tent,” tent,” hunt the shelter of a blown down, so we had to so we down, blown moved and our house was moved was a big storm we the night tunnel No. 14 is now. There There 14 is now. tunnel No. the canyon to about where where to about the canyon From there we moved on up moved we there From daughter Jennie was born. daughter Jennie where the Loop is now, my the Loop is now, where were far from ideal. far from were 8 Tehachapi News Wednesday, November 27, 2019 OUR HISTORY T [email protected] BY STEVEN MAYER rattlesstill our memories and nerves Decades later, the 1952 earthquake ous repairs. building would require seri no onewasinjured, the And whileitappeared that made itsafelytothepatio. bed aswe did.” wear asmuchclothingto of ourneighborsdidnot we realized wasthatsome dust. One ofthefirstthings amid thefallingplasterand recalled inanemail. of 1906. great San Francisco quake most powerful sincethe of California, thestate’s ever recorded inthehistory out tobeoneofthelargest wouldturn that morning magnitude of7.5,thequake to come. With anestimated their communityforyears lives andthecharacter of that wouldchangetheir of powerful earthquakes the first inaseries riencing and theHolsons were expe power lines.” flashes oflightfrom arcing windows we couldseehuge and shelves. Through the falling from cupboards dust, andourbelongings amidst plasterandfalling son. “We leapedfrom bed remembered TomHol up anddown onthefloor,” our Murphy bedpounding ened by loudnoises, and we weremorning, awak room hadcometolife. and down asiftheentire hoppingup when itstarted asleep intheirMurphy bed Bakersfield, thecouplewere and Fstreets indowntown Yorker at18th apartments later beknown as The New beneath them—literally. moved1952 whentheearth Many witnessesreported Everyone inthebuilding “We raced down thestairs “It wasterrifying,” Holson It was4:52 “About 5o’clock inthe Living inwhatwould in the summer of in thesummerof were stillnewlyweds om andBetty Holson a.m. onJuly 21, - - - - north. to Sonoma County inthe from Mexico inthesouth some 160,000square miles, a seismicshiftfeltacross had beenatthecenterof dents wouldsoonlearn, and Tehachapi. rection between Bakersfield di inanortheasterly earth which cutsagashinthe the WhiteWolfFault, along ment oftheEarth’s crust It wasamassive displace Kern County thatmorning. tobucklebeneath earth weapon thatcausedthe atomic war. There waseven talkof in theskytosouthwest. ange glow flashes andfiery seeing a mysterious red-orseeing amysterious Tehachapi’s commercial district after the1952 earthquake. For 45seconds, aneter Kern County, itsresi But itwasn’t anuclear - - - - - memory itself diedthatday.memory few —mostin Tehachapi — wouldnever forget. survived mostwho an experience other communitiesshared Delano, Shafter andseveral kersfield, Tehachapi, Arvin, nity tosome, peopleinBa- and shelves.”and cupboards from belongings falling our and dust, plaster falling and “ from bed amidst resident — But the destruction and But and the destruction Tragically foranunlucky Tom Holson,Bakersfield We leaped shifted. shookand denly theearth headed intoanother. Sud leaving onetunnel and . He waschugging along, andTehachapiBakersfield mountainous area between engineer onthetrain inthe back again. toBarstow Bakersfield and drove afreight train from the SantaFe Railroad. He Bill Connor, wasworking for destruction. ofthe would takethebrunt Tuesday —andBakersfield 22 —exactly65years ago ofAug.on theafternoon aftershock, wouldstrike second temblor, apowerful ter amonthofaftershocks, a weresuffering notover. Af On Aug. 22, hewasthe In August 1952, my father, n - - kersfield safeandsound. for goodreason. The moun Tehachapi Earthquake, and monly referred toasthe quake ofJuly 21iscom- and delivered themtoBa man. He picked themup California Highway Patrol first carstocomeby wasa their thumbs. Highway 58andstuckout They hikedacross agullyto OK, sotheyleftthetrain. the caboose. checked onthebrakeman in got thetrain stoppedand end. He andthefireman tower fellacross theother end ofthetrain andawater The Kern County Earth Fortunately, oneofthe All three train menwere A tunnelcollapsedonone — Monica Connor-Young COURTESY OF KELCY’S CAFE n - - - in 2012. he spoketo The Californian math remained vividwhen anditsafter the earthquake of in 2015,buthismemories Beckham died quake struck. was achildof9whenthe the Tehachapi CityCouncil, on later inlifewouldserve steel rails. wire coathangers, notsolid into S-shapesasiftheywere Bakersfield were twisted between Tehachapi and ily damaged. Train tracks wasdestroyedtrict orheav- community’s businessdis Close to70percent ofthe tle hadbeenwagedthere. ble, asifagreat bat- military community wasleftinrub slept. lapse inuponthemasthey andcol walls tocrumble caused unreinforced brick as theviolentshaking children. Tehachapi, mostofthem occurred inandaround 10ofthedeaths near Arvin, Bakersfield andanother in victims diedofinjuries While oneofthedozen ens more were injured. family, were killed.Doz five membersofasingle that day. 1952, suffered losses terrible numbered about1,500in tain community, which T slept. themupon as they in collapse and walls to crumble brick unreinforced shaking caused as the violent had achance Stanley A.Beckham, who Much ofthemountain Many never hadachance Twelve people, including Many never Please see QUAKE |9 - - - - - OUR HISTORY Wednesday, November 27, 2019 Tehachapi News 9 - - , - - se su di ST to DPN in PA ll QUAKE | 21 QUAKE see Please fe ot “I looked down and re looked down “I I told them, fine,’ “’I’m much.” “Not The witnesses told Some “Our neighbor, Mrs Pru neighbor, “Our dep ett, called from next door, door, next from ett, called not dressed.’ you’re ‘Gerry, I was wearing onlyalized Earthquake orunderpants. adolescentno earthquake, modesty kicked in, and I sprinted back into the andhouse and found jeans and then emerged T-shirt, a outside all morn remained the phone ing until I heard ring inside our house and my concerned answered call. parents’ kicking adolescent bravado scared.’ wasn’t ‘I in. a they thought Californian Others had derailed. train seeing cars parked reported jumping up on the street ing like rope-walkers, not rope-walkers, ing like the to to react how knowing instability. now 80, said in an email. an in said 80, now “Then sprinted I the out most found and door front on neighbors my Oildale of tip-toe lawns front their e th d an , ed at MUSEUM in s a s d le ly at ed rm wa ty wa an ar as TEHACHAPI’S th oy 2006 te “S g e ye ot 2020! fe at s tr . It was in lif sa as th rs FIBDIBQJEFQPU g. wa din des ne d Stanley A. Beckham, A. Stanley dep e “At first lurching, I first lurching, “At to il w TO ot s e is si an Ju th absolutely see to terrifying and men grown who women what know didn’t on. going was The adults didn’t had what know happened.” — former Tehachapi City Tehachapi former Councilman “ U writer and college professor, writer and college professor, old in 1952.was 15 years The teen had been left timefirst the for alone home so he could participate in unofficial football drills with High Memorial his Garces School teammates while his at a weekend spent parents Ranch. Jack thought the world was ending and I remained Haslam, terrified in bed,” cific ne bu enin , th ap vi wa dep a in ng Pa g ed n, pp to ch of ti g in - io s ier rn ha ha ta rm din ot at rl li ts il nd he fo Te . st ne min ea s sa e ut dep bu fac to faci of nel ti co e ill th XXX d ou So . wa les as st ar th pe on ol is ss th in t” t a ll by ty mi rs s e, y e t Pa ad COURTESY OF KELCY’S CAFE KELCY’S OF COURTESY n n n po il is i we is th ice pe let ar ro me ace e th th e il ap bu rv De as rs pl r RAILROAD mp s lco i ra nc or se ch of re fo ea ot st co r ap we ic Gerald Haslam, an Oildale Haslam, Gerald s na rt ha ar to nive re t ge te ch serious fault lines,” Beck serious fault lines,” could happen “It ham said. again.” native who would go on to who would native become an award-winning rk nt or e pa Te dep ri st in po en l to RAILROAD a ha e An th wo hi ss 1904 THE th n Te De n ma era be in uep i pa e us ga io in in bl to ad ce sev d 10th ap at th c ro d d be le er r ro ch of or an te ol g OF il of affi me e st g du pl ha uc ra tr Ou mm re ds in nin nu on r he tr il Te so s co en fo sc an th e Us ns es ra e ri pl 4:00. wa th ty wi um d. us co of all th , li “F il s It se NCE to ho r, ea e to um. on e. bu wa l faci ve ar ti t th mu se Beckham wondered wondered Beckham realize don’t “People 2008, re fir 2000s a , e ta um r TA ot we aloud how Kern County Kern aloud how if it was again would fare at the epicenter of another quake. large living on some pretty we’re 11:00 era y vi to ot th se mu by as ou 13, rl s ho a DEPOT op dep e in ly on ed om ea t Mu dep ne s wa d ti as as WE fr e on e oy Ju ic ol It on s, wc tr th ed . th 1971, The ti ed nv ay #M On en ac of efficien In In us des The 23” d. sho co