Desert Gazette

They come out late at night, stand on their hind legs and scream…  (more…)

Dorsey, the dog that carried the mail, was a famous character in Calico.

One morning, back in 1883, Postmaster Jim Stacy found on his doorstep a big black and white sheperd, hungry and footsore. Without introductions, man and dog adopted each other.    (more…)

Originally reported in an August, 1911 issue of the Inyo County Independent, by Phillip I. Earl

Death Valley is perhaps the West’s most aptly named geographical feature and over the years it has taken the lives of countless thousands of travelers, prospectors,  treasure hunters and others who have ventured into its tortured, arid wilderness.

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by Paul Horn

Forgive me the desire to wax poetic for a paragraph.

I first visited death valley 2 years ago for a half day as part of a week long spring break road trip through national parks after moving to CA for grad school. I left interested, but not sold on the place, having hiked Mosaic canyon and putzed around the dunes - some standards. (more…)

There’s a mountain out in the Mojave about half way between Victorville and Barstow. It’s called Stoddard Mountain. Next to the mountain is a road, Stoddard Wells road. Of course the road runs from Stoddard Wells to Barstow and Victorville. The road, the well and the mountain are named after old man Stoddard, a Mormon pioneer of San Bernardino- But, this story isn’t so much about him. (more…)

(Found Written on the Door of an Old Homestead Cabin)

Mornin’ on the desert, and the wind is blowin’ free
And it’s ours, jest for the breathin’, so let’s fill up, you and me.
No more stuffy cities, where you have to pay to breathe.
Where the helpless human creatures move and throng and strive and seethe. (more…)

Shorty Harris (1856-1934), was the quintessential desert prospector.  He said he could “smell gold”, and he most likely could.  He either found it or was close enough to lie about finding it when it was found.  He was by all accounts, a character in the truest sense of the word. He was loved by all, except for the woman he loved, a rather large woman of Ballarat who rebuffed his advances by telling him there wasn’t enough of him to make her a happy woman. (more…)

These creatures leap about precipituos cliffs and rocky outcroppings seemingly without a care in the world.  It is rare that a bighorn sheep will fall, but when they do, it is usually to their death or to an injury that will result in their demise.

Sometimes they’re lucky, (more…)

Hi everybody!

Just trying out blogging by posting links to museum web sites.

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I’ve been working in bits and pieces on the Mining History section of MojaveDesert.NET. 

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