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Upper Mojave Desert
230 W. Ridgecrest Blvd. • P. O. Box 2001, Ridgecrest, CA 93556 • 760-375-8456
Vol. 31, No. 8
Oct 2016
To see our schedule of events, visit us at hsumd.org or on Facebook at hsumd
‘ The Great American Gold Rush ’
Comes to the Historic USO
A
t our October meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 18, we’ll view
the video, “The Last Great American Gold Rush.” As
usual, the meeting will be at the Historic USO
Building, 230 W. Ridgecrest Blvd.. at 7 p.m.
The video, one of perennial HSUMD speaker Ted Faye’s
first desert documentaries, tells about the times when
Tonopah, Goldfield, Beatty and Death Valley were known
around the nation for their great riches.
Thousands of hopeful miners from around the world
came to one of
the world’s most barren and
forbidding deserts
to try
their luck
at
getting rich
quick. In
this film,
we’ll meet
the prospectors
who
Filmmaker
Ted Faye
Courtesy photo
Death Valley
drawing by Pascal
Loomis, circa 1862-74.
Online Archive of California,
Bancroft Library
made the discovery of a lifetime, the promoters who grew
rich off their stock, and the entrepreneurs who came to
cash in on the excitement. We’ll also travel to the town
and ghost towns where it all happened.
Ted Faye worked for Rio Tinto Borax (formerly US
Borax/Pacific Coast Borax) for five years as historical consultant and archivist.
He was able to work with all the company’s artifacts
and materials, many of which dated from the time they
used the 20-mule teams to take borax from Harmony
Borax Works in Death Valley to the railroad in Mojave.
He’s been producing documentary films as well as
historical and informational videos and tour guides since
1997. His interest in Death Valley has led to many
productions involving mule teams, prospectors, railroads,
pioneers and even ghosts.
The world premiere of his “Weird Tales VI: The Desert’s Lost River of Gold” took place in the Historic USO
Building in September 2013.
— Andrew Sound
Oct 2016
Vol. 31, No. 8
President’s Message —
A Good and Very Busy Year
A
year ago this month, the Historical Society — in
fact, the whole community — celebrated the 70th
anniversary of the Historic USO Building. (In
October 1945 the building opened as a USO
Club and quickly became a center of community activity
for Ridgecrest and its surrounding region.)
In addition to that celebration, and a formal rededication of the Historic USO Building, we finished the restoration of a former one-room schoolhouse that had
begun its life in 1905 in old Isabella. And we formally
dedicated it as our region’s Veterans Memorial Building, displaying the stories of the lives and service of
our community’s veterans.
Tex Hoppus
So, what have we been doing for the last year as we celebrate another year?
Carol Porter and her active group of dedicated volunteers have made remarkable
progress in collecting, documenting, scanning, archiving, and protecting —
and, for some, displaying — irreplaceable records and items from our region’s
rich historical past; this was
done for purposes of research, exhibit, and preservation of our past for our
future. Genealogy
Note
W
e — in truth I — did not get
the books sorted and in any
kind of order by Sept. 29 for the genealogy book giveaway.
So we are trying again for this
month — Oct. 14, 15, and 17, 11
a.m. to 3 p.m., our regular gift shop
hours. The books will be in the VMB
for you to look through. Lists of the
full inventory are available to make
your search a bit simpler.
— Carol Porter
HSUMD’S Open Mic Night is the
place to be for great music and
ambiance every non-flex Friday.
Admission is a mere $2 per adult
with under 12 free.
We have continued to
expand the holdings and
exhibits of our VMB. And
speaking of our veterans,
we also started a monthly
free breakfast and gathering place for our veterans
and their spouses. And we
have a regular gathering of
veterans who want some
help or guidance from a
Combat Stress Support
Group that meets in our
VMB every flex-Wednesday evening.