nd g. tr rl e op p IMPOR at at it hi th ’ wo th Mo din rs il rs e ts to me to ne th bu en 2010 ca si ys e d ow . ev vi 5, y, THE da th an r ot ed us es ed ne y la on Railroad tunnels and tracks were heavily damaged by the 1952 earthquake. The tracks tracks The earthquake. the 1952 damaged by heavily were and tracks tunnels Railroad areas. and buried in other areas line in some out of heaved were outside of Tehachapi — in Tehachapi outside of it was a women’s those days, facility — was evacuated The due to safety concerns. housed 400 inmates were in tents outsidefor weeks the prison walls. ag ro tr Ju dep dn uir pu n tr IBDIBQJ un al me e - ga - on po We - acq in co th d be st nu - e ig en ty 5F g of an rk ci th t or mo op d, e e e nin wo ou er is te th th t th t an ov 8 uc on es pl of po Bu ti tr e e all at um: e. va De ns ic ar se on fir co no pl om TEHACHAPI SHOWCASES mu by re The re fr re As We Tehachapi Valley Valley Hospi Tehachapi Later, as his father drove father drove as his Later, He and his family were his family were and He “It was absolutely ter was absolutely “It outside. The state prison outside. to temporary tents set up was heavily damaged, forc hospitals or to other area tal, at Green and E streets, and E streets, tal, at Green of patients ing the removal continued for weeks. frequent aftershocks that aftershocks frequent parently frightened by the frightened by parently recalled seeing families liv recalled ap- ing in tents in the park, the family car, Beckham the family car, him through Tehachapi in Tehachapi him through of tension in the air.” Beckham. “There was a lot“There Beckham. the Russians,” recalled recalled the Russians,” were a lot of worries about were “Back in those days, there there in those days, “Back hills just north of Tehachapi. Tehachapi. hills just north of Portland Cement Co., in the Co., Cement Portland living in Monolith, near living in Monolith, happened.” adults didn’t know what had know adults didn’t Beckham Beckham “Therecalled. know what was going on,” what was going on,” know and women who didn’t who didn’t and women rifying to see grown men rifying see grown to QUAKE 8 PAGE from Continued 10 Tehachapi News Wednesday, November 27, 2019 OUR HISTORY T Special to Tehachapi News BY DELTROY building commercial oldest Tehachapi’s of history A Mill Street. G Street andwhatbecame of in businessonthecorner because ofaflourmillthen Street received itsname Street andMill Street. Mill blocks andaddingPauley the Townof Tehachapi two of boundary the western in August 1895,extending recorded asanaddition as thePauley Addition was F streets. ofPauleyat thecorner and Church builtin Tehachapi the firstRoman Catholic that hegave thelandfor businessmen. It isrecorded and J.N.Hackley, alllocal & Company, Isadore Asher A. Haralson, S.Heineman tions ofhisholdingstoJ. purchase. He soldpor through homesteadand quired 1,750acres ofland to makebricks. raised cattleandlaterbegan only business, ashealso head. This wasn’t Pauley’s numbered more than3,000 flocks whichatonetime havinggrazed large industry father of Tehachapi’s sheep acquired landandwasthe Springs. Pauley eventually ranch thatisnow Stallion cois Chanac,whohadthe He firstworked forFran the Tehachapis about1869. and theirchildren cameto ley andhiswife, Catherine, for hishealth,AntonePau World Wind &Solar. building isnow hometo Lumber Company, the Once theoldTehachapi dates the1952earthquake. Tehachapi Blvd., andpre chased the building and chased the buildingand werestories removed. a fire afterwhich theupper ley Street. In 1919,there was ofwhatbecamePaucorner hotelonGStreetstory atthe bricks, Pauley builtathree- road tracks. Using hisown at hisyard oftherail north gan tomanufacture bricks In May 1891,Pauley be What hasbecomeknown In the1890s, Pauley ac Needing climate adrier In 1948,Al Langepur stands todayat228 W. mercial buildingstill ehachapi’s oldestcom------The Fine OldColony Paints andTehachapi Lumber Company inthe1960s. kept it intact in the 1952 kept itintact inthe1952 cement columnswhich ing, Langeused rebar and the front. In therefurbish the rear anda restaurant in four lanebowling alleyin east sideofitwhichwasa adding thebuildingon chitect andrefurbished it, hired aSan Francisco ar 228 Tehachapi Blvd. onAug. 7witharibbon-cutting. World Wind &Solar shows off its new headquarters at - - Emil Lange, couldusethat lanes sothathis brother, Lange covered thebowling Lange. Aftertheearthquake, Lumber Company from Al the Tehachapichased earthquake. In 1950,AlSmall pur Please see BUILDING | 11 CARA JACKSON / TEHACHAPI NEWS - in 2018. Itlater became World Wind & Solar’s new downtown headquarters. This location at 228 Tehachapi Blvd. hadbeenan Ace Hardware. This photo was taken COURTESY OF THE TEHACHAPI HERITAGE LEAGUE CARA JACKSON / TEHACHAPI NEWS OUR HISTORY Wednesday, November 27, 2019 Tehachapi News 11 x - fa CY POLICIES EN CA CKAGE C#0450966 AG PA LI OFFERED CE /TRAILERtMOTORCYCLE hachapi INS.tMEDICARE AN Te 661-822-1768 TH eet UR HEAL ce THQUAKEtRV Y Str offi INSURANCE Then-President Ronald Reagan congratulated Te congratulated Reagan Ronald Then-President AMIL F INS hachapi on its 75th anniversary via this Jan. 30, 1984 hachapi on its 75th anniversary via this Jan. letter. TEHACHAPI NEWS TEHACHAPI Then-PresidentReagan salutes Tehachapi’s75th anniversary LIABILITYtBONDStBUSINESS OF st Y - We PA PERSONAL/F LINES 212 TY ALL CARA JACKSON / TEHACHAPI NEWS TEHACHAPI / JACKSON CARA LIFEtAUTOtHOMEtFLOODtEAR WORK-COMPtGENERAL MAR 661-288-3737 ras. Also information in the information Also ras. League Heritage Tehachapi obtained Library Research Pauly Antone the from and Sally Bob Small Family, Errecart. Long Road to Tehachapi” to Tehachapi” Long Road Bar Edition Judy by Special Y years 30 TODA #01187570. ME Over Service 823-4900 the DRE for & completely renovated it completely renovated into the beautiful building their that is used today by company. This information came from The “Tehachapi: the book The and Years Formative CALL eas Estate (661) Lender Rates Ar . BROKER - ofessional hachapi - Real Pr Te of McCANN TGAGE ounding 93561 Opportunity CA Competitive Experienced Serving Surr Friendly MOR • • • • JODI Department Housing the by The Tehachapi Lumber The Tehachapi Equal TEHACHAPI, A training room at the new headquarters of World Wind & Solar at 228 Tehachapi Blvd. Tehachapi 228 at & Solar Wind World of headquarters the new at room A training ware was closed around was closed ware until2014 and sat vacant Wind 2018 when World Buddy by owned and Solar, pur Cummings, and Nikki chased the building and Company and Ace Hard and Ace Company 823-4902 G, Mortgage HARP - X: - Licensed #01187570 FA UNIT • - Y Path, DRE Reverse WA Conventional #232272 Home FHA, #232272 BRIAN NMLS , 203K, VA USDA/RD, 20437 NMLS [email protected] At sometime the twoAt existence of the blacksmith. there giving credence to the credence giving there lot is today. When the park lot is today. foundblacksmithing were where the building’s parking building’s the where toand other tools related changed and a blacksmith many nailsing lot was made, stage stop where horses were stage stop where that at one time there was athat at one time there late 1960s. Bob also said Bob late 1960s. the lumber company in thethe lumber company been the bowling alley and been the bowling the wall between what hadthe wall between when his father removed when his father removed Bob, said that he remembers said Bob, together as Al Small’s son, together as Al Small’s became part of the Te became part of the very closeconnected or were the bowling alley building the bowling beenbuildings must have the earthquake. Apparently Apparently the earthquake. Company. hachapi Lumber built by Vaughn Squires after Squires Vaughn built by building on Green Street Street Green building on tricto the new shop later - his elec moved Emil quake. was destroyed in the earth in the was destroyed and Electric that business building to reopen his Radio to reopen building BUILDING 10 PAGE from Continued ALL THAT REMAINS A look at the Old Tehachapi Cemetery DARLA A. BAKER / TEHACHAPI NEWS Local historian Del Troy, left, was one of the founders of the Tehachapi Heritage League. Today, she is found at the Tehachapi Museum recording old documents in an effort to preserve the area’s history. Jean Moore, right, is another helpful volunteer of the museum’s library, along with Laura Weltin and Nancy Guidry. OUR HISTORY TEHACHAPI NEWS FILE PHOTO The Old Tehachapi Cemetery hosted the first annual Day of the Dead celebration in 2016 in an effort to breathe life back into one of the earliest resting grounds and as a fundraiser to help the Tehachapi Heritage League pay for its ongoing restoration and upkeep. COURTESY OF THE TEHACHAPI HERITAGE LEAGUE Perhaps the family of Clarance Benjamin Campbell BY DARLA A. BAKER behind had dried, little