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Enterprising
Women of the Western Mojave Mining Camps First
Came the "Ladies" by
Cecile Page Vargo |
When word got out that a few
lone prospectors were digging for gold in the
El Paso & Rand
Mountains
of the Western Mojave area of
California
, more men followed. They
came on foot, burro, mule, or wagon, hoping to strike it rich and go on
to bigger and better things in life.
They spent their days dry washing, digging and blasting, and if
they were lucky they were rewarded with a few nuggets of the precious
yellow metal. They lived in
dugouts in the canyon walls, or built cabins with rock foundations and
canvas tops that barely protected them from the extreme desert
conditions that could dip below freezing in the winter, and above the
century mark in the summer. The
wind always seemed to howl, blowing dust on their person and everything
surrounding them. The rain,
though seldom, came with a vengeance when it did arrive, turning dry
narrow gullies and canyons into raging rivers, washing away anything
that stood in it’s path.
If the prospecting was good, and rich strikes were discovered in
the multicolored hills around them, more prospectors followed and more
substantial settlements began growing around the lonely dugouts and
cabins. Supplies would be
brought in, and stores would be set up.
More often than not the first establishment to set up shop would
be the primitive saloons consisting of a wood shack or lean-to with a
bar inside made of two whiskey barrels and a wooden plank.
The saloons wet the miners parched throats, and helped them to
forget their families in civilized towns far away, but the more they
drank they still found they were thirsty for female companionship.
The “ladies” would be the first to come in to quench that
thirst until the camps grew into real towns, and more respectable women
arrived.
Mexican
Nell Comes To Goler Camp
In 1893 a curvaceous dark-eyed woman came down the mountains of
Tehachapi across the desert to the
Black
Mountain
diggings in the
El Paso
’s. She came on a
freight wagon with food and
mining supplies, and her latest lover.
“Mexican Nell”, was her name, and she was described as having
“temperaments as volcanic as the peak the camp was named after.”
Word was that the camp in Goler Gulch was the place to be, so
Nell said good bye to her partner in
Black
Mountain
, and secured her belongings to the back of a burro she had gotten from
a miner. She wound her way
up and down the sandy trails to the new camp, hailing the boys as she
rode in. She was ready and “willing to relieve the camp of its tedium
and the boys of their dust.”
Though there were many saloons, Nell, and the girls that
eventually followed her to Goler, preferred Nugent’s where they could
listen to the sound of the fiddle, guitar and accordion, and join the
old time miners as they sang favorite old camp songs.
As the evenings would wear on and the voices became weary from
singing, the lonely miner could trade in gold dust or nuggets for one of
Nell’s girls and go back to a tiny room or crib for a few hours of
“companionship.”
Read more
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Songs
of the Old Prospectors by
Cecile Page Vargo |
Whether in the
saloons or out prospecting, the miners loved a good song.
This one was popular amongst the dry-gulchers:
There’s
a Good Pile Coming, Boys
There’s a good pile coming, boys,
A
good pile coming. Tho’
you sink full many a hole,
Ere
the sigh delights your soul,
Of
the good pile coming;
Let
the hope still urge you on,
And
make your blows the stronger,
You’re
nearer to it every stroke,
Dig
a little longer!
Chorus:
There’s a good pile coming, boys,
A
good pile coming.
There’s
a good pile coming, boys
A
good pile coming:
Pick
and shovel, pan and crow
Rightly
used, ‘twill quickly show
The
good pile coming;
Work
with industry and skill,
Your
chance will be the stronger.
You’ll
come upon it soon or late,
Dig
a little longer!
There’s
a good pile coming, boys,
A
good pile coming--
But
beware of cards and dice, They will clear you in a trice,
of
the good pile coming;
But
if you use it as should,
‘Twill
make your credit stronger.
Then
work away with good intent,
Dig
a little longer!
Read more
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Can
This Mine be Saved? You
Can Make a Difference |
Tucked away in the
Sierra Nevada
Mountains
high above the
Mono
Basin
is an almost completely intact mine and mill.
Legend has it that two prospectors wondered up the mountain and
discovered gold, but one miner was killed in an avalanche before they
could do anything with the claim. The year would have been1890, and
the original file on this
claim was listed as the Mendocino.
The mine and mill were active through the 1980’s.
Until recently, only a few tried and true ghost towners or
local residents have ventured up the dusty dirt road, and explored the
area. Most refused to talk much about it in fear that less mindful
people would haul everything away. Today, the
Inyo
National Forest
and the Mono Basin Historical Society have joined hands in efforts to
preserve what remains. Plans are in the making to make this area safe
for general public access to this important part of
California
’s mining history. Buildings
are being locked and safety hazards removed.
Plexiglas may replace glass windows for viewing the complicated
mining machinery inside these buildings. Interpretive signs may be put
up to help visitors identify what they are seeing.
There’s even talk that a
caretaker will stay at the site during the summer months.
The Mono Basin Historical Society is spearheading the
preservation efforts for this nearly forgotten mine and mill, but they
can’t do this alone. If enough interest from people who care
about preserving our mining history is not shown, there is a
possibility that these efforts will stall, and this historic site will
fall victim to the harsh winter weather and to the vandals and
souvenir hunters who have discovered it.
Please e-mail us at info@explorehistoricalif.com
or contact Don Banta of the Mono Basin Historical Society
(760-647-6627) or mbhs@qnet.com, or
the
Inyo
National Forest
(760-647-3044), if you would like to
help save this endangered mine and mill.
Volunteers are also needed to help
collect oral or written histories from old timers that actually
worked in this mine.
Read more
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Our Tours with
Ecological 4-Wheeling Adventures |
We're climbing into 2004!
Please check
here for our 2004 tour schedule.
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Explore Historic California! |
Not too many years ago, the family station wagon was the
magic carpet to adventure. Today, that family station wagon is likely to
be a four wheel drive sport utility vehicle or pick up truck. SUV's and
other 4x4's are one of the best selling classes of vehicles. Ironically,
industry statistics show that once purchased, few owners will dare to
drive their vehicles off the paved highway. Click your mouse through our
website and enjoy our armchair adventures and the histories behind them.
If you are interested in taking one of our guided tours with your
vehicle, please visit our ECOLOGICAL 4-WHEELING ADVENTURES.
Several years ago, we bought our first SUV. We went to a one-night class
at a local community college entitled "How to 4-Wheel Drive" by Harry Lewellyn.
The following weekend we attended the hands-on day tour. We liked what we were
doing so much that we began going out nearly every weekend and learned how to
negotiate a variety of dirt roads. Our spare time was spent doing research on
the history and ecology of our favorite areas. A one-day outing turned into 15
years of leading others on mini-vacations throughout Southern California and the
Owens Valley.
Our 4WD outings involve driving on easy to moderate dirt roads and are
ideally suited to novice and intermediate level drivers. All tours are suitable
for stock vehicles in good condition, although some tours do have vehicle size
restrictions.
Our tours are
operated under permits issued by the Bureau of Land Management, U.S.
Forest Service, and other authorities.
We share our knowledge of the backcountry over the CB radio with our
guests. We frequently stop to explore mining areas, old and new, and ponder the
rocks, plants and animals we may encounter. We'll occasionally visit an old
cabin or deserted mountain lookout.
California has a fascinating history, from geologic unrest and
prehistoric petroglyph scribes to the "Radium Queen of the Mojave" and the
"Human Mole of Black Mountain." Load up your 4X, fasten your seatbelts and get
ready to explore historic California.
Roger, Cecile and Marty |
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