And we have continued and even expanded
our Classic Movie Nights
(via Nick Rogers), our
Open Mic Nights (via
Matt Zubia and his team
of incomparable volunteers), our concerts, and
our special events, so that
See p. 3
What better illustration could we have for Tex’s column this month than this beautiful
photo by Walter Feller, last month’s speaker and the creator of a wonderful new
edition of Mary Austin’s Land of Little Rain, illustrated by his photographs. Walter took
the shot while he was waiting for the program. He thanks us for the hospitality and assigns all rights to the photo to us. Thank you, Walter!
2
Photo by Walter Feller
Vol. 31, No. 8
Oct 2016
Report on Collections
Work’s Ongoing on Veterans’ Displays
I
am mentioning again this month that we
have a plan and that we need help to
prepare the many personal mementos we have of local veterans for display in our
Veterans Memorial Building.
Phone for jailhouse, donated by
Roger and Kym McEntee.
Photo by Carol Porter
We have set aside the third Thursday of
each month to work in the VMB preparing
displays and arranging them for viewing. This
activity is deliberately set on that day to follow
our monthly veterans breakfast. The breakfast
is from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., so it seemed like
a natural addition. If you have the time to
help, please let me know. The next date will
beThursday, Oct 20.
This month’s great donation came from
Roger and Kym McEntee.
We are getting the Old County Jail ready
for visitors. Yes, take that any way you want.
The plan is to display photos and item of
interest, keeping the history of the little building
in mind.
A former clerk of the court has told us that the judge
would notify his clerk who would notify the bailiff by intercom
(old phone, office-to-office type) to bring a defendant into the courtroom. The phone Roger brought in is a perfect example of such a phone
and will certainly give a look of authenticity to our decor.
— Carol Porter
No Field Trip This Month
There will be no October field trip. My Jeep is unable to
mechanically perform, and a fix is not yet in sight. I
will have minor surgery in November, so with the
holidays ahead, there will not be a field trip until
after the first of the year.
Sorry — getting older (both me and the Jeep) requires more maintenance!
I am looking for suggestions for future trips.
— Jim Kenney 760-371-2458 or [email protected].
3
Busy Year
From p. 2
our position as a center of community
fun and activity continues to draw
families and aficionados from all over
the area. And I can’t forget to mention the
awesome and artistic things that Michelle Andreoli has done with our Gift
Shop. Or the friendly and helpful
things that John Abbott has done to
attract and support guests who want
to rent our incomparable venue for
their own family events.
Yes, it’s been a good and very busy
year!
— Tex Hoppus
Vol. 31, No. 8
I
Oct 2016
Right in Our Own Backyard . . .
t’s no secret that hundreds, if not thousands of motion pictures, television shows, commercials, music videos, etc.
have enjoyed the majesty of the nearby Alabama Hills for dramatic backgrounds. This film activity has been going on
since the dawn of movies. The lush scenery has filled in for locales as diverse as Tibet, India, the Sahara, and … outer
space. A scenic trip to the Museum of Western Film History in Lone Pine will teach you all you’ll ever need to know
about the treasured history of films produced in the area.
One such 1954 film, to conclude HSUMD’s series “Westerns…with a Twist!”, is especially identified with this highly
recognizable, rugged backdrop. It’s not actually a bonafide Western, but a film with a classic Western feel, albeit a dark
one. Once again, because of film exhibition license restrictions, I am not allowed to divulge the title of this film classic.
Oh yeah? Follow the caps!
Spencer Tracy stars as a one-armed World War
II veteran who arrives by train at a desolate desert
berg to deliver a medal to a man whose son lost his
life in the war.
n roles.
other Wester
Our hero in one of his
Wikimedia Commons
Tracy delivers one of his finest performances,
in this, his final film for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
He is joined by a powerhouse supporting cast
that includes Robert Ryan, Lee Marvin, Walter
Brennan, John Ericson, and Ernest Borgnine as a
bunch of really BAD guys who don’t appreciate
Tracy asking questions concerning the whereabouts of the Japanese-American soldier’s father.
Needless to say, the group gives Tracy a real
rough DAY in
the desert. He’s not too shaky AT fighting back, though, even with only one
arm. And he drives a mean Jeep, being
chased down a lonely road by an angry
townsman.
