230 W. Ridgecrest Blvd. • P. O. Box 2001, Ridgecrest, CA 93556 • 760-375-8456

Oct 2016Vol. 31, No. 8

Upper Mojave DesertTo 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

At 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 bar-ren and forbidding deserts to try their luck at getting rich

quick. In this film, we’ll meet the pros-pectors who

Death Valley drawing by Pascal

Loomis, circa 1862-74. Online Archive of California,

Bancroft Library

Film-maker Ted Faye

Courtesy photo

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 con-sultant 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 Des-ert’s Lost River of Gold” took place in the Historic USO Building in September 2013. — Andrew Sound

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Oct 2016Vol. 31, No. 8

GenealogyNote

W e — in truth I — did not get the books sorted and in any

kind of order by Sept. 29 for the gene-alogy 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 PorterTex Hoppus

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 rededica-tion of the Historic USO Building, we finished the res-toration 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 Build-ing, displaying the stories of the lives and service of our community’s veterans.

  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 re-search, exhibit, and preser-vation of our past for our future.  

  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 gather-ing 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-Wednes-day evening.

  And we have contin-ued and even expanded our Classic Movie Nights (via Nick Rogers), our Open Mic Nights (via Matt Zubia and his team of incomparable volun-teers), our concerts, and our special events, so that

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 as-

signs all rights to the photo to us. Thank you, Walter!

Photo by Walter Feller

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.

See p. 3

Oct 2016Vol. 31, No. 8

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Report on CollectionsWork’s Ongoing on Veterans’ Displays

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 Mi-chelle 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

Busy YearFrom p. 2

No Field Trip This MonthThere 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 main-tenance!

I am looking for suggestions for future trips. — Jim Kenney 760-371-2458 or j.kenney@verizon.net.

I am mentioning again this month that we have a plan and that we need help to prepare the many personal memen-

tos we have of local veterans for display in our Veterans Memorial Building.

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 court-room. 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

Phone for jailhouse, donated by Roger and Kym McEntee.

Photo by Carol Porter

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Oct 2016Vol. 31, No. 8

R i g h t i n O u r O w n B a c k y a r d . . .

It’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.

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 where-abouts 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 fight-ing 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 ultimate-ly burst open to ROCK all the charac-ters involved in this scorching, timely drama directed by John Sturges. (No, I did not just give away the ending!)

It’s filmed in stunning Cinema-Scope® 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! — Nick Rogers

Our hero in one of his other Western roles. Wikimedia Commons

The fictitious town in which our movie is set. Recognize those mountains? (Hint: if you could see just to the left of the leftmost hill, you’d see cars headed south toward Ridgecrest).

Oct 2016Vol. 31, No. 8

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Above, Philo T. Farnsworth (c.1932), inventor of the first fully functional all-electronic 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

Walleye Missile Anniversary

‘The PursuiT of Precision’This 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 evolu-tion of early guided missiles and of the technology of

television, highlighting Walleye’s “combat OPEVAL” and its unpar-alleled combat success, along with its uniquely effective warhead, its pioneering data link, its through-the-selected-window accuracy, and its advanced versions that could see in the dark and right through clouds and smoke.

The video also features little-known Walleye relations like the powered Condor; the atomic

See p. 6

Oct 2016Vol. 31, No. 8

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« 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.

“Seek-Bang”; the little Snipe; and the tiny, deadly Spike. The story is illus-trated 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 his-tory.

Walleye MissileFrom p. 5

Matthew Zubia

From left: Tex & Marti Hoppus, Donna & Fred Weals, Mary Jane & Denny Kline

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

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.

Oct 2016Vol. 31, No. 8

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Please Come to Our Ladies’ Tea!

Business Members — please patronize them!Allen County Public Library, Genealogy DepartmentAnna Marie Bergens, RealtorBest Western China Lake InnBlues After HoursBob & Ardyce’s Bicycle ShopCal-Sun PoolsClarion InnComfort InnCordell ConstructionDeathValley.comDesert Empire Fair

Desert Garage DoorEarth LandscapingEcono-LodgeEdward Jones Investments Brook H. AndreoliThe Flower ShoppeGriffin Excavation & PavingHeritage Inn Phyllis M. Hix, AttorneyJack & Dana Lyons, RealtorsMaturango MuseumMotion Tire & WheelNevins Tech. Consultants

The News Review (Farris)Pleistocene FoundationProfessional Tax & Business ServicesRed Rock BooksRidgecrest AutomotiveRidgecrest Moving & StorageRoaming Dog KitchenS&M Coins & CollectiblesGary P. Staab & Assoc., Inc.The Swap SheetTruffles@1105Warren’s Automotive

New Members

Member CategoriesHSUMD has three membership categories — all very important to us. Our

regular memberships are $35 per individual or family. Our business memberships are $45 each.

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 BuschPatricia Siegel

Diane Youngblood

As 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 sand-wich 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 trea-sures 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 minimum or eight maximum at one table. — Carol Porter

Historical Society of the Upper Mojave DesertP. O. Box 2001Ridgecrest, CA 93556

MEETING OF OCTOBER 2016Tuesday, Oct. 18, 7 p.m., Historic USO Building

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE PAID

PERMIT NO. 9RIDGECREST, CA

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.

DIRECTORSTex Hoppus, President 760-382-1852, tex.hoppus@me.comDoug Lueck, Vice President 760-375-8202, racvb@filmdeserts.comRichard Hendricks, Recording Secretary shoreline83@me.comAndrew Sound, Programs 760-608-7296, afsound@verizon.netTom Stager, Treasurer tenayatom@aol.com

John Abbott, Building Mgr., Bldg. Rental 619-808-2223, jga2nja@yahoo.com Chuck Cordell, Building cordell.construction@yahoo.com Carol Porter, Accessions & Exhibits 760-446-3400, carporter@gmail.comNick Rogers, Movie Nite, Publicity Wnr428@hotmail.com or call 760-375-8456 for info Matthew Zubia, Fundraising 760-793-2107, mzubiasr@gmail.com

COMMITTEE LEADERS

Liz Babcock, Newsletter Editor 760-375-7900, lizbab2@gmail.comJim Kenney, Field Trips Coordinator 760-371-2458, j.kenney@verizon.netCraig Porter, SEEP Coordinator 760-446-3400, cporter148@mchsi.comDonna McCrohan Rosenthal, PR Coordinator 760-375-4308, mccrohan@iwvisp.comLloyd Smith, Membership Coordinator 760-377-3542, lloyd.smith@hughes.net

Here’s an easy way to see this

newsletter in color! Just send an e-mail to

our membership coordina-tor, Lloyd Smith at lloyd.smith@hughes.net, 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.