File cabinet shipment delivered

Report and photos by Dennis Casebier

Lopez Trucking, under the command of Fernando Lopez with Hesus Rivera as copilot, arrived at the Library just before 1:00 p.m. By 3;00 p.m. they had 48 file cabinets unloaded and in place in the north Freight House Room and they have now departed Goffs.

Two Hispanic gentlemen and one 84-year-old gringo (Gail Andress) did the job in two hours. The cabinets look just fine. Jo Ann and Donna have already made use of about four of them to store the Russell Collection, so that collection is now off the floor in safely stored away in cabinets.

O. A. Russell Collection delivered to Library

Report and photo by Dennis Casebier

The O. A. Russell Collection was delivered to Goffs from Tucson, AZ today by Chales A. Corder and his daughter Christine. Actually they arrived yesterday evening and were our house guests until about noon today.

Carol and Hugh were on hand to assist Jo Ann and I and the Corders in unloading. The collection is on flattened cardboards on the floor in the first floor of the Depot, except for a particular collection of negatives that are considered to be especially critical. Those have been removed to a file cabinet in the Court House.

Since we now have a collection of value in the Library/Depot, Hugh said he would activate the security system. We are scheduled to receive 48 file cabinets on Wednesday of this week. After they come we plan to relocate the Russell Collection into several of those cabinets for temporary storage and protection.

Tanks, a lot

Report and photos by Dennis Casebier

We are experiencing beautiful weather. Our high temperature today was over 80 degrees with only a breeze. Things have been pretty quiet around the construction site for the past several days, until today.

Rudy of C & R Tanks of Tulare, CA arrived at about 10:00 AM with our truck load of tanks. We led him in through the service entrance and up to the job site. He nosed his big rig out towards the Stotts Stamp Mill gate and then backed in along side the pad constructed by Gail Andress where the two 5,000 gallon tanks are to go.


The straps were removed from the three round tanks, they were rolled off, shifted into position, and set down. The whole process took no more than 30 minutes. We positioned the big tanks so their fill holes and drains line up with about six feet between them. This will facilitate getting them all hooked up to the water system.


For the fourth tank, the 1,000 gallon septic tank, a different procedure was used. Gus and Morris put straps around the tank then lifted it off the truck with the Greening Tractor. The tank was then moved over near the spot where it is to be buried.


The total delivery was of two 5,000 gallon water tanks for fire fighting purposes, one 2,500 gallon tank for potable water, and one 1,000 gallon sepic tank.

Board members tour Library construction

Photos and captioning by Chris Ervin

One of the items of business on today's MDHCA Board meeting agenda was for the members to tour the new Mojave Desert Archives Library construction site.

From left to right; MDHCA Directors Hugh Brown, Jo Ann Casebier, Dennis Casebier, John Terrill, and Steve Mongrain enjoy a moment in the sun.

The two large rooms of the Freight House will serve as the stacks for the Library.

View from the reading room looking out east through the bay windows.

It's easy to see the two-story Depot from quite a distance in any direction.

Board members inspect the corrugated metal siding on the south end of the Freight Building. Much satisfaction with the progress and quality of work was expressed by all directors.

First CCHE reimbursement received

Report by Dennis Casebier

It was 32 degrees and clear at 6:30 AM and absolutely no wind. by 9:00 AM it was 44 degrees and the wind came back up. I believe the wind yesterday was the strongest we've had this season and it was right out of the northeast as it has a way of doing in the winter.

General Contractor Cordova and his crew arrived at right about 7:00 AM, coming today from Yucca Valley. They'll be staying in Laughlin through the week.

I met with Dan. Everything is on track. He said he'll be getting another lift tomorrow. He'll have this second lift for just one week. It is needed to focus the crew on finishing spray painting the eaves and installation of siding. There's no reason the siding can't proceed to completion.