evi- historian has a memory so League, efforts continue planted a tree in his memory, long dead along with [email protected] dence remained of Tehacha- sharp, she can play back to document the evidence Campbell in plot 11, with Willy Williamson beside him in ocal historians have a pi’s first residents, as many conversations spoken 50 collected over the years plot 12. tough job of research- were buried in unmarked years ago. of Tehachapi’s history, in- Ling Tehachapi’s ear- graves. Troy first arrived to the cluding the 19 cemeteries the Heritage League began Barras and printed by Si- liest cemeteries. The who, In an effort to preserve area with her husband, Vin- found locally and in sur- cleaning up the cemetery in erra Printers, the cemetery what and whens are often these early remains, the cent, in October 1958, when rounding areas. Golden Hills at the corner was first called the Public elusive, and buried six feet Tehachapi Heritage League she was “around 32” years “We try to get as much of Violette Court and Lilac. Cemetery. under along with the dearly has taken on the task of of age. as we can in the computer The sign that hangs above According to Barras, the departed. gathering documentation of “The Tehachapi League because then it is easy to the entrance today reads first person to be buried When early settlers made early life in Tehachapi. took on restoring the old find,” White said. “We have “Old Tehachapi Cemetery.” in the cemetery was Nar- the journey west and be- Del Troy is a founding cemetery as one of our first all these photos inside Depending on who you talk cissa Prewett, wife to Alex gan homesteading in the member of the Heritage projects,” Troy said. “Our scrapbooks as well as stacks to around town, and how Prewett, who died in 1858 Tehachapi hills in 1854, League, which was officially mission was to preserve and of other photos.” long they have resided in “just a short time after giv- how they disposed of the formed on July 4, 1973. restore.” Along with the help of the area, the cemetery has ing birth to what oral tradi- dead was an informal ritual, Searching for the truth According to Charles other volunteers, including many names. tion says was the first white Wednesday, November 27, 2019 27, November Wednesday, News Tehachapi technically speaking. After has been about as easy as White, a longtime volun- local scouts and members In the book “The Long child born.” Barras wrote the tears of grief found on catching a feather in the teer for the museum and of The Church of Jesus Road to Tehachapi,” second 12 the faces of loved ones left wind, but the 93-year-old member of the Heritage Christ of Latter-day Saints, edition, written by Judy Please see CEMETERY | 13 Wednesday, November 27, 2019 Tehachapi News OUR HISTORY 13 LEAGUE 6PM - hachapi where their Te 12PM nes! Rd. bottle! Wi from with lley Va heritage, SUN & every T COURTESY OF THE TEHACHAPI HERITAGE HERITAGE TEHACHAPI THE OF COURTESY nning SA ds.com into Plot 52 sums it up with 52 Plot on the painted “Unknown” marker. wood History Cummings FRI, Wi COURTESY OF THE TEHACHAPI HERITAGE LEAGUE HERITAGE TEHACHAPI THE OF COURTESY Triassic ~ - - the 24627 ard king Open • poured is Aw riasicvineyar Ma enjoy Room .T is sting Come history www Ta 661.822.5341 The Tehachapi Heritage The Tehachapi The early graves at the Old Tehachapi Cemetery lost their lost Cemetery Tehachapi Old the at graves early The League Heritage Tehachapi The the years. over markers 14 and Plot Thomas) 5 (Bud Plot for markers replaced Prewitt). Alex (Mrs. teries, but countless others but teries, go unmarked, will forever and long unremembered forgotten. shared League welcomes documentation Tehacha of pi’s history, and can be history, pi’s Tehachapi the at reached located at 310 S. Museum, calling and by St., Green 822-8152. of this version A previous story was published in Te hachapi News on Dec. 8, 8, on Dec. hachapi News 2017. Zinfandel Zinfandel - LEAGUE Estate Estate Viognier Viognier Syrah Zinfandel Viognier Zinfandel Viognier Viognier~Lot#2 Syrah Syrah Bang” Bang” Bang” Rocks 2015 2012 S “Big Estate Estate Estate Estate Estate Estate Estate Estate “Big - - Estate “Big Estate RDS RDS RDS RDS RDS iassic Gold Gold 2015 2016 2017 2014 2014 2016 2013 2015 2015 Tr 2012 2015 2013 2012 ------AWA AWA AWA AWA AWA - - - COURTESY OF THE TEHACHAPI HERITAGE HERITAGE TEHACHAPI THE OF COURTESY Gold Silver Silver Silver Double Silver Silver Silver 2019 Gold Silver Silver Silver 2018 Gold Silver Silver 2017 2016 Double 2015 One of the few remaining remaining the few One of belonged to headstones of a native Alexander, S. who died on Oct.Prussia, 58. the age of at 1884, 16, considered was Alexander long a very lived have to days. those for life then were quite simple: then were would pick out People wanted the they where to be and pay 50 centsgrave for the plot, or pick out a family plot and pay a dollar. can graves a thousand Over be found in the ceme now - LEAGUE - - - COURTESY OF THE TEHACHAPI HERITAGE HERITAGE TEHACHAPI THE OF COURTESY “But we knew there were were knew there we “But that re The few markers the years, recent more In “Some people Troy, Said Tehachapi 1949, the In the first part of theIn arrangements Funeral Proof that early pioneer early that Proof be found can hard was life Leonard of on the marker Boden, who died theReed born. he was day to 1928 when it was lastto 1928 when it was In estimate. used is a rough addition to the 28 known up to some believe graves, buried are people 83 more inside graves in unmarked the fence. people buried outside of the said. Troy fence,” main tell a story about how for the pio life was hard as most of the peopleneers, 30 they were died before and many were old, years just infants. League Heritage Tehachapi a Grave began the Adopt program. did, and they would come and keep it clean of the and some would weeds, on the put artificial flowers they or whatever graves wanted to make it look nice.” Cemetery DistrictPublic was formed as a public agency that is ly-funded for four local responsible burial sites. had local residents 1900s, two cemeteries to chose the Eastside Cem from: Westside etery and the by also known Cemetery, old-timers as the Protestant cemeteries, and Catholic respectively. ------LEAGUE cribs re mained surround ing stones when the Heritage League took over caring for the cemetery. said Troy she could see where other peo ple had been bur ied, but the cen tury-old graves had either COURTESY OF THE TEHACHAPI HERITAGE HERITAGE TEHACHAPI THE OF COURTESY According to Troy, a few Troy, to According was a there ago, “Years After Force died, Ola mar died, Ola After Force Today the Old Tehachapi Tehachapi Old the Today A native of Bodford, Va., Va., Bodford, of A native a came Keller T. Mitchel Tehachapi. to long way ried Jones. Brick lost their wooden crosses or to the passage of time, stolen by their stones were uncaring thieves. story had sto that someone tained a copy of the burial tained a copy a descendantplots from Mae Ola of an early settler, who marriedBoden, Herb Force. len one of the headstones to use as a coffee table,” “Ever said in disbelief. Troy tried have tosince 1975, we usually go out twice a year, in the spring and fall, and clean it up.” a Cemetery by is surround The actual chain-link fence. number of souls buried in the cemetery 1858 from - - - DARLA A. BAKER / TEHACHAPI NEWS TEHACHAPI / BAKER A. DARLA This headstone lists five five lists headstone This for the Hale family of members 32. plot - The Heritage League ob The Heritage Said Troy, “We cleaned “We Troy, Said By the time the Heritage the time the Heritage By An old “It was called the Shields was called the “It Later, the property was Later, were burials.” were where sources told us there us there told sources where it up and made markers early settlers. Pioneer Cemetery after the small hill, town folk called it small hill, town land that lies on top of a for the one-acre parcel of parcel for the one-acre League took over caring League took over over by stock at large.” by over a potter’s field and roamed a potter’s of the original town of Wil of of the original town like “unenclosed as being Tyler and within two miles Tyler was described It liamsburg. of Mr. A. of Mr. land claim was on a cemetery the public reported July 1877 July back to dating was found ping that per clip- newspa that area.” a ranch ina ranch they had because a Mr. Tyler Tyler a Mr. have beenhave it could then, but We aren’t sure who owned it who owned sure aren’t We the first burial was in 1858. it had been used because said Troy. “But before that, before “But Troy. said land the cemetery was on,” land the cemetery was on,” he (Shields) acquired the acquired he (Shields) Cemetery because, in 1888,Cemetery because, nearby. county treasurer who lived county treasurer Kern County supervisor County