Historian John Hockaday battled Blue Cut Fire using a Walker

NBC4 speaks with 83-year-old John Hockaday who did battled the Blue Cut Fire while using a walker. Mekahlo Medina reports for the NBC4 News at 6 on Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2016. (Published Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2016)

By Mekahlo Medina
nbclosangeles.com

After some homeowners decided to stay and battle the ferocious Blue Cut Fire with just their garden hoses, NBC4 caught 83-year-old John Hockaday who did it using a walker.

He was one a few neighbors who stuck it out. Hockaday is known as a local historian and even at 83, even with a walker, he said he was not only protecting his house but history.

"It's an off-road walker," joked Hockaday as he was covered in soot and dirt talking about how he used his spinners to fight the fire. "The fire was coming down this way. That didn't stop it, but it slowed it down enough that I could keep up with it."

Newschopper4 flew over as he used his garden hose to battle back the flames.

Ron Snow, Hockaday's cousin living in the Bay Area, saw Hockaday on the NBC4 website and worried that he might not make it through the intense fire.

But Hockaday was too intense himself to give up.

"I was going to go down with the ship," he said. "I'm Cajon pass guy, you know?"

"Cajon Pass Guy" is an author who wrote two books about the area and was protecting the oldest house still standing in the Cajon Pass.

Built in 1928 he says and he fought all night to save it and when he ran out of water he drove down to get help.

Fire crews thought he was trespassing and detained him. He was released a couple of hours later, returned home, fire still raging, determined to save what he could.

"It's my thing," he said. "I'm Mr. Cajon Pass."

He read a poem:

"The thing that brings troubled to me is that my brain still thinks I'm 33. But no matter how much I curse and fret. Thank the Lord, I ain't dead yet."

Randsburg: Living ghost town is a Mojave Desert treasure

A sign hangs on a building in Randsburg, CA, Thursday, July 14, 2016. (Photo by Jennifer Cappuccio Maher/The Sun/SCNG)

By Michel Nolan
The San Bernardino Sun

It happens suddenly. You’re traveling along an endless stretch of the Mojave Desert, and like you’ve noticed a hundred times before, the U.S. Highway 395 road sign comes into view, pointing left at the turnoff to the town of Randsburg, a two-minute drive on an unpaved road.

The sky is a brilliant blue, the July heat hasn’t risen yet, so you decide to try it and take the path less traveled.

Within three minutes, you’ve left the parched expanse and arrived more than a century back in time.

Could your eyes be playing tricks on you?

Is this a desert mirage?

You are on Butte Avenue, the main thoroughfare in an Old West town that looks like an authentic Old West town.

Welcome to Randsburg, a desert gold-mining town that struck it big more than a century ago.

On a recent Thursday, staff photographer Jennifer Maher and I set out for a Randsburg adventure and were delighted with the town and its inhabitants, who were friendly and eager to share stories of their living ghost town.

The area’s mining operation, at its peak between 1895 — when gold was discovered — and 1933, took out more than $60 million in gold profits from the earth.

There truly is “gold in them thar hills.”

As gold became scarce, however, so did the people, and the 1896 boomtown that sprang up overnight was no more.

During the area’s “Gold Rush” era, the population mushroomed to nearly 4,000, but has now dwindled to about 50 hardy souls.

Greeting us at the edge of town was the weathered wood facade of an aging Post Office, which bears the skull of a steer, along with the ominous words, “End of the Trail, Randsburg, CAL.”

The General Store, just two doors down, looked friendlier so we decided to check it out.

We were hooked. Randsburg had us, reeling us in.

Built in 1903, the Randsburg General Store/Soda Fountain/Restaurant is a purveyor of fine provisions, necessities from pancake mix to soup, Clorox to mousetraps. The store serves fresh coffee, as well as restaurant menu choices and its famous soda fountain phosphates.

The focal point of the store is the 16-foot marble-topped soda fountain with stained-glass cabinet doors.

According to one story, the soda fountain was carried from Boston on a clipper ship around Cape Horn, arriving in the desert in 1904. Another story claims it traveled from Boston via mule train and arrived about the same time.

General Store owners Brad Myers and Carol Dyer, who moved to Randsburg part time from the San Fernando Valley and took over the store on July 1 of this year, are enthusiastic entrepreneurs.

“We wanted to get out of the rat race,” said Carol, a former legal secretary who has been dirt bike riding up here for 40 years.

So, three years ago, they started a T-shirt company in Randsburg, MadInk Designs; then, they opened up the MadInk Motorcycle and Surf Shop next door and the Hole in the Wall Antique Store down the street, and finally the General Store.

They envision a thriving future in the dusty little town.

