Upper Mojave Desert P. O. Box 2001, Ridgecrest, CA 93556

Vol. 26 No. 1 January 2011

Superb SEEP — Find out what IWV youngsters learn in Sand Canyon each year Our January program will feature on water and water conservation, a copy of this excellent glimpse into Peggy Jacobson, the Bureau of Land while promoting stewardship of our some fascinating history, you’ll want Management’s Sand Canyon Environ- environment and our world. to purchase your copy from our gift mental Education Program coordina- The Historical Society has been shop. tor, with a short presentation about involved in the program ever since the The program for fourth-graders SEEP, followed by members of the program began in the 1994-95 school begins at school with “Sand Canyon Maturango Museum Docent League year. HSUMD’s involvement fo- Alive!,” a classroom session on desert with animal specimens and wildlife cuses on the history of Sand Canyon, and riparian wildlife and ecosystems, information. including the Los Angeles aqueduct, followed by a “Birds & Binoculars” The meeting will take place in which crosses the canyon. classroom session, including a demon- the Historic USO Building, 230 W. In years past some of our members stration of how to use binoculars. Ridgecrest Blvd., on Tuesday, Jan. 18, who were residents of the canyon To prepare for the field trip and for at 7:30 p.m. in the 1930s and ’40s met with the life in the desert, a school session also SEEP is a community volunteer students on site and showed them how covers desert safety and low-impact program serving fourth- and fifth- and where they lived in the canyon. conservation practices from the “Leave grade students in the Indian Wells Their reminiscences have been cap- No Trace” program. Maturango Valley. tured on Mark Pahuta’s video, “Sand Museum Docents also present desert SEEP focuses on our dependence Canyon Station.” If you don’t have Continued on p. 5

Recognize these guys? From left, Fred Weals and Lou Pracchia of HSUMD show SEEP participants a diagram of how an inverted siphon works to get the L.A. aqueduct water through Sand Canyon on its way southward. To the left of Fred is a board showing pic- tures of the canyon in the early days. Photo by Shelley Ellis Vol. 26 No 1 January 2011 President’s Message — Starting 2001 with a Bang !

hope that everyone had a great I’m happy to report that we have holiday! It looks like we are start- five new hotel/motel business members, I ing out the New Year with a bang. including Best Western, Carriage Inn, Be sure to watch our scheduling for Comfort Inn, Heritage Inn & Suites and upcoming events — and please partici- Econo Lodge. We owe a big thank you pate. to the owners and managers for their support. One good way for you to keep up to date on everything that’s going on in I’d also like to thank all our vol- the Society is to sign up for the regular unteers for working at our gift shop e-mail updates Andrew Sound sends through the holidays. It looks like we out. Just let Andrew know at asound@ had record sales in December. Good job! ridgenet.net, and he’ll add you to his list. And now we need to enter the New Thank you, Jim Ponek and the City Year with even more enthusiasm — of Ridgecrest Parks and Recreation De- please do let any boardmember know partment for giving us a large relief map what you’d like to do to help. Doug Lueck of our local areas. — Doug Lueck Mystery Photo — Do You Know Any of These Cute Youngsters?

Carol Porter, our accessions and exhibits coordina- tor, would like to know more about this group of local boys and girls.

We think they’re singing in the His- toric USO Build- ing, but would like to know more.

Do you know what the occasion was? Can you identify any of these little cuties? Were you perchance one of them? Just call or e-mail Carol (ad- dress info given on last page) if you can provide any information.

Photo from Larry and Bette Fox collection 2 Vol. 26 No 1 January 2011 Two Special Events at Historic USO Historical Society Fundraising Coordinator Mike Leming has arranged two very special attractions coming up in our Concerts on the Desert series. First, on Thursday, Jan. 27, famed singer Gary Morris will appear at a concert and tri-tip dinner. Then on Feb. 20, John, McEuen, a member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, will appear, also for a concert and dinner. In both cases, doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the show starting at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at Red Rock Books and the Historic USO Building Gift Shop, or by phone at 760-375-8456. Read more about these fabulous musicians below, then mark your calendar and get your tickets. You won’t want to miss these wonderful events!