andKern that Shields was a formerthat Shields report, John Codd stated Codd John report, 12, 2017, Heritage League 12, 2017, Heritage Shields Cemetery. In a May In Cemetery. Shields became known as the became known and the final resting place and the final resting sold to Jeremiah Shields, Shields, sold to Jeremiah next to her. burying their loved ones burying loved their families followed suit by suit by families followed As the years passed, other passed, As the years that Mrs. Prewett was bur Prewett that Mrs. their land. on plot of ground CEMETERY 12 PAGE from Continued on a small family her ied by PEN IN HAND The Keene Store as it looked in the early 1970s. A postcard showing the gates to the former women’s prison in Cummings Valley. Vintage postcards of Tehachapi The Tehachapi Veterans Hall on F Street hasn’t changed all that much since this postcard was made in the late 1940s. OUR HISTORY area from an earlier age ver the years I have cards that Americans could of Tehachapi postcards found a handful of buy and send for just a created in the late 1940s us- Opostcards featur- penny stamp. ing photos taken by a man ing the Tehachapi area. The so-called “Golden named Max Mahan and These old souvenirs offer a Age of American Postcards” published by the Columbia snapshot in time of the Te- is generally considered to Wholesale Supply in Hol- hachapi Mountains. begin in 1898 and continue lywood. These included a The first through 1915, view of the attractive front American when World gates to the women’s prison postcard to be War I disrupted in Cummings Valley, which printed as a many peace- was heavily damaged in the souvenir was time activities, 1952 earthquake and later created in 1893 like printing rebuilt as the California Cor- to advertise the and sending rectional Institution, a men’s World’s Colum- postcards. It prison. bian Exposition was in 1907 that Another of the Mahan im- in Chicago. postcards were ages shows sugar beets be- Initially, only JON HAMMOND allowed to have ing grown for seed out near the U.S. Postal FOR TEHACHAPI NEWS a divided back, Monolith. The mountain at Service was typically with the quarry site, now owned allowed to print postcards, the right half reserved for by Lehigh Southwest, was but this monopoly ended the stamp and address, and considerably larger then in 1898. the left side for a message A 1919 postcard of the Tehachapi Loop. than it is today. At one time Once private publishers from the sender. This con- in the early 1950s, it was and printers were allowed to figuration continues more on May 19, 1919, from around this hill to make nel that is part of the Loop. estimated that 90 percent create their own postcards, than 100 years later. someone who had rode a grade did look strange to go When I was growing up, of America’s sugar beet seed the industry grew exponen- The oldest Tehachapi train around the Loop, to a clear around it.” this was one of the few Te- was grown in the Tehachapi Wednesday, November 27, 2019 27, November Wednesday, News Tehachapi tially and there were soon postcard that I have is an man named Paul in Cleve- I have some later post- hachapi postcards that were 14 thousands upon thousands image of the Tehachapi land, Ohio. The inscription cards from the 1970s of a available. of different picture post- Loop, mailed from Fresno starts by saying “The track train emerging from a tun- There was a small series Please see POSTCARDS | 15 Wednesday, November 27, 2019 Tehachapi News OUR HISTORY 15 a and publish , . ehachapi e om T w s, .c wn) 28 om MILY announcements ormation ws 2004 ader .c To re inf esdays; Tu ws our our -68 1/4” y .m. wedding to 1 Since Old 6am-1pm Chips p Hills! us N ormation contact 4 and ehachapine O & by e can in print and online Catfish service (In Send Cut NIGHT e inf G . birth Thur ~ A MEMBER OF THE TBC MEDIA FA them ge A y ied orial@t ehachapiNe & Fish AY Cookin’ T 6am-7pm char or mor d send Fr W Cookin’ accepts F 661-822 edit i Golden of community community s Wa to. n 6am-2pm a K We Fr Cod FRID ee ew s lease CAFE r good news good Steaks , in hare the hare A N f them as soon as w P pho Style C Y e S Sun U SPECIALS! ian Tue Ey H Open Home Souther C EVER Home Br Atlantic ★ Rib Mon, ★ Located ★ ving Sat, Ser 20424 com. This column originallycom. published in December 2018. - - Have a good week. Have ing). I’m not a postcard col- not a postcard ing). I’m inter but I’m lector per se, anythingested in practically pertaining to Tehachapi, these to have happy so I’m of our area. photo souvenirs written has Hammond Jon more for News for Tehachapi email to Send than 30 years. tehachapimtnlover@gmail. collecting hobby, after phi- collecting hobby, lately (stamp collecting) and numismatics (coin collect - - The study and collection A newer postcard from postcard A newer ple of ugly hatchback cars outside. parked era the from The inscription notes that at restau the store, that time, and servicerant station and Ethel Ed by owned were Melton. as is known of postcards and is allegedly deltiology, largest third the world’s F Street. the Keene the 1970s shows with a cou complete Store, There is another image is another There A field of sugar beets being raised for seed in the eastern Tehachapi Valley. Tehachapi in the eastern seed for being raised sugar beets of A field Tehachapi Veterans Hall on Hall Veterans Tehachapi shows the newly-completed the newly-completed shows curves.” Another image curves.” and was known as “the S “the as and was known still connected to itself Park), back when the road Park), (now Phil Marx Central Marx Central Phil (now side of Tehachapi City Park City Park Tehachapi side of of D Street along the south of D Street area. POSTCARDS 14 PAGE from Continued The south side of Tehachapi City Park. City Tehachapi side of south The REMEMBERING TEHACHAPI Longtime residents look back at how it has changed BY CARA JACKSON [email protected] nfrastructure, hous- ing, businesses and Itransportation have all changed dramatically in Tehachapi within the last 50 years. Many residents and visitors remember how time and events changed the communities not only in the city, but in surrounding areas. Residents Anne Marie Novinger and husband George Novinger have lived in Tehachapi since 1982. Relatives of their family have lived in Tehachapi since the early 1940s and Anne Marie’s uncle, J.C. Ja- cobsen Jr., was a Tehachapi mayor, president of the Te- hachapi-Cummings County Water District and president of the Tehachapi Unified School District board of trustees. “We flew into the airport one time, but needed a ride to visit our relatives and OUR HISTORY we always visited them at least once a year,” said Anne Marie. “We started walking from Tehachapi Municipal Air- port to Tucker and Highway COURTESY OF DUANA PERA 202 and there were no busi- Kohnen’s Country Bakery is now located where a former apple house used to be on Tehachapi Boulevard. nesses or lights,” she said. “We went and stuck our on Tehachapi Boulevard. 1958, said that farmer Don potatoes and grain and a lot thumb out and waited until This was around 1969 or Carroll’s land was annexed of those places were named about 10 minutes, until 1970.” into the city of Tehachapi after old ranchers.” finally a lady took us to our Downtown Tehachapi when the Ranch Motel on Other contractors came relatives. Everyone knew used to flood, and to mit- Curry Street was built as a to the Tehachapi area in the everyone.” igate the problem the home for his in-laws. 1980s to build in Golden Roads and businesses be- Tehachapi Resource Con- “Throughout the 1950s Hills and other areas to pro- gan to change when High- servation District and other and 1960s, additional an- vide more housing for work- way 58 came by Tehachapi, sponsors completed the nexations took place and ers at the Tehachapi Prison, said Tim Gassaway, a resi- Antelope Dam in 1986 and subdividing continued, now known as the Califor- dent of Tehachapi for more the Blackburn Dam in 1990. adding land to the city in nia Correctional Institution, than 60 years. This has allowed for devel- the southeast and south- and from the growing wind “The city has changed opment without threats west,” Troy said. She added industry, added Troy. a lot. There used to be a to repeat flooding, seen in that at the end of 1974 the Duana Pera, a resident of Chevron service station on 1945 and 1983, according to incorporated boundaries Golden Hills who has lived the corner across from the tehachapircd.org. included 2,747 acres of land in the area since 1963, has Tehachapi Depot Museum Farming parcels and land and more than 350 Carroll- COURTESY OF DUANA PERA many memories of down- to the east and that’s where began to be annexed in constructed houses. The water tower on Tehachapi Boulevard used to town Tehachapi. Parents I got my first job,” Gassaway the city boundaries in the John