Does Tracy get what he came for?
Well, let’s just say that the BLACK
cloud of mystery and anger is ultimately burst open to ROCK all the characters involved in this scorching, timely
drama directed by John Sturges. (No, I
did not just give away the ending!)
The fictitious town in wh
ich our movie is set. Re
cognize those mountai
(Hint: if you could see
ns?
just to the left of the lef
tmost hill, you’d see ca
rs
headed south toward
Ridgecrest).
It’s filmed in stunning CinemaScope® in the Alabama Hills, which, ironically, are just a
few miles down the road from the infamous Japanese internment camp known as Manzanar (another fascinating
place to visit!). Keep your eyes on the scenery (when you can tear them away from the action), and you’ll recognize scenes
even closer to home. Our film will certainly fill the Historic USO Building’s big acreen with exciting and memorable
entertainment.
You can see this special film on Wednesday, Oct. 19. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. to allow Western movie lovers to
mosey on up to the famous Snack Bar for a gold mine of thrifty, tasty treats. The action rolls out at 7. Admission is free,
partners, but y’all know how much those $2 donations are appreciated. For more information, call 760-375-8456 or stop
in for the latest film schedule.
See you at the movies!
4
— Nick Rogers
Vol. 31, No. 8
Oct 2016
Walleye Missile Anniversary
‘The Pursuit
of
T
Precision’
his Oct. 25 — the fourth Tuesday, as usual — we’ll
again have the opportunity to attend a special Mark
Pahuta and Leroy Doig III production, when our
favorite China Lake technical communicators return to the
Historic USO Building to show us the final video of their
anniversary series. Please do attend. The program will start
at 7 p.m.
This month’s video, “The Pursuit of Precision: Walleye,
the TV-Guided Glide Bomb,” looks at the development of
precision munitions, focusing on the evolution of the first
successful electro-optical weapon: China Lake’s Walleye,
the smartest of the “smart bombs.”
This feature-length documentary describes the evolution of early guided missiles and of the technology of
Above, Philo T. Farnsworth (c.1932),
inventor of the first fully functional allelectronic television system.
Left, Condor TV-guided missile dropped
from A-6 during operational tests at
China Lake, 1971.
Below, Walleye video imagery of bridge
target in Vietnam prior to impact, 1968.
U.S. Navy screen shots
television, highlighting Walleye’s
“combat OPEVAL” and its unparalleled combat success, along with
its uniquely effective warhead, its
pioneering data link, its throughthe-selected-window accuracy, and
its advanced versions that could
see in the dark and right through
clouds and smoke.
The video also features littleknown Walleye relations like the
powered Condor; the atomic
See p. 6
5
Vol. 31, No. 8
Oct 2016
« Memories of Our Anniversary Gala «
I had an extra page this month, so how better to use it than to take a hint from President Tex’s column and show a few of the
photos I took at our big party for the Historic USO’s anniversary a year ago? All photos are by me (Liz)
— ed.
From left: Tex & Marti Hoppus, Donna & Fred Weals, Mary Jane & Denny Kline
Matthew Zubia
Walleye Missile
Tex Hoppus (center) with the Five
Dusters — Bill Knehans on bass, Scot
Rogala on drums, Simon Austin on
trumpet, Greg Velicer on guitar
and Heath Workman on
tenor sax
From p. 5
“Seek-Bang”; the little Snipe; and the
tiny, deadly Spike. The story is illustrated with never-before-released range
and combat footage, and it features
unique recollections by development
and test team members and by several
of the operators who took Walleye
to war in Southeast Asia and in the
Persian Gulf.
The program is free and open to
the public. So please take advantage of
this wonderful opportunity to see an
important part of China Lake’s history.
Craig & Carol Porter
John Abbott, Nick Rogers
The semiformal “Star in our City’s
Constellation” dinner-dance took
place on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2015,
and was the first event of an
activity-packed weekend.