Gary Morris has a voice that moves the listener’s heart and soul, most famously with his original recording of “Wind Beneath My Wings,” which won both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music Song of the Year Awards. At the height of his Nashville recording career, Morris boldly opted to play op- posite Linda Ronstadt in the New York Shakespeare Festival production of Puccini’s “La Boheme.” Next, he accepted the heroic lead role of Jean Valjean in “Les Mis- erables,” on Broadway. Receiving resounding critical praise, including a Drama Desk Best Actor nomination, his performance set the standard for this challenging role. His famous rendition of “Bring Him Home” can be found on the platinum-selling Grammy Award-winning international cast album, as well as on his latest CD, “Gospel Classics, Volume 2 - Rock of Ages.” His career in country music began in the early 1980s when he produced 12 albums that generated 16 Top 10 singles and five No. 1 hits, including “Baby Bye Bye,” “100% Chance Of Rain,” and “Leave Me Lonely.” Morris then broke new ground with his highly successful self-produced acoustic album “Plain Brown Wrapper,” far preceding the unplugged genre that is so popular today. The Texas-born vocalist earns ovations whenever he performs. His magnificent voice has graced the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, as well as the White House, where he has performed for every living U.S. President. He has also appeared in many roles on television. His versatile career has taken him around the world — and now he will appear right here in Ridgecrest! See above for all the details.

John McEuen is a founding member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, now in its 44th year. McEuen has continually performed since 1964 — traveling more than 3 million miles and appearing in 8,500 concerts and 300 television shows, both with the band and as a solo performer. He also has a rich history of creating, producing and preserving original and tradition- al folk and acoustic music. He brings his guitar, banjo, fiddle, and mandolin along with favorite Dirt Band songs and the stories behind them. In October he earned the Best in the West Award from the Folk Alliance Organization. He has made more than 40 albums (six solo) that have earned four platinum and five gold recognition awards, Grammy nominations, CMA and ACM awards, an Emmy nomination and IBMA Record of the Year award. He has also produced documentary films, performed on 25 albums as guest artist and produced more than 300 concerts throughout his career, the first in 1965 in Long Beach with Bob Dylan. On Sirius/XM’s The Village, McEuen’s popular Acoustic Traveller show is now in its fifth year. His countless jams include street performers to Phish, Earl Scruggs, Levon Helm — even Sesame Street with a herd of goats and a cow! His most important legacy may be his instigation of what Rolling Stone called “The most important record to come out of Nashville” — “Will the Circle Be Unbroken...” See above for details of his performance here in Ridgecrest. 3 Vol. 26 No 1 January 2011

New Year — Continuing Gift Shop News Work on Collections We had a very successful De- A new year and I am still saying I am working on the collections in hopes of cember in our gift shop — and we getting them in order. I may have to face the fact that this is a continuing task. hope our success story will con- We are receiving great historical items from members of the community. We tinue throughout 2011! are adding to the collection by the generosity of the Maturango Museum when We carry See’s candy all year it has duplicates or items that seem more appropriate for HSUMD. long — just a reminder. We also Volunteers Needed still need volunteers for the gift Most of our photographs are in protective sheets and ready to be categorized, shop, which continues to be open I can use all the help offered for this job. from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. I would also like to have photos scanned onto disks for long-term storage. If — Christine L. Cane-Prosser the photos are on disk, we can improve on their appearance and repair damage. Another task that needs willing workers is to transfer our VHS tapes to DVD. Soon people will ask, “What is VHS?” We need to stay up to date. These are years of tapes of our monthly programs; it might even be fun to watch these Letter of Appreciation and not just one more job. It is with mixed feelings that I offer a thank you for additions to our collec- After the visit last March of the tion to the business establishments that are closing. We certainly want to keep Conference of California HIstorical So- the memory of these businesses alive but hate to see their doors closed. We cieties, HSUMD received the following welcome shirts, menus, mugs, etc., that will remind people of places they used thank-you note from the photo archivist to enjoy frequenting. The Avitias of El Charro have added a few items, and we of the Laws Railroad Museum. I’ve are expecting some items from Texas Cattle Co. been remiss in waiting so long to print An additional note — the gift shop should have JD’s shirts in very soon. Be the letter — but what an appropriate sure to stop by an add one to your collection. month to do it! (See John Di Pol’s great article on pp. 6-7.) — ed. — Carol Porter just wanted to tell you how much I loved the USO Build- Iing! It’s wonderful how a group of people got together and preserved something of significant historical value. And paid such attention to details making sure the architectural details stayed intact. It’s also pretty impressive that it has been made available for commu- nity gatherings.