Souza, a Bakersfield hold water for the town and survived the March 1983 Jim and Teri Frerichs, along said. “It was before they 1950s, with housing devel- resident who used to live downtown flood. with Pera’s aunt and uncle, built Highway 58 by Capital opments coming later. in Caliente, remembers Bud and Helen Lutge, built Wednesday, November 27, 2019 27, November Wednesday, News Tehachapi Hills. All the trucks would Del Troy, Tehachapi Heri- coming up to Tehachapi serving other crops. High School is at,” Souza and opened the Mountain 16 come by the station. There tage Museum librarian and and harvesting barley near “There used to be a lot of said. He added, “Cummings were no stop signs or lights a Tehachapi resident since Monolith in 1942 and ob- pears where the Tehachapi Valley used to be a lot of Please see MEMORIES | 17 Wednesday, November 27, 2019 Tehachapi News OUR HISTORY 17 Y JO API CH COURTESY OF DUANA PERA DUANA OF COURTESY ys WITH Y To t APPEARED time TEHA ee BO ell Y ILD… NCED D OF Str Sw CH DA H AN upon nce Y WN st RL hachapi AND A Real TO SUDDENL GI We Te EVER 3 TH ORE 10 lene's AND BO LITTLE ST GETHER Y Dar TO THE TO NG A IN SA O vd. mber Bl e fers ve chase TION Stuf No eryday Furniture entir 9pm pur w Ev Decor - NEW & Ne Interiors 30 hachapi & Stocking Bliss 10am ALL OFF Home % & Te Holiday ntage CUSTOMER W. 10 Vi Gifts Saturday APPRECIA 106 The Mountain Lanes Bowling Alley opened in 1963 and was located where Midori Sushi is today on Tehachapi on Tehachapi is today Midori Sushi where located and was opened in 1963 Alley Bowling Lanes Mountain The Boulevard. - - - - - COURTESY OF DUANA PERA DUANA OF COURTESY COURTESY OF DUANA PERA DUANA OF COURTESY Many residents still re residents Many Pera remembers her fa remembers Pera other recalls Gassaway come. It was so much fun.” It come. member when the Southern pas offered Railroad Pacific Tehachapi. senger service to That ended in 1971. on thether riding the train at to work way to Caliente old tuber County’s Kern culosis sanitarium, where E. Chavez the Cesar now is Monument National located. experiences his from boys “As said, He youth. to hop on freight used we and jump to Keene trains off and play in the creek and catch one back and ride it home.” This story originally pub 2018. lished in September - - - She added, “In the late “In added, She “Every year my family year “Every unions and other reasons to unions and other reasons family and high school re people. It was a chance for It people. a dance with hundreds of a dance with hundreds and everyone would go to off the entire parking lot parking off the entire Festival we would block would we Festival 1970s during the Mountain 1970s during the Mountain dance floor,” Pera said. Pera dance floor,” covert the bowling alley to a the bowling covert Tehachapi and we would and we Tehachapi New Year’s Eve party in Eve Year’s New ing alley for the largest would prepare the bowl would prepare Boulevard. Western Inn on Tehachapi Tehachapi on Inn Western The bowling alley was lo The bowling Best cated near the current Lanes Bowling Alley in 1963. Lanes Bowling PAGE 16 PAGE from Continued restaurant. MEMORIES Western Inn on Tehachapi Boulevard served food at a at food served Boulevard Inn on Tehachapi Western Mountain Lanes Bowling Alley opened in 1963 and Best opened in 1963 Alley Bowling Lanes Mountain Philip Marx Central Park flooded in March 1983. in March flooded Park Central Philip Marx Tehachapi celebrates old timers each year at reunion BY DARLA A. BAKER [email protected] Each year in August, Te- hachapi celebrates its oldest and longest residents at the Old Timers’ Reunion held at Philip Marx Central Park. This year marked the 60th anniversary of the popular picnic with more than 400 attendees. Each year, members of the reunion committee along with the Tehachapi Valley Recreation & Park District join forces to honor Tehachapi’s old timers. The oldest man and The second Old Timer to woman attending are recog- be named the oldest to nized during each reunion, attend this year’s reunion along with the person who was Ramon Burgess, 90. traveled the farthest. Burgess and his family “We do have many people moved to Tehachapi when who travel across the coun- he was 2 years old. He try to reacquaint with fam- graduated from Tehachapi ily, friends and classmates High School, but says he from school,” said Donna can’t remember the year. (Sullivan) Dieterle, THS class of 1967, who helped coordinate the 2019 event. All official oldtimers have the opportunity to pre-reg- PHOTOS BY NICK SMIRNOFF / FOR TEHACHAPI NEWS ister, and are invited to eat, Catching up on old times at the 2017 event was Old Timer Jean Lantz and Hazel Woodard, 97. drink and celebrate with others. If you have lived in the OUR HISTORY Tehachapi area for at least 40 years, or lived in the area over 40 years ago, and want to become an “official” old-timer, contact Donna Dieterle at oldtimers@bak. rr.com. The oldest woman to attend this year’s Old Timer BELOW: Classmates Reunion was 97-year- spent time looking for the old Hazel Woodard. “My graduation pictures posted goodness,” she said, “in Two Old Timers were named as the oldest men to Food prepared by the Red House BBQ for the Old Timers on the memory wall during three years I’ll be 100 years attend this year’s reunion. Johnnie Fink, 90, arrived in Reunion was hand delivered to the attendees by members the Old Timers Reunion in old.” Tehachapi from Oklahoma at age 19. He and his wife, of Tehachapi High School’s volleyball team. 2017. Doris, now live near Atwater. Local columnist and Old Timer member himself Jon Hammond entertained, interviewed and told a few Tehachapi- related Wednesday, November 27, 2019 27, November Wednesday, News Tehachapi stories. 18 Wednesday, November 27, 2019 Tehachapi News OUR HISTORY 19 ws Tile om .c issue ews ’s ws Blvd. ation ehachapiNe s ood 93561 com/T TER ednesday ehachapiNe amic Planks T dw cebook. or consider Fa ET RP hapi CA yl wing W y sday Cer esday f Har ollo ednesday 1990 hur Tu rida & Ad MOSES CLEANING • ehachapi N Vin • CL#750346 hac CA MAS or the f e Noon F 4 p.m. f Noon W Noon T & 28 Since hapi, : Te in T pet -68 yl our Sales 661-822-6959 e or call: E. RPET ed Ads: ews M egal Ads: hac Vin Display Ads: ecutiv Car Classifi Deadlines: Press Releases L Contact y Ex 661-822 CA C Get your M Te N 1101 Laminat - p rk op Sho Paint Collision Rotisserie Wo d St lding Airbrushing oms We Repair Electrical om Mechanical Fabrication Suspension Body Ro • • Restorations .c Custom hachapi cust • • • • • t • Te Insurance One Custom Frame-off oms • Linda Stivers is the daugh Stivers Linda • St. • 661.823.1111 ter of Everett Sims. ter of Everett and his counsel. ust Ho cia oungblood Lu om/y .c Santa ungbloodC ebook Yo fac 20601 Everett Sims, 105 Sims, Everett love, respect, honor and respect, love, the and have him adore for his advice highest regard - - - r m ee be 1981 ad 5p e Tr - nc Ro cto le si 021 93561 m rd es ne He is the only surviving is the only He family church current His of is the patriarch He pl li -5 -O esty and integrity. charter member of the Te in Church Baptist First startedhachapi, which was has been in 1942. Everett member of thean active since the beginning church and has faithfully served the in many ways. Lord his birthday oncelebrated singing his fa 17 by Nov. vorite hymns and honoring him during their Sunday service. family and was a loving “Father named Tehachapi’s in 1982. His Year” of the grandchildren and children his retirement in 1979. He in 1979. He his retirement all his life hard has worked and iswithout complaint man of hon to be a known 9a CA ap gh , n - App er Y - - cha pi Hi ow IL -822 d gr mb Or in DA .pulfordappletreeorchard.com or 661 ta hacha un en lf www 19440 Te pte Mo Op Pu He worked as a farm worked He Everett and his wife, Everett He was born in Mobeetie, was born in Mobeetie, He Longtime Tehachapi Tehachapi Longtime Se Special to Tehachapi News Tehachapi Special to 105 years old STIVERS LINDA BY Everett Sims turnsEverett Longtime resident Unified School District until Unified plumber and as a mainte Tehachapi for nance worker hand, a carpenter, a hand, a carpenter, He’s been recognized in re been recognized He’s Picnic. Reunion Old-Timers regarded in the community. in the community. regarded in attendance at the annual and has always been welland has always been as the oldest mancent years many Tehachapi “old-timers” “old-timers” many Tehachapi left!” He is well known to known is well left!” He he likes to put it, “we never “we he likes to put it, to Tehachapi in 1940, and as Tehachapi to Adalee, brought their family brought Adalee, Texas, on Nov. 22, 1914. on Nov. Texas, this year. this year. ebrating his 105th birthdayebrating resident Everett Sims is cel Sims Everett resident Tehachapi’s healthcare has inspiring roots CONTRIBUTED BY