Also Dan had a new roofing sample. Jo Ann and I took the camera over and shot a sequence of digital photos of the sample against the siding, roofing on the power house, and trim and have sent selections off to Chris to support his making the final selection on a shingle product.

A highlight of today was that we received the first reimbursement check from the California Cultural and Historical Endowment (CCHE) and the State of California demonstrating that the system actually works! Chris and Leslie Ervin get our great appreciation for administering the grant which culminates in the submission of invoices for reimbursement. We have another larger invoice pending and a third one will be sent in this week.

Construction of the stairs has begun

Report and photos by Dennis Casebier

A quick update on the Library/Depot. I see the "plywood" sheeting completely covers the roofs. Also many windows have been installed. Dan Cordova told Jo Ann he would have done more but ran out of tar paper.

Also the framers have commenced construction of the stairs that will provide access to the second story of the Depot. The landing at the top is in place and some of the supporting structure.

The framers are not due to be back until Tuesday.

Colors picked for the exterior

Report and photos by Dennis Casebier

Today was nice weather-wise and a productive day for Cordova & Co. The arrival of the Genie "lift" gave everyone a boost. It made for lots of good photos, too.

A highlight of the day was selection of colors for the exterior of the building. A committee consisting of Carol and Hugh Brown, Phil Motz, Dennis and Jo Ann Casebier, and anyone that happened to be standing around, made the selections.

The colors selected were picked to represent the old Santa Fe yellow with green trim. The final selections are YUMA GOLD and LUCKY CLOVER GREEN.
Mr. Cordova ordered the paint today. He'll be painting some portions of the building as early as next week.

Tomorrow, master backhoe operator Gail Andress, direct from Nelson, Nevada, will be digging the trench for the electrical conduit that will carry power from the new Power House to the Library Depot. This will be done under the direct supervision of head electrician Phil Motz with Dennis Casebier providing overall supervision and foreign policy.

The skyline is changing in Goffs

Report and photos by Dennis Casebier

General Contractor Dan Cordova and a crew of six were here all day today working on the Library/Depot. They took care of a bunch of miscellaneous chores, but the main thrust was to put in the ceiling joists in the Freight House. They got all the ceiling joists in and more than one-third of the rafters.

The day was overcast and cold but not windy. More of the same weather is expected tomorrow when the crew will be back, but hopefully the threatened storm will let them finish out the week before breaking here.

The skyline is changing in Goffs.

Directors Phil Motz and Jo Ann Casebier check construction progress against the plans.

Slab poured and lumber delivered

Report and photos by Dennis Casebier

Today was a very busy day for the Goffs Cultural Center with all activities centering around construction of the new Library/Depot.

Craig Merriam's concrete crew came on to the property at 6:00 AM. The four concrete trucks from Mohave Valley began arriving a little before 7:00 AM, staggered at about fifteen minute intervals. This was in addition to the three trucks that poured the footings Friday.

The five men comprising the concrete crew worked frantically handling that amount of mud. But in not much more than a hour and a half the footprint of the slab was filled in and the four trucks had come and gone.

The crew spent much of the rest of the day finishing it off. The result is a really fine-looking slab upon which the Library/Depot will be based.

At mid-afternoon, a huge lumber delivery truck arrived with a heavy load from Palm Springs. The contractors had all left. They had indicated to us where they'd like the lumber placed, so it fell to the Goffs crew to direct the placement of the lumber and assist the driver in the actual unloading.

That required nearly three hours - it was getting dark and a cold breeze had come up before that work was done.

So now there's a massive assortment of lumber out there ready to be made into a building and we understand the contractor will be back tomorrow morning and begin nailing boards together! This is pretty exciting stuff for us MDHCA members at Goffs.

For our part, the following people were present and helping out as they could throughout the day: Gus and Stella Lind, Ron Shepard, John Harrington, Hugh & Carol Brown, Morris & Judy Swain, Jan Sears, Jerry Sears, and Dennis & Jo Ann Casebier.