The Best to All of You, Pam Vaughan Photo Archivist Laws Railroad Museum Bishop

No Time Like Now To Pay Dues HSUMD dues are payable HSUMD docents join Dr. Lorraine Blair, our hostess for “Christmas in by the calendar year. Why not Randsburg,” on a beautiful, crisp morning in the “living ghost town.” From renew now? left are Alan Alpers, Joann and Al Woodman, Lorraine, and Andrew Sound. Annual dues are $20 for the Other helpers included John Abbott, Kathy Armstrong, Susan Hueber, Carol calendar year, with business and Craig Porter. and Joy Young. The incomparable Jim Vaskov was there dues $30. to play the organ and lead us in carols. Photo by Liz Babcock 4 Vol. 26 No 1 January 2011 Our Business Members — please patronize them! A Ridgecrest Septic Service The Flower Shoppe Nevins Tech. Consultants Allen County Public Library, Heritage Inn & Suites The News Review (Farris) Genealogy Department High Sierra Auto & Truck Repair The Pleistocene Foundation AltaOne Federal Credit Union Phyllis M. Hix, Attorney Kenneth G. Pritchard, Attorney Anna Marie Bergens, Realtor Hockett’s Building Supply Ridgecrest Automotive, LLC Best Western China Lake Inn IWV Insurance Ridgecrest Moving & Storage BevLen Haus – Bed & Breakfast Jacobs Naval Systems Group Sierra Odyssey, LLC Cal-Sun Pools JRP Historical Consulting, LLC Sierra Wave Tank Sales Carriage Inn The Library Press Southern Sierra Medical Clinic Comfort Inn Dick Lewis Domestic Water Systems Spectrum Graphics & Printing Cordell Construction Jack & Dana Lyons, Realtors Gary P. Staab & Assoc., Inc. DeathValley.com Maturango Museum The Swap Sheet Econo Lodge Netzer-Russell Consulting, LLC

Superb SEEP From p. 1 animals and museum specimens during classroom sessions on desert and riparian wildlife and the food web. A day or two later, the students spend a day in nearby Sand Canyon in the Sierra Nevada, rotating through six interpretive stations while completing their field journals. Sand Canyon is an ideal setting for exploring a stream- side or riparian ecosystem and for contrasting it with the surrounding desert ecosystem. The availability of water sup- ports a rich diversity of plants and animals. During their visit to Sand Canyon, the students observe the variety of life in the canyon today and hear about life in the canyon in the past. Volunteers in the canyon give on-site introductions to the geography of Sand Canyon and some of the history of the Los Angeles aqueduct. The canyon site is naturally set up for the six interpretive stations: Archaeology, Aquatic Wildlife, Art, Birds, History and Plants. These stations are all located within a mile of the parking area. The program for fifth-graders is in the classroom and features the water cycle, water in the Indian Wells Valley, a groundwater model demonstration and water conservation. SEEP receives funding from the Bureau of Land Manage- ment and a “Hands on the Land” federal grant. The Desert Mountain Resource Conservation & Development Council administers a state grant for SEEP programs provided by the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, an agency of the State of Cali- fornia. The IWV Water District also donates funds. The Society normally meets on the third Tuesday of the Under the spreading cottonwood trees, SEEP partici- month. All are welcome to attend. For more information on pants get on-site experience of Sand Canyon’s riparian this or future meetings, call us at 760-375-8456. habitat. Photo by Shelley Ellis — Andrew Sound 5 Vol. 26 No 1 January 2011 Carson & Colorado Railroad aka the Slim Princess By John Di Pol ence, decided to build a railroad to the too soon.” That made Keeler, not the south as a profitable venture. Mills, Colorado River, the end of the line! acting fast, formed the Carson & During the early and mid-1880s, Colorado Railroad (C&C) Corpora- the C&C was operating well in the tion in May 1880. black, but by the late ’80s the revenues Construction, with surveying, began to decline, with the decade of COMSTOCK, 1859 — the grading and rail installation, started discovery of enormously rich gold Continued on p. 7 immediately. The railroad and silver deposits. Located in bar- line was to be narrow gauge ren desert country of western Nevada and run 300 miles from the south of Reno, the Comstock began to Comstock to Fort Mojave develop at a rapid pace in the 1860s. on the lower Colorado An adequate transportation system River at the extreme south- was needed to support the infrastruc- ern end of Nevada. ture of the growing population and The northern terminus the operation of the mines and ship- of the C&C was a connec- ment of their bullion to the markets. tion to the V&T at a point A railroad system would be the an- between Virginia City and swer. Carson City called Mound Darius O. Mills, William Ralston House. By April 1881 the and William Sharon, bankers and route continued to the railroad men, stepped forward in the southern end of Walker mid-1860s to build the Virginia and Lake (site of future city of Truckee Railroad which connected Hawthorne), then to the Virginia City, Carson City and Reno junction of the 25-mile spur (Reno being on the main transconti- line to the Candelaria min- nental line of the Central Pacific and ing area. Union Pacific railroads, which was The main line continued completed in 1869). to Montgomery Pass, over The period 1860–1880 encom- the Nevada-California state passed the boom years of the Com- line to reach Benton by stock, with a total production of January 1883, then down $310,000,000. But in 1880 the price the Owens Valley on the of silver began to fall; the ore bodies east side of the Owens River not as rich; smaller mines played out. to reach Keeler on the east The Comstrock continued to produce side of Owens Lake by the for the next several decades, but at a end of July 1883. slower pace. On July 12, 1883, Dari- However, active mining stretched us Mills arrived at the end- south in western Nevada for several of-track on an inspection hundred miles, with new claims and Map of the Carson & Colorado Railroad, trip and uttered his famous starting at Mound House, NV, and running new districts being developed. remark that the railroad 300 miles south to Keeler, CA. Darius Mills and William Sharon, “had been built either 300 Reproduced from the Rocketeer, with their successful V&T experi- miles too long or 300 years March 28, 1969, p. 4 6 Vol. 26 No 1 January 2011

