In An Earthly Manner

an exhibition of oils and gicleés on canvas

November 1 through 25, 201829 PALMS ART GALLERY

The Oasis of Mara, with it’s towering Washingtonia filifera palm trees, once supported villages of desert people and animals for thousands of years.

In 1856, government surveyor A. P. Green visited the Oasis of Mara at Twentynine Palms and commented, “There are some large palm trees which the springs take their name.” At the time of Green’s visit, he likely encountered the Serrano Indians. In the late 1860s

a small band of Chemehuevi migrated to the oasis after fighting with the Mohave along the Colorado River.

By 1898, nearly 1000 men were prospecting for gold east of the Oasis in the Dale Mining District, and the population surge brought cattle, horses, and burros to the oasis for water and grazing.

By 1909 the Chemehuevi were forced to move from the oasis and were given 160 acres to the south of the oasis. The land was without water, and offered little of the substances of life, but they survived. Their descendants now have a successful casino business there (Tortoise Rock Casino),

plus another reservation near Indio with the very popular Spotlight 29 Casino.

Oasis of Mara

The Campbells at the Oasis of Maria

Elizabeth W. Crozer Campbell and her husband, William H. Campbell, camped at the

Oasis of Mara during the winter of 1924-25. William was know as “Lucky Bill” for his instinct

for finding Native American artifacts. The Camp-bell homestead in Twentynine Palms housed many catalogued pieces, and was the Desert

Branch of the Southwest Museum of Los Ange-les. Much of the collection is now at the Joshua

Tree National Park curatorial facility at the park’s Oasis Visitor Center.

Campbell Ranch, the most elegant home in Twentynine Palms in the mid 1930s, was the site

of many teas and social events, and is now the Campbell House Inn.

“The Campbells”, 16x21, gicleé on canvasFrom a circa 1917-18 photo taken in cele-

bration of their wedding.

In 1923-26, E. Chapman built the Gold Park Hotel at the east end of the Oasis of Mara, then in late 1926 sold the property to William Roberts. Besides living quarters, the Gold Park had five other rooms and four cottages, and the hotel also operated a grocery store, gas station, and post office. In 1928, Roberts moved the hotel to the West end of the Oasis and renamed it

29 Palms Inn.

In early 1929, Harry Johansing, of the Twentynine Palms Corporation, bought the 29 Palms Inn and 480 acres from Roberts. Then shortly afterwards, their daughter, Mary Claire and husband, Robert Van Lohr, took over the opera-tion. The Van Lohr’s daughter, Jane, and her husband, Paul Smith, are the current owners with daughter, Heidi, as key partner.

The Oasis of Mara and the 29 Palms Inn

Artworks from the “Oasis” series (shown)TOP:“Faultline Palms”, 36 x 12, gicleéLEFT:“After the Storm”, 20 x 30, gicleé

“Billy Mike”, 14 x 18, oil on canvasABOVE LEFT: “Billy Mike” is the grandfather of the contemporary Chemehuevi leader, Jennifer Mike Estama. Paintings from 1909 Randolph W. Madison photographs taken at Gilman Ranch in Banning, CA. Special collections and Archives, University of California-Riverside.

“Maria Mike & Baby”, 14 x 18, oil on canvasABOVE RIGHT: In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Chemehuevi people took jobs as day laborers for miners, ranchers, and farmers to earn cash money.

“Chemehuevi Boy”, 14 x 18, oil on canvasRIGHT: The Chemehuevi adored their children and tribal teachers taught them through oral tradition repeating stories and lessons about literature, economics, science, history, and art. From a photo by Edward Curtis. Gerald Smith Collection, A. K. Smiley Library, Redlands, CA.

“Chemehuevi Basket Maker”, 18 x 18, gicleéLEFT: “Chemehuevi Basket Maker” from a photo taken in 1897 at the west end of the Oasis of Mara. The Chemehuevi were well respected for their farming and basket-weaving skills.

Bill McHaney”, 30 x 48, oil on canvasBELOW: “Bill McHaney”(shown courtesy of Paul Smith)

William ”Bill” McHaney and brother, James, moved from Missouri to the Big Bear area

in 1875, but accused of cattle rustling, they were soon ousted from Big Bear. Bill arrived at the Oasis of Mara in Twentynine Palms in

1879, and lived there and in outlying locations in Music Valley and the Desert

Queen Ranch (Joshua Tree National Park) until his death in 1937. He outlived his un-

savory past and became a respected citizen.

Bill McHaney was the first permanent settler and a good friend of the local Native Amer-icans, who showed him where to find water,

trails, and gold mines.

The Desert Queen Mine was a rich gold mine discovered in 1904 by Frank James,

that ended up in the hands of Bill McHaney andhis brother. William F. “Bill” Keys was the last owner, however.

In An Earthly Manner

Miners, Prospectors, Cattlemen, homesteaders

“Fiddlin Phil Sullivan”20 x 20, oil on canvas

UPPER RIGHT: “Fiddlin Phil Sullivan” came to Twentynine Palms in 1898, and provided

fiddle music for the boys in camp. From a 1924 photograph courtesy of George V.

Michaels. Sullivan had an interest in the Anaconda and other desert mines, and

was a partner in the Taylor Sullivan Mining Company formed in 1907. Sullivan Road in

Twentynine Palms is named after him and was the main road into town until Highway

62 was established.