Mojave Desert Archives Groundbreaking

GOFFS, CA – July 15, 2006 – At long last we broke ground for the new library archives building at the Goffs Cultural Center. The structure, funded in large part by the California Cultural and Historical Endowment, is to be built in the image of the old Goffs Railroad Depot.

A nice group of long-time supporters gathered in 110+ degree heat to witness the ceremony. A brief opening statement was made by Dennis G. Casebier, Executive Director MDHCA, who introduced Chris Ervin, president of the MDHCA. President Ervin stepped to the front, made carefully selected and poignant remarks, referred to our long-standing mission, what the new building will mean to humanity, and then proceeded to remove the first shovel of dirt.

For the ceremony, Mr. Ervin made use of a specially inscribed gold-plated ceremonial shovel provided by Director John Fickewirth. The shovel will be mounted on a wall in the Schoolhouse until the library is completed and then it will adorn a wall in the reading room of the new structure.

Following Chris Ervin’s lead, each director came forward and removed a shovel of dirt, accompanied by general approval of the assembled crowd. Following that, each other person present had an opportunity to participate in the ceremony.

By then everyone was getting warm… say, HOT. So we adjourned to the air-conditioned comfort of the Schoolhouse for follow-on speeches and to await the dinner hour. In the Schoolhouse Dennis Casebier passed out mementos in the form of miniature inscribed shovels, also provided by Mr. Fickewirth for the occasion.

Once everyone was there, President Ervin proposed a toast, followed by a couple more toasts from others. The champagne and champagne flutes were provided by Chris and Leslie Ervin. Then dinner was ready. Roast beef and special beans were prepared by Master Chef Dale McBride, potato salad and cole slaw were procured from a Bullhead City caterer, and other dishes were contributed by Betty Burton and Shirley Roby.

Once everyone had enjoyed the superb dinner we all indulged in dessert, a sheet cake appropriately decorated for the occasion and provided by Gail and Donna Andress. On the way over to Goffs from Nelson, Nevada, Gail had attempted to destroy the cake when it tried to slide off the seat and he grabbed for it, but Donna rose to the occasion and protected the cake. Meanwhile, Gail had gotten a handful of icing, which, at the urging of his bride of 62 summers, he proceeded to lick off his hand, turning his tongue and inside of his mouth (so far as could be seen) bright blue.

It was a smallish but very special group that gathered to take note of this important moment. I will confess, though, that I favor the celebrations that occur when something is finished more than marking the beginning. I am very much looking forward to that day a couple of years from now when the library building stands in all its splendor with the Board of Directors and our supporters gathered to honor that achievement.

Along those thought lines, my mind went back to that day in November of 1983 when a large group of the Friends of the Mojave Road gathered on the banks of the Rio Colorado of the West, just opposite Fort Mojave. There was an oversized yellow ribbon stretched across the road. A pair of ceremonial scissors (probably a full 30” long) had been provided, and Dennis Casebier stepped up and cut the ribbon, thereby signaling publication of the first Mojave Road Guide and the opening of the old wagon road as an interpreted four-wheel drive backcountry recreation trail. Twenty-three years have passed and the Mojave Road continues to serve and inspire the public. It was a day full of pride.

And so, within two years from now, we look forward to experiencing another of those milestone moments, of which it has been our honor to have had many, when Chris Ervin steps up to the door of the new library with an oversized pair of scissors and thereby dedicates and initiates operation of the Mojave Desert Archives to the interests of mankind. I predict many of you will be there and you will share the pride in having been part of this.

Those who participated in the groundbreaking ceremony included: Gail and Donna Andress, Jere Baker, Betty Burton, Chris and Leslie Ervin, Dave Given, John Harrington, Don Johnson, Randy Kimball, Roger and Virginia Leggett, Dick and Kathy MacPherson, John and Barbara Marnell, Dale McBride, Steve and Mary Mongrain, Phil Motz, Kib and Shirley Roby, and Carl Weikel.