6
Vol. 31, No. 8
A
Oct 2016
Please Come to Our Ladies’ Tea!
s we announced in our September newsletter, our
second Ladies’ Tea will be on Saturday, Oct. 29,
at 11 a.m. Tickets are now on sale in the gift
shop at a mere $8.00 per person.
We are celebrating fall this year with a variety
of hot and cold soups, salads, and tiny sandwich treats, tasty desserts and of course a
dessert soup or two. Something special will
be your souvenir unique bowl and mug. We’re
planning a few other prizes and take-home treasures for attendees.
Don’t forget to come up with a special chapeau
to wear (one with a Halloween theme, perhaps?)
Get your imagination going and buy your ticket. If
you plan to have a group seated together, please give
that information to the salesperson at the time of your purchase. Group seating with be for six
— Carol Porter
minimum or eight maximum at one table.
Member Categories
HSUMD has three membership categories — all very important to us. Our
regular memberships are $35 per individual or family. Our business memberships
are $45 each.
New
Members
We also have a special category: life member, which is something the board
bestows only on members who have supported HSUMD in sustained and special
ways. Our life members’ names are displayed on our website.
Joanne Busch
Patricia Siegel
Diane Youngblood
Business Members — please patronize them!
Allen County Public Library,
Genealogy Department
Anna Marie Bergens, Realtor
Best Western China Lake Inn
Blues After Hours
Bob & Ardyce’s Bicycle Shop
Cal-Sun Pools
Clarion Inn
Comfort Inn
Cordell Construction
DeathValley.com
Desert Empire Fair
Desert Garage Door
Earth Landscaping
Econo-Lodge
Edward Jones Investments
Brook H. Andreoli
The Flower Shoppe
Griffin Excavation & Paving
Heritage Inn
Phyllis M. Hix, Attorney
Jack & Dana Lyons, Realtors
Maturango Museum
Motion Tire & Wheel
Nevins Tech. Consultants
7
The News Review (Farris)
Pleistocene Foundation
Professional Tax & Business Services
Red Rock Books
Ridgecrest Automotive
Ridgecrest Moving & Storage
Roaming Dog Kitchen
S&M Coins & Collectibles
Gary P. Staab & Assoc., Inc.
The Swap Sheet
Truffles@1105
Warren’s Automotive
DIRECTORS
Tex Hoppus, President
760-382-1852, [email protected]
Doug Lueck, Vice President
760-375-8202, [email protected]
Richard Hendricks, Recording Secretary
[email protected]
Andrew Sound, Programs
760-608-7296, [email protected]
Tom Stager, Treasurer
[email protected]
  
John Abbott, Building Mgr., Bldg. Rental
619-808-2223, [email protected]
Chuck Cordell, Building
[email protected]
Carol Porter, Accessions & Exhibits
760-446-3400, [email protected]
Nick Rogers, Movie Nite, Publicity
[email protected] or call
760-375-8456 for info
Matthew Zubia, Fundraising
760-793-2107, [email protected]
COMMITTEE LEADERS
Liz Babcock, Newsletter Editor
760-375-7900, [email protected]
Jim Kenney, Field Trips Coordinator
760-371-2458, [email protected]
Craig Porter, SEEP Coordinator
760-446-3400, [email protected]
Donna McCrohan Rosenthal, PR Coordinator
760-375-4308, [email protected]
Lloyd Smith, Membership Coordinator
760-377-3542, [email protected]
Here’s an easy
way to see this
newsletter in color!
Just send an e-mail to
our membership coordinator, Lloyd Smith at lloyd.
[email protected], and ask
him to put you on the list to
get a PDF copy e-mailed to
you each month.
We don’t plan to stop
sending paper copies, but
online is the way to go if you
prefer living color.
Important Reminders
 Annual dues are $35 (family) and $45 (business).
 Please remember the Historical Society in your wills, trusts and
other gift giving. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Tuesday, Oct. 18, 7 p.m., Historic USO Building
MEETING OF OCTOBER 2016
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Historical Society of the
Upper Mojave Desert
P. O. Box 2001
Ridgecrest, CA 93556
NONPROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
PERMIT NO. 9
RIDGECREST, CA