“We want to keep our history, but we want to expand to keep it alive,” Carol said.

“Randsburg is a mecca for motorcycle riding and other off-road vehicles,” said Brad, who admits he tells everybody to call him “Pitt.”

Folks don’t forget his name, he says with a smile.

Brad begins his day fixing breakfast, and then goes out and sits on the yellow line in the middle of the street to have his coffee and bagel.

Where else can you do that?

A former fabricator, Brad also rides motorcycles and he reports the influx of desert riders and campers within a 20-mile radius reaches about 190,000 during Thanksgiving weekend.

The little town is jumping.

The hospitable couple learn local history from the old timers who come in.

Randsburg has more than its share of colorful characters.

The aroma of fresh morning coffee lures Ron Bush, 75, a Randsburg resident for 30 years, and Gary Gearhart, 67, of Johannesburg, a town a few miles away.

Ron, a native of New York, worked for Wells Fargo, also working security in nearby Boron at the Borax plant and the solar fields.

Gary, who worked in Boron at the Borax plant for seven years, was a heavy equipment operator. He later spent 29 years in Mojave.

Obviously, desert lovers.

While Jenn and I sipped our lime phosphates, the old-timers talked about mining borax in the nearby mines at Boron and how the 20-mule teams, made famous in ads for borax soap, hauled the borax in old wooden-wheeled wagons through the rough terrain, across Trona Road, to California City and over to Mojave.

The trip took one month in 1872.

They talked about “the old days,” the people who have come and gone and the changes in the town, which are few because the townspeople want to keep the character of Randsburg authentic.

There is pride here.

The elementary school and high school are gone, but an elementary school still stands in Johannesburg, two miles away.

The old hospital is also gone, so locals go into Ridgecrest for medical needs.

Many of the homes that look ancient on the exterior have been remodeled and are comfortable and clean on the interior.

According to Ron, residents get their water from three wells dug at the end of town.

Air conditioning is so expensive that residents opt for swamp coolers to keep them comfortable in the summer’s brutal heat, which is usually in the triple digits.

Winter temps are the other extreme — dropping way below freezing, and occasionally blanketing the desert in snow (drought permitting).

With spring comes the wildflowers: lupines, primroses, sand verbena.

There is no cable TV service here, so residents have satellite dishes. As for Wi-Fi, there is none.

While it’s not an easy way of life, it’s somehow simpler.

The scattering of eclectic homes ranges from those built into the hills, to a few ranch homes to others patched with old wood and corrugated metal.

There is also a sprinkling of outhouses dotting the landscape.

Along the street are the Opera House, the White House Saloon, the Randsburg Inn (which has lodging and lots of antiques), The Joint saloon (a former bakery), the Randsburg Museum, a barbershop and the “Goat Sky Ranch,” bed and breakfast owned by Goat Brecker, an old Supercross racer from the ’70s and ’80s.

There are two churches in town — Methodist and Catholic.

Up a winding road is the original jail, last occupied (according to Brad) by two ladies who had too much to drink, got into a gunfight, and fortunately, in their inebriated state, couldn’t shoot each other.

They each had a cell in the two-cell adobe jail.

This fascinating place is real — not Hollywood — and it’s technically a ghost town, but don’t tell that to its inhabitants, who number about 51 — give or take.

If Randsburg looks like a scene from some old Western, that’s because it has been — TV commercials, movies from “Hidalgo” with Viggo Mortensen to “Chopper Chicks in Zombietown,” starring Billy Bob Thornton, have been filmed in the area.

We enjoyed our adventure and the Old West charm of the place, returning richer without even looking for gold.

Remi A. Nadeau, author and Westerner, dies at 95

Remi A. Nadeau

Remi A. Nadeau
August 30, 1920 - June 6, 2016

Dr. Remi Allen Nadeau – fifth generation Californian, well-known historian and author, descendant of one of California’s pioneers, devoted husband to his wife Margaret and father to three children – passed away in the early morning hours of June 6th in Santa Barbara, California. He died of natural causes at the age of 95.

Born in Los Angeles in 1920, Remi Allen Nadeau was the son of the late Marguerite and Remi E. Nadeau and the great, great grandson of “old” Remi Nadeau from the 1870’s. “Old” Remi Nadeau – known as the “King of the Desert Freighters” – became famous by owning and operating a line of wooden wagon freighters pulled by a team of twenty-mules to carry bullion from the California high desert into Los Angeles. He subsequently built a business empire, which helped to shape Los Angeles into the city we know today.

Remi Allen attended University High School in West Los Angeles and was president of the “boys-league” of his school while also becoming an Eagle Scout. As a college student, Remi majored in American and world history at Stanford University and served as the president of Theta Chi, his college fraternity. He received his Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in 1942.