ADVENTIST HEALTH Harold insisted that the new TEHACHAPI VALLEY hospital design incorporate hen a husband two cedar trees planted in and wife team of the front of the property in Wdoctors moved to the early 1900s. When one the Tehachapi Valley in the architect told him it wasn’t early 1930s, they changed possible and that the trees the healthcare landscape had to be cut down, Schlo- forever. thauer told him he would Dr. Harold Schlotthauer find another architect for and Dr. Madge Schlotthauer the job. recognized the lack of Less than four months healthcare resources in Te- later, construction was hachapi. At the time, there complete, and the trees wasn’t a single medical pro- remained where they still fessional in the mountain stand today. mining community. The medical center of- Then, in 1932, the Schlot- fered outpatient care, but thauers rented a large, no place to keep patients private residence — the overnight. Asher home — on the cor- In 1956, crews began ner of Curry and E streets. working on an addition to They opened a clinic in that the medical center for inpa- location. tient care and opened the Within two years, the two facility less than one year had outgrown the location later. The hospital’s first pa- and purchased the two- tients were admitted April story Capedeville Hotel on 8, 1957. E Street. They renovated it And they weren’t all your and converted the build- typical patients. ing into a hospital, caring The Schlotthauers had, for patients upstairs and on one occasion, taken housing on-call doctors on in a dog that had been hit the first floor. The hospital by a car and injured and stood at that site, in differ- patched its leg up in a cast, OUR HISTORY ent iterations, for 84 years, CONTRIBUTED PHOTO recalled Sally Errecart, who until it moved across town A file photo of the old Tehachapi Valley hospital. worked at the hospital in where it currently stands. the 1950s. But even before the The two were generous advent of modern that included vaccinating to their employees. One healthcare, the Schlot- children, treating cuts, Christmas in the early thauers were practicing bruises, headlice, and even 1950s, they gifted nurse medicine ahead of their providing nutritional infor- Elizabeth Cuddeback a time. Trained at the Sev- mation to parents. brand new car. enth-day Adventist Loma She also provided “well By 1969, the Schlot- Linda University in South- baby” clinics starting in thauers sold their private- ern California, the doc- 1936 throughout the valley ly-owned hospital to the tors’ faith informed many and in Mojave for new par- public Tehachapi Valley aspects of their care. ents, giving babies check- Healthcare District and re- When the first Sev- ups and providing mothers located to La Quinta, Calif., enth-day Adventist hospital, dietary advice to keep their presently known as Palm the Battle Creek Sanitarium, children healthy. Desert. Dr. Harold died in was opened in Michigan in A 7.5 magnitude temblor 1973, and Dr. Madge died 1852, it was started out of a shook Kern County July 21, in 1998. She was 92 years two-story hotel — not un- 1952, crumbling buildings old. like the Schlotthauer’s first and claiming 13 lives. At Roughly 20 years after hospital in Tehachapi. Sev- least 35 others were injured, Dr. Madge’s death, and enth-day Adventists often some critically. The hospital almost 40 years after being emphasize preventive care was so badly damaged that sold, the hospital reopened to keep patients well, rather it was eventually razed to its doors as Adventist than just treating them make way for a new facility. Health Tehachapi Valley, when they get sick. During the time it took to CONTRIBUTED PHOTO an integrated faith-based Dr. Madge partnered with rebuild the hospital, Drs. Dr. Harold Schlotthauer and Dr. Madge Schlotthauer, pictured here, worked to bring healthcare system with its public schools in Tehachapi, Madge and Harold Schlot- healthcare to Tehachapi. roots in the Seventh-day Wednesday, November 27, 2019 27, November Wednesday, News Tehachapi Cummings Valley, Keene thauer saw patients in Mo- Adventist Church — the and Monolith to launch a jave Hospital, and a modest Street home. year after the earthquake — ground on the new Te- very same faith of the 20 healthcare program in 1934 clinic adjacent to their E By 1953 — less than one construction crews broke hachapi Medical Center. Dr. Schlotthauers. Wednesday, November 27, 2019 Tehachapi News OUR HISTORY 21 ------ pm L S L O W P E E N C I I O P H A C ’ H sh S C R 4:30 A E H D E A 2019 2019 T E R rtners! - BEST Wa Pa L S L O am eek.com W P E w E s N C I I O P 18 18 H Pet A C ’ H S eats C R A E H D E A 20 20 T E R Pa 10 Tr Serve and 2004 Sun CanineCr But the events them the events But Filmore Bender, a Bender, Filmore who died in 2014, Bender, and thou Bender For ws & Self Premium • Food Grooming Pa sands of others who wit- sands of others who County nessed the Kern earthquakes of 1952, the destruction and loss and tragic of life were heart-rending. way local and the selves families and communities would stay with responded of their them for the rest lives. of this storyA longer version originally published in Au gust 2017. quakes, not as something to something as not quakes, as something but feared be be savored. to son farmer’s 12-year-old up to be grow who would professor, come a university sleep fondly remembered in the back ofing outdoors for several a cotton trailer the quake. nights after in 2012The Californian told of stars scat that the maze the black sky across tered was his entertainment as he drifted off to sleep each night. SINCE 2016 5 Sat for of ur - • viding... Cat - - Yo - r - need - Suite Service hachapi’ pm Pro Since fo Line ABLISHED 6 you EST - Rd. Full Food Te Gifts Full am & cker Dog 661.822.0307 ys 10 Tu To Fri n n n Everything - 798 Fun Mon Despite the widespread the widespread Despite What a mess! Foods were were Foods mess! a What Phil Stutzman — Nancy Soon after the disaster, after the disaster, Soon VOTED tive who would go on totive of thebecome chief justice visited his States, United hometown Tehachapi. and to support vowed Warren assistance toemergency also recom He the region. mended that each inmate prison in at the women’s a month receive Tehachapi exem off their sentence for theplary conduct following disaster. destruction, many who that children young were the summer remembered inside so we went into the we went so inside store. was there and floor the on My everywhere. glass broken to mom my told then uncle the bus sta back to take him versary that we and the fact safe! all were 73 lips, tion as he wanted to get out he wanted tion as parents of Bakersfield! My anni their still celebrated then-California Gov. Earl Gov. then-California na a Bakersfield Warren, - - It was very hard to take in take to very was hard It for the I was here However, As of soon as we all got out tion of Tehachapi when we when Tehachapi of tion Bakersfield. to back came town the as an 8-year-old as I saw town the same was not in July. we left earlier when in the home our Fortunately, was area Sunset-Oleander as only a fewnot harmed off the shelves. things were This 22. on Aug. aftershock 10th parents’ date was my My wedding anniversary. and I sister brother, mom, great had just picked up my Bus uncle at the Greyhound for his downtown Station the bus From annual visit. to the Safe station we drove on 24thway grocery store Pep (the current and F streets Boys). the earthquake hit. the car, the cars in the I remember lot bouncing up and parking building the Safeway down, sky! and a yellow swaying, not get mother told us to My however, close to the store; and brother my 6-year-old very curious aboutI were looked like what the store on July 21, I saw the devasta the I saw 21, July on - - n n n Southwest of Bakersfield, Southwest may explain the The fire I was 8 years old when the placed by the church that church the placed by stands on H Street. now saw oil refinery the Paloma four of its 25,000-gallon tanks explode into flames quake. the first following burned for twoThe fire to Cali according days, at times fornian archives, insending flames 300 feet the air. many accounts of flashes skies re and glowing-red witnesses. called by earthquakes hit Tehachapi earthquakes hit Tehachapi Although and Bakersfield. when on vacation we were the major quake happened ------Several said they saw waves moving moving waves saw they said Several Bricks and disintegratedBricks local businesses, Some quake and all, the July In iconic Beale Bakersfield’s to Californian According Kern The 40-year-old Cath Francis St. Nearby through the earth, like ripples in the in ripples earth, the like through just that recalled And woman one soil. crickets the struck, temblor the before silent, eerily went her window outside before coming was what felt they if as she did. T