“Eagle Eye McFarland”16 x 20, oil on canvas

LOWER RIGHT: “Eagle Eye McFarland” could be found at the Dirty Sock Mining Camp at County Well on the road from Indio to Twentynine Palms. The camp was named

for the old socks miners often used to strain mercury-gold amalgam as a filter. From

a circa 1912 photo courtesy Joshua Tree National Park.

“Jack Meek with Ada & Elizabeth Hatch”, 18x18, oil on canvasABOVE: Jack Meek gave each of the young Hatch girls a gold nugget. From a 1947 photo. (shown courtesy of Liz Meyer)

Dale and Pinto District Miner, Jack MeekMeek’s mining camp was know as Meek’s Center. He had a reputation as a lawman, gun-man, miner and all-around colorful character in Twentynine Palms from the 1920s until his death in 1951 His mines in the Dale District included the Jack Meek East Group and the Desert King Mine.

Early HomesteadersBill Hatch, a California Institute of Technology graduate, came to Twentynine Palms in 1932 and maintained the light plant at 29 Palms Inn. Deciding to remain in the desert, he became a leading citizen, using his surveying skills to layout the cemetery, the town, and the homesteads, and later helped create the flood-controlled channel that diverted flash floods from raging through the center of town.

Gold ore processor, miner, cattleman, and home-steader William F. “Bill” Keys, drove his “Keysmo-bile” in the 1940 Pioneer Days Parade. The iron-wheeled truck was originally built by the Chase Company in 1910 for the Paymaster Mine and was later modified by Keys for use at his Desert Queen Mine and ranch in what is now Joshua Tree National Park.

“Hatch’s Model A Ford”18x14, oil on canvasBELOW: Wiliam B. “Bill” Hatch’s Model A Ford is pictured on a sand road near Twentynine Palms Oasis (Oasis of Mara). Rutted roads ruled in the 1930s and were subject to frequent flash flooding.

William F. “Bill” Keys was born in 1879, and left Nebraska at 15 to pursue careers in mining, ranching, as a member of Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders and deputy sheriff of Mojave County in Arizona. He came to Twentynine Palms in about 1910 and worked with Frederick Morgan as assayer and caretaker at the Des-ert Queen Mine. When Morgan died (1916-17), Keys filed on the property for unpaid back wages and became the new owner. He also acquired ad-ditional properties in the area under the federal homestead laws.

Bill Keys married Frances Lauton and he raised a family on The Desert Queen Ranch where, over the years, they hosted many visitors and made many friends.

“Bill Keys in Keysmobile”16x20, oil on canvas ABOVE: From photo courtesy of the Hatch collection

“Bill Keys in 1910 Chase Vehicle”24x18, oil on canvasLEFT: From photo courtesy Willis Keys.

“Bagley Store”, 24x12, oil on canvas ABOVE: (circa 1927)

The early business district of Twentynine Palms in 1927 was the combination Bagley home and store in what would become known as the Plaza. This 18-by-18-foot garage was the family home at night and a general store during the day, after the double bed was rolled outside to make room for visitors and potential customers.

Frank and Helen Bagley and their three boys, age six, three, and four months, made their place more than just a temporary home and store, for it eventually expanded to become the local post office and gathering place. Helen helped run the store and pump gas while taking care of the children, and Frank helped arriving homesteaders find property, grubstaked miners, and carried struggling settlers on his books.

By 1939 the Plaza was a busy shopping center with various grouped stores with a vil-lage atmosphere, attesting to the tenacity and vision of these early homesteaders.

MANY THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING:

“Images of America, Twentynine Palms”by Vickie Waite, Al Gartner, & Paul Smith

“A Chemehuevi Song, the Resilience of a Southern Paiute Tribe”by Clifford E. Trafzer

Melanie Spoo, Museum Curator, Joshua Tree National ParkGeorge Land, County Outreach Ranger, Joshua Tree National Park

Lori Rennie, Benchmark Studios, Joshua TreePaul Smith, 29 Palms Inn, Twentynine Palms

Liz Meyer, Twentynine PalmsVickie Waite, Twentynine Palms

www.DesertArtStudio.com

“IN AN EARTHLY MANNER”

Since 1994, when he decided to settle in Twentynine Palms after a motorcycle trip through the area, artist Chuck Caplinger has created hundreds of captivating paintings and drawings in

his dome studio located near the north entrance to Joshua Tree National Park. He is also an accomplished muralist who created the stunning desert iguana and roadrunner murals on

the Smoketree building in Twentynine Palms.

“On a daily basis I enjoy the panoramic desert views,” says Caplinger. “That and my interaction with the local wildlife has generated the most often painted subjects for my oils on canvas.”

“I believe that for one to fully express their creativity, it is essential to be in that wonderful state which makes art inevitable. It’s not only a state of mind, but a state of place that fuels my creative

endeavors, and being one with my immediate environment is all important to me.”

Inspired by the theme for this year’s Twentynine Palms pioneer days events, Fortune Favors the Bold, Caplinger created a new series of work depicting early settlers who lived in what is

now Joshua Tree National Park and the Oasis of Mara. He acquired photos of early settlers, prospectors, miners and Chemehuevi Indians from the park and the tribe as

a basis for his paintings.

“Our desert Community’s close identity with our past is ingrained in our everyday lives,” says Caplinger. “We embrace the tenacity and spirit of the early Morongo Basin settlers in many ways.”

He titled the exhibit “In An Earthly Manner” to reflect the closeness that the area’s pioneers had with the earth, and his paintings reflect the same spiritual connection with the desert.