Remi entered into World War II as a commissioned officer in the US Army Air-Corp through ROTC. He served with the 320th Bomb Group, flying 23 combat missions in the B-26 Marauder as a reconnaissance photographer, toggle bombardier and tail gunner. Additionally, he served as one of the 320th Group Intelligence Officers, the outfit’s newspaper editor and a gunnery-training officer. He saw action in North Africa and the Mediterranean and was also stationed in England and post-war occupied Germany. He completed his military service to his country in 1946, with the rank of Major.

Once he returned home after the war, he met the love of his life, Margaret G. Smith of Santa Monica. They began a courtship and married in June of 1947 in Santa Monica, California.

In 1946, he completed his first manuscript, which became The City Makers (Doubleday Press,) a best selling book about the various historical figures that built Los Angeles, including his great, great grandfather “old” Remi Nadeau. City Maker’s launched Remi Allen’s successful career as a California historian. Over his lifetime, Remi wrote multiple articles and booklets regarding the history of California, the Great West and mid-twentieth century European events. His nine books include: The City Makers, The Water Seekers, Los Angeles: From Mission to Modern City, California: The New Society, Ghost Towns & Mining Camps of California, The Real Joaquin Murrieta, Fort Laramie and the Sioux, Stalin Churchill & Roosevelt Divide Europe and The Silver Seekers.

Remi’s professional writing career began at The Santa Monica Outlook and The San Diego Union as an editorial writer. Later, he became an executive in the public relations department of many international corporations, which included Atlantic Richfield, North American Aviation, Collins Radio, Rockwell International and Memorex. Additionally he was appointed as the special assistant to the US Attorney General where he wrote multiple speeches for John Mitchell and Richard Kleindienst. He also wrote several statements on behalf of President Richard Nixon.

After retirement from corporate life in 1980, Remi earned a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in History at the University of California in Santa Barbara. During his retired life, Remi was a member in such organizations as The Westerner’s, The Santa Barbara Club, The Cosmopolitan Club, The Eastern California Historical Society, and The First Families of California as well as a member of the UCSB Faculty Club. He and his wife Margaret enjoyed travelling the globe – exploring many countries not often visited by most Americans. They regularly attended services at the All-Saints by-the-Sea Episcopal Church of Montecito.

Remi is survived by his wife of almost 69 years – Margaret Gwendolyn Smith – who is a local award-winning plein-air artist and his three cherished children: Christine, Barbara and Bob. Those who knew Remi respect him not only as a man of accomplishment, but also as a man of integrity and principles who loved his family. His loved ones look to him as an example of a life well lived. A memorial service is planned for late July in Santa Barbara.

New book, upcoming panel discussion highlight Mojave Desert

Beverly Dudley, 80, of Victorville, can still point out trees standing today that were part of the parks original design after her efforts in 1956 helped build Center Street Park in Victorville.

By LYNNEA LOMBARDO
Victorville Daily Press

VICTORVILLE • In a long plaid skirt and turtleneck sweater, Beverly Dudley dug a shovel into a dry field at the corner of Center and Verde streets.

It was 1956, and Dudley was heading up the effort to build Center Street Park — Victorville's first real park, complete with lit ball fields, brick barbecues and public restrooms.

Dudley, who just celebrated her 80th birthday, contributed a small memoir and several photographs from this time to the latest edition in a series of books written about local history, thoughtfully titled "Mohahve VI."

"When people see 'Mohahve' written that way, they think it's a mistake, like we misspelled it or something," Richard Thompson, past president of the Mohahve Historical Society, said with a chuckle.

The 'Mohahve' series is compiled and edited by members of the Mohahve Historical Society. Some of the local authors will be at their monthly meeting Thursday to promote the book and answer questions about their contributions. The public is encouraged to participate in the panel discussion, which will feature the authors and editors, some dressed in 1950s-style clothes, and music and refreshments.

The book is a collection of 19 essays, some of which are scholarly, professional and annotated, while others are stories of events told by "old-timers." Most of the stories are personal accounts supported with court documents and military or government records. Thompson contributed an essay about Max Strobel, the original founder of what is now Hesperia and parts of Victorville.

"It's important to know about your local history," Thompson said. "If you're living in any area, you should know a little something about it."

Thompson, who moved up to the High Desert from San Bernardino in 1990, is a retired public works engineer and a history buff. He was stunned when he moved up here and realized that very little local history had been recorded, and at once began his research in the fields of geography and history, recording what he learned along the way.