inside Kern County Equip County inside Kern 19th Street on East ment Co. when the quake struck.He made it out. never the side mortar littered forcing walks of downtown, police to limit entry to the than More disaster zone. blocks were 90 square barricaded. Depart including Brock’s would conduct ment Store, tents forsales beneath large months until their buildings and made repaired were safe. magnitude 5.5 aftershock in or dam destroyed August than 400 build- aged more most of them con- ings, structed with unreinforced masonry. Memorial Clock Tower, which had stood at the intersection of 17th Street since and Chester Avenue 1904, was determined to be unsafe and was soon now demolished. A replica County stands at the Kern Museum. Brothers Rubin archives, had shat Furnishings Men’s the glass all over plate tered & Plumbing Gundlach store. was described Metal Sheet bricks its from “raining as walls.” an im courthouse, County that some structure pressive White the said resembled and was torn down House, the boxlike by replaced court building that now and Ches Truxtun stands at ter avenues. one of the olic Church, most beautiful buildings in sustained also Bakersfield, heavy damage and had to was re It be torn down. ------n n n p.m. on Aug. 22, on Aug. p.m. Another victim, 67-year- Edna Ledbetter, a Ledbetter, Edna At 3:41 At They couldn’t have They couldn’t A 3-week-old infant,A 3-week-old When the tower hit the When the tower In the 200 block of A In In east Bakersfield, Kern Kern east Bakersfield, In Several said they saw said they Several The July quake and the The July old Patman Cozby, was Cozby, old Patman bricks and other debris. ing her beneath tons of building crumbled, crush 26-year-old McFarland resi McFarland 26-year-old when the masonry Street district began to fall. on 19th Shop Dress Lerner’s follow. business downtown field’s dent, had been shopping at the destruction that would walls and ceilings in Bakers had offered just a preview of just a preview had offered 32 days after the first quake, known that the July temblor that the July known gan to relax. front room, was uninjured. room, front sleeping in a bassinet in that carpet. slammed into the bay win it, scat home and shattered and soaking thethe room force, witnesses said. It witnesses said. It force, of a nearby at the front dow of glass across tering shards shot outward with terrificshot outward ground, the water insideground, bomb going off. crashing down in the neigh down crashing borhood, sounding like a School, a water tower came School, a water tower Street, near Roosevelt near Roosevelt Street, heavily damaged. Police Department, were Department, were Police also housed the Bakersfield downtown’s City Hall, which City Hall, downtown’s Several area schools and area Several sustained major damage. sustained major damage. Kern Medical Center — Center Medical Kern General Hospital — now — now Hospital General coming before she did. coming before lent, as if they felt what waslent, as if they felt what her window went eerily went si her window struck, the crickets outside that just before the temblor that just before And one woman recalled recalled And one woman earth, like ripples the soil. in waves moving through the through moving waves and down. QUAKE 9 PAGE from Continued residents if they finally be if residents could excuse Bakersfield could excuse July rolled into August, one into August, rolled July on edge for weeks. But as But on edge for weeks. followed had area residents residents had area followed dozens of aftershocks that of aftershocks dozens Water: A precious commodity in the past and future BY CARA JACKSON Valley and some outlying water. a $2.5 million bond to help opment without threats Each basin is granted an [email protected] regions, produced grains, “The county was talking fund the project at a total to repeat flooding, seen in allocation. Historically, water is often potatoes, sod, apples, pears, about stopping the growth cost of $9 million, added 1945 and 1983, according to Under the adjudication, valued more than gold, runs tomatoes and other agri- up here because the Troy. tehachapircd.org. the city of Tehachapi owns short of supply, and is even cultural products from the supply of water couldn’t This funded “our entire “All of Tehachapi was sub- 2,770 acre feet of base more needed now than in early 1900s until now. Food support the growth. That’s importation system,” said ject to flooding prior to the water rights, or 1,847 acre Tehachapi’s past. products have expanded or what pushed everyone Neisler. He added this installation of those facili- feet of yearly groundwater Let’s take a look at the wa- developed in different direc- to look for an alternative included all the pipeline ties,” said Neisler. pumping rights. Brite Valley ter situation in the greater tions to meet consumption source of water so the starting at the California Funding for these proj- is allotted 500 acre feet per Tehachapi area from the needs. growth would continue. Aqueduct, each of the four ects came from the PL566 year. And Cummings Valley days of old to the present. Groundwater levels were That’s why the Tehachapi pumping plants, the natural governmental funding and is allotted 3,444 acre feet being depleted and more Cummings-County Wa- gas engines, and the forma- through sponsorship of per year, although it is in the IN THE PAST was needed, despite the ter District was formed,” tion of Brite Lake. Tehachapi Resource Con- process of being amended Cattle ranchers and thriving agricultural scene. Steele said. The groundbreaking cer- servation District, TCCWD, to 2,990 acre feet per year, farmers began settling “There were artesian The TCCWD district was emony was held “June 17, USDA Soil Conservation due to depleting groundwa- the greater Tehachapi springs, but the over ex- “formed by a 91 percent 1972 at the site of the stor- Service, city of Tehachapi ter levels. area and drilled wells at traction (in the basins) dried majority vote of the com- age reservoir in Brite Valley. and the Kern County Water Only a set amount of three groundwater basins those springs up and people munity. The first members The Board of Supervisors Agency, according to te- water is provided to the — Cummings, Brite and started having trouble with of the board of directors approved the Tehachapi hachapircd.org. district. Tehachapi Valley — which their wells,” Tom Neisler, were Ben Sasia, Jake Jacob- Valley Recreation and Park The allocation that is are still available for public general manager for the Te- sen, Don T. Carroll, Karl Department to maintain the WATER IN given to the district stem- consumption. hachapi Cummings-County Backes and Fred Patter- facilities at Brite Lake,” said TEHACHAPI NOW ming from State Water Proj- They had to rely on this Water District, said in an son,” said local historian Troy. Today, residents who ect amounts to 19,300 acre groundwater as there was interview. Del Troy. Steele remembers how turn on their kitchen faucet feet per year. no completely natural The Tehachapi Resource much work went into each day in the greater Te- The allocations given to source of inflow or outflow FORMATION OF THE Conservation District com- infrastructure. hachapi area may not real- the district each year mainly of water in the Tehachapi TEHACHAPI CUMMINGS- missioned “Bob Jasper, a re- “In 1973, I was in high ize that most of the water is have to do with three fac- area, and each year the ba- COUNTY WATER DISTRICT cent graduate of the Califor- school and in all the ag imported. tors — environmental reg- sins were replenished with Residents and farmers nia Polytechnic University classes and we came out “About half of the water ulations from the state, the natural precipitation. realized a solution was at San Luis Obispo with a and did the landscaping we use in Tehachapi, is amount of water they are One Tehachapi farmer, J. needed, so two small dis- Bachelor of Science degree around the office and the imported water,” Neisler holding in Oroville Dam, H. Brooks, recounts his first- tricts were formed from in Soil Science ... to study district was draining the said. “It comes through that and the amount of rain we hand experience of what the 1947 to 1960, each with the soil and water resources lake back down to make water importation system. get each year. area’s water supply looked different roles in managing, within the main water repairs on the bottom of Obviously our quality of Even though the district like in 1862, as recorded in studying and educating the basins and watershed of the lake, as there were sink- life would be significantly pays for 100 percent of al- the book “The Long Road to community about water the entire Tehachapi area,” holes,” said Steel. different without that im- location from the state, the OUR HISTORY Tehachapi,” 3rd edition, by shortages. according