Slim Princess From p. 6 the 1890s plagued by varying fortunes, mostly negative. So it was a surprise when the Southern Pacific purchased the entire C&C railroad in March 1900. However, the SP move was most fortuitous. In May 1900 rich deposits of gold and silver were discovered at what became Tonopah and Goldfield — another “Com- stock” in Nevada. The construction of the Tonopah and Goldfield rail- road to support the develop- ment and operation of the mineral bonanza, à la Com- stock, began in 1902. The “Tonopah Junction” connection with the C&C Photograph of the Slim Princess, taken at the Laws Railroad Museum in 1969 by main line was made in July Frederick L. Richards. This historic train, still on display at Laws, looks much the 1904 at a location a few miles same today. Rocketeer, March 28, 1969, p. 5 above the branch line to Can- delaria. The C&C was back Owens Valley for it gave train trans- romantic, lover of his valley who was in business! portation to Los Angeles and other sentimental over the little train, called In the decades that followed the parts of California. it “Slim Princess.” Tonopah boom, the C&C had its ups The C&C continued freight and and downs, including the abandon- passenger operations within and exter- Ref: Railroads of Nevada and East- ment of certain sections, especially in nal to the Owens Valley for the next ern California, Vol. 1, by D. F. Myrick, the upper portion of the line. 50 years. But eventually the activities 1962 The southern portion fared better. of the C&C were on a downhill slope. The town of Mojave, 100 miles north The last train rolled on April 29, 1960. The Laws Railroad Museum of Los Angeles, is on the east–west and For more information, read the and Historic Site are located on south main lines of the SP. excellent history in the reference cited land donated to Inyo County and In 1910 SP built a standard-gauge below. the City of Bishop by the South- line, 140 miles long, from Mojave ern Pacific Railroad in 1964. The Also, it is very worthwhile to visit museum is operated by the Bishop up to the Owenyo Station north of the museum at the site of the C&C Museum and Historical Society Owens Lake to meet the C&C. The Laws Station located 4 miles east under contract with those two main purpose of this line, called the of Bishop. The site buildings, rails, agencies. “Jawbone Division,” was to convey locomotive and rolling stock are all The museum is open every day men and material for builing the Los original. all year between the hours of 10 Angeles Aqueduct, but also for public How did the train become known a.m. and 4 p.m. For more informa- use for freight and passengers. tion, call the museum, 760-873- as the “Slim Princess”? One myth: 5950, or visit the website, www. This connection was a great boon “Because of its slim rails.” The other: lawsmuseum.org/ for the C&C and to the people of the Will Chalfant, journalist, historian, 7 DIRECTORS Doug Lueck, President Roger McEntee, Building Manager 760-375-8202, [email protected] [email protected] You could be seeing this Bill Nevins, Vice President & Bldg Rental Carol Porter, Accessions & Exhibits newsletter in color! 760-375-4764, [email protected] 760-446-3400, [email protected] Check out our web- Kym McEntee, Secretary Louis Renner, Member at Large site, www.maturango. 760-382-7919, [email protected] 760-375-4379, [email protected] org/Hist.html, for an Andrew Sound, Treasurer & Publicist Pete Smith, Membership archive of our newslet- 760-371-1795, [email protected] [email protected] ters. Thanks to our    gracious webmistress, Liz Babcock, Newsletter Editor COMMITTEE LEADERS all the recent issues are 760-375-7900, [email protected] Janet Westbrook, Webmistress included in the archive Chris Cane-Prosser, Giftshop [email protected] as color PDFs. 760-793-0741, christinecaneprosser@ John Di Pol, Historian gmail.com 760-375-2610, [email protected] Chuck Cordell, Building [email protected] Jim Kenney, Field Trips & Programs 760-371-2458, [email protected] Mike Leming, Fundraising & Bldg Rental Important Reminders 760-371-7270, inspirationalcountry@  Annual dues are $20 per family for the calendar year. hotmail.com  Business Member dues are $30 for the calendar year.  Please remember the Historical Society in your wills, trusts and other gift giving. We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

Historical Society of the Upper Mojave Desert NONPROFIT ORG. P. O. Box 2001 U.S. POSTAGE PAID Ridgecrest, CA 93556 PERMIT NO. 9 RIDGECREST, CA ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

. .

JANUARY 2011 MEETING

Tuesday, January 18, 2011, 7:30 p.m., Historic USO Building