Fran Elgin, vice president of the society, is a major contributor and organizer for "Mohahve VI" and its predecessors, starting with the original "Mohahve I" which, in itself, has its own interesting record. According to Elgin and other members, the original "Mohahve" series idea started at Victor Valley College in the early 1960s with a group of students who had a penchant for local history. In 1963 the students formed the Mohahve Historical Society, which has published books, held meetings and kept history alive for almost 50 years now.

The original "Mohahve" book included stories from people who had lived in the High Desert around the turn of the century. Since its origin, students, society members and local citizens have all donated their time and material to keep the series going.

"Research for these books was like prospecting for facts, panning for gold," Thompson said. "The little nuggets of information you find along the way make my research so interesting."

"These books, this book … they are a true labor of love for us," said Elgin, who moved to the High Desert in the 1960s from St. Louis. Elgin is a retired librarian from Victor Valley College, where she worked for 25 years. She now volunteers Tuesday mornings in the library's Local History Room.

The society also published in 2010 Leo Lyman's "History of Victor Valley," which, according to Elgin, would have been more difficult to compile if it had not been for all the time, donations and hard work provided by so many people who care about the community and its rich history.

"Nobody was paid for their contributions," Elgin said. "We just love our town and we want everyone to come out and support their community. There are a lot of really nice people who have a lot to share."

UNLV public history students get education at Rex Bell's ranch

Former Nevada Lt. Gov. and Western actor Rex Bell

By Jeff Mosier
Las Vegas Review-Journal

Without historians, the Declaration of Independence is just a piece of paper. The Mona Lisa is a woman's portrait. The Rosetta Stone, a stone. Historians give these artifacts meaning we can understand.

Students at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, are doing the same thing closer to home. About 25 graduate students in the public history program of the UNLV History Department spent much of the past semester at the Walking Box Ranch in Searchlight, cataloging and cleaning thousands of artifacts.

The ranch was once home to former Nevada Lt. Gov. and Western actor Rex Bell and his wife, actress Clara Bow. It is being restored to serve as a museum and desert research facility.

The students were led by U.S. history professor Deirdre Clemente. The public history program, as she puts it, is for "students to experience alternative careers you can do with a history degree outside of classroom teaching."

That is especially important since jobs within academia are drying up, she said.

"The degree prepares students to do all kinds of things," Clemente said,. "from curating exhibitions to participating as a consultant for government agencies. They know about the cultural landscape of areas and how to navigate it. There are dynamic careers out there for historians."

Margaret Huettl, a 24-year-old working toward a doctorate, wants to study Native American communities and become a university professor. She spent months working with a collection of Navajo rugs from the 1930s.

"My partner and I were trying to put together a plan to display and preserve the rugs," she said. "We looked at the cultural context and what the rugs meant to the people who made them and bought them.

"It's been a really good experience. It gives you the chance to apply what you're learning in the classroom in the real world. You start to understand things in a totally different way. It was perfect."

That kind of intimacy could not be replicated in a classroom setting, Clemente said.

"You're using objects or material to teach," Clemente said. "They are project-based classes. We expose them to different sources and use oral and visual history."

Students worked on the ongoing project with the Public Lands Institute and Preserve Nevada. The ranch is owned by the Bureau of Land Management, and Clemente said it had fallen into "disrepair" before the project started.

Another student, Mike Bennion, took a less conventional route into the program.

Bennion worked in retail and sales management for 30 years before being laid off three years ago. At 57, he is finally pursuing his dream.

"I looked around for things to do, and I had an interest in U.S. history," Bennion said. "I see it as an intersection of things I like to do.

"My appetite got stirred up at a pretty early age. I've traveled the U.S. several times trying to visit all the places I read about."

Bennion made about a dozen trips this semester cataloging more than 400 ranching objects from the 1940s donated to UNLV by Rex Bell Jr.

"There's really no substitute for putting your actual hands on history," Bennion said.

"You're talking about a ranch. You go out and feel the wood on the corrals. You're picking things up and trying to figure out the best way to mark them without damaging them. You're reading accounts about people using the things. You're pulling everything together. ... The smells are missing, but at least you can describe them to a degree.

"It's exciting to be able to take oral history and the place and time and tie those things together to tell a story that would be compelling to a non-academic audience."

Clemente's spring semester class will focus on the history of fashion in Las Vegas and the West. She expects the class to culminate with a student-curated exhibition called "Vegas Style."

Bennion has a semester left before he will get a master's degree but said his time at the ranch already has opened some options for work.

"It was a real rich experience," Bennion said. "I remember one day actually cleaning the shower floor in Clara Bow's bedroom. Academics takes you to places you wouldn't have access to otherwise. It's a different feeling, one I've learned to appreciate."