to tehachapircd. ported water source.” entire allocation is likely Judy Barras. These districts were the org. THE TEHACHAPI The Tehachapi Cum- never to be given to the “There are many per- Tehachapi Soil Conserva- Jasper helped with the WATERSHED PROJECT mings-County Water Dis- district. sons, with families, hunting tion District (now called Watershed Planning Project Even though the region’s trict is water master over For example, 2017 saw homes, and yet I know of the Tehachapi Resource and recommended that a yearly groundwater supply three basins and was court the most precipitation ever no place more inviting than Conservation District) Citizens Advisory Group was running low, there appointed to allocate water recorded for the district. this valley. It is perfectly and Tehachapi Cummings be formed, which resulted were years when the city of to everyone — residential, The allocation that year healthy — there are many Valley Water Conservation in the official formation of Tehachapi, Blackburn and industrial and agricultural amounted to 85 percent, thousands of acres of the District (now the Tehachapi the Tehachapi-Cummings Antelope Canyons would be users. said Neisler. best kind of land, plenty Cummings-County Water County Water District in flooded when high-intensity “Think of us as a regional Costs to import water of water of the best qual- District), according to a 1965, added tehachapircd. rainfall, which damaged agency and everybody else and maintain infrastructure ity and an inexhaustible timeline at tccwd.com. org. homes, businesses, roads as a local agency,” said keep increasing each year. supply of timber,” Brooks Alex Steele, former pipe- From 1966 to 1971, the and the railroad. Neisler. The district is seeing in- recollected. line superintendent and district signed a contract The Tehachapi Water More than 450 square surance premiums increase The greater Tehachapi employee of the TCCWD with the Kern County Wa- Shed Project sought to miles of land including for liability costs of dam area, mainly in Brite Valley, for 41 and a half years, re- ter Agency for 15,000 acre protect resources and as a Tehachapi, Golden Hills, safety and it also has a share Cummings Valley and Bear members the need for more feet per year for municipal way to stop that flood water Bear Valley Springs, Stal- in paying for repairs to the and industrial use. Studies and retain it into the basin, lion Springs and California Oroville Dam. The Only “Pass or Don’t Pay” Star Smog Station in Tehachapi were also submitted to the said the Watershed Plan Correctional Institution Te- “It costs over a billion United States Bureau of and Environmental Impact hachapi are in the district’s dollars to repair that facility Where Quality and Service are Number 1 Reclamation to show the Statement for Tehachapi, boundaries. and as I stated we are state need for more water and dated 1980. More than 10,000 gallons, water project contractors. Master Certified ASE Technician apply for a $6.5 million loan Downtown Tehachapi or equivalent to a full swim- We are going to pay our to construct a project for used to flood, and to mit- ming pool, is pumped per pro-rata share of that billion importing water. igate the problem, the minute from the California dollars for something that Full Service Automotive Center The loan was approved Tehachapi Resource Con- Aqueduct more than 3,425 the state caused... and their Smog Inspections and negotiated to be repay- servation District and other feet up the mountains, or inability to maintain the Includes a FREE Pre-Test able over a 40-year period sponsors completed the 31 miles away, to the Brite facility. So every taxpayer in MakMa e your car a Happy Car. Come to... in 1970. Antelope Dam in 1986 and Basin reservoir, the only Tehachapi is going to pay Wednesday, November 27, 2019 27, November Wednesday, News Tehachapi Shortly after, in 1971, the Blackburn Dam in 1990. surface water storage in for a portion of that repair,” DPT Automotive Tehachapi voters approved This has allowed for devel- Tehachapi. said Neisler. 22 822-1600 • 230 E. Tehachapi Blvd • [email protected] Wednesday, November 27, 2019 Tehachapi News OUR HISTORY 23 eet Str South Center 661.822.6806 20901 PHOTOS BY DARLA A. BAKER / TEHACHAPI NEWS TEHACHAPI / BAKER A. DARLA BY PHOTOS Home Store Ranching, farming and orchards farming Ranching, Pioneer 1983 Hardware Since hachapi's Te Care Hair Mining, gold, salt and limestone Mining, gold, salt mily Fa xing Wa • milies hachapi Colors • Te Nails . Fa • 1999 de St Fa rms • Since Pe hapi Serving • Style Robinson • S. hac aves Te Cuts 661-823-1369 114 We The series of 16 plaques line the street for two and a half blocks from Tehachapi Boulevard to the Tehachapi the Tehachapi to Boulevard Tehachapi from and a half blocks two for line the street plaques 16 of series The St. Green S. 310 at Museum Early settlements in the Tehachapi in the Tehachapi settlements Early area - - - - - - Other first in habited the area. plaques ferent ferent aspects of local history, beginning with the Kawaiisu, the local Native American tribe that pi’s pi’s founding fathers, the rail androad Tehachapi Loop, early set tlements and set early tlers, explorers, mining, ranching, include Tehacha Each plaque has a photo 1981 Tehachapi Boulevard to the Boulevard Tehachapi at 310 Museum Tehachapi St. S. Green and text describing dif farms and orchards, wind farms and orchards, the importation energy, estate and real of water, more. 10-5 nce St. Si Sat • een tion Gr 10-6 adi S. Tr Fri - ly 111 The Kawaiisu The The railroad and The Tehachapi Tehachapi and The railroad The Loop es mi - Tu Fa - A - The series of 16 plaques Research Research The Tehachapi - Heri The Tehachapi commemorated onplaques wealth of history Tehachapi’s Tehachapi’s BY DARLA A. BAKER DARLA BY [email protected] and half block area from and half block area line the street for a two line the street and plaques last May. the posts installed Works De Works partment Public the city’s the city’s White, and White, Charles Troy and Troy out by Del out by was carriedwas plaques for the facts. interesting interesting con taining Street Street Green Green along plaques of 16 a series installing history by the city’s the city’s memorate to com forces forces joined Tehachapi Tehachapi Tehachapi and the city of Tehachapi tage League, Main Street Street Main tage League, HAPI N CHAPI NE AC EW HA W EH S E S T2018 T2019 R L EA L DE PO RS’ CHOICE 1100 W Tehachapi Blvd Suite C 661.822.5959 Team LINDA TERRY THERESA and STACEY GARDNER MANN LINDA CLOUGH REALTOR® REALTOR® REALTOR® 661-205-4088 661-332-3191 661-549-9498 DRE# 01281667 DRE# 01281283 DRE# 01087650 • Trusted Tehachapi Local My husband and I moved to since 1980 STACEY CHRISTY the Tehachapi area 30 years • Tehachapi Area Specialist REALTOR® ago because we thought it was • 20+ years experience a wonderful place to raise our 661-972-4211 • Voted Tehachapi’s BEST & family. After getting involved in FAVORITE Realtor They Work and Work and Work! DRE# 01484849 the community I Realized Real “Theresa Mann is my Super 2016. 2017. 2018. 2019 Estate was the path I wanted Bowl Realtor & #1 Draft Pick!” When experience, hard work, and heart matter, to take. 20 Years later I’m still Dedicated to providing Team Linda & Stacey are there to help with all your striving to be the best and - Coach Al Saunders the highest quality of service Real Estate needs. Over 35 years experience! putting my client’s needs first. St. Louis Rams Super Bowl XXXiV to my clients. NATHANAEL JOE HARBISON MORONES REALTOR® REALTOR® OUR HISTORY 661-472-7499 562-201-2887 DRE# 02059393 DRE# 01954095 I know the Tehachapi Looking to relocate to the area very well, being Tehachapi or Bakersfield area? I can assist you with a builder and working listing and showing in hand in hand with the Let our agents bring all of Kern County. Work other developers in the nights? No problem. I work area. It’s not what you your story home - around your schedule. Text do but how you do it, or email anytime for info about a house or listing. with Quality! in Tehachapi [email protected] AMEE SCOTT CHRIS SKUTVIK THATCHER WALTERS REALTOR® REALTOR® REALTOR® 661-205-9644 661-301-6068 DRE# 02005268 DRE# 01352452 661-747-8954 I am a lifelong resident of DRE# 00999358 I put my clients’goals Kern County and raised in • Personal service at the forefront of every Tehachapi. I have served to my clients transaction, Serving the area for over 30 years in law enforcement. I • Reputation for the Antelope Valley, am a Current resident of hard work Bakersfield, Stallion Bear Valley Springs. My Springs, Bear Valley and the experience and work ethic • Accessibility Wednesday, November 27, 2019 27, November Wednesday, News Tehachapi makes me the right choice Greater Tehachapi area. for your real estate needs. • Accountability 24