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I was able to make a second trip out to Joshua Tree NP to check out some more of the hidden historic sites dating back to the mining and cattle ranching days around the turn of last century.
We checked out the Keys Ranch which dates back to before 1910. Bill Keys lived there from 1910 to 1963 when he died. He and his wife had 7 children and raised them on the ranch. In 1943 he shot Worth Bagly and spent 10 years in prison for it. He also had an association with the Haney gang which were known for their rustling of cattle and keeping them in the Joshua Tree area. The ranch has just about anything you can think of for everyday conveniences. There are some 300 mine sites in the JTNP. So far I have found 2.
The cattle ranchers from the Joshua Tree area would drive their herds up into the Big Bear area for the summers and then down through Burns canyon and on into Joshua Tree NP area for the winter months.
From there we checked out the JT indian pictographs and on over to the Barker dam which was used by the cattle ranches to water their cattle.
Since we were in the area we went over to the Wall St Mill site again and took a few pictures of the old mill.
After a little rock climbing we headed for our last stop at Ryan Ranch. In 1896 the ranch was used as a bunkhouse by the miners of the Lost Horse mine. They piped water from the spring by the bunkhouse 3.5 miles over to the mine. There are several water storage tanks there as well as a couple of pump houses.
A few slideshows. Photobucket take a little while to load up.
Keys Ranch
http://s304.photobucket.com/albums/n...view=slideshow
Wall St Mill
http://s304.photobucket.com/albums/n...view=slideshow
Ryan Ranch
http://s304.photobucket.com/albums/n...view=slideshow
The Keys school house. Mrs Keys taught her kids and several others from the area.
The Ranch House
Lots of aquired junk
Hard top was off of an old Model T
In case you want to know how it works
The old car was used as a chicken coop.
The saw mill
This was an old Mack truck - with chain drive
Stamp mill
Pictographs
Barker Dam. The dams hight was added to by the Keys family at a later date - Concrete above the rock wall.
Barker Ranch House
Wall St Mill
Ryan Ranch Bunkhouse
One of the newer water tanks
Old stamp crusher
We checked out the Keys Ranch which dates back to before 1910. Bill Keys lived there from 1910 to 1963 when he died. He and his wife had 7 children and raised them on the ranch. In 1943 he shot Worth Bagly and spent 10 years in prison for it. He also had an association with the Haney gang which were known for their rustling of cattle and keeping them in the Joshua Tree area. The ranch has just about anything you can think of for everyday conveniences. There are some 300 mine sites in the JTNP. So far I have found 2.
The cattle ranchers from the Joshua Tree area would drive their herds up into the Big Bear area for the summers and then down through Burns canyon and on into Joshua Tree NP area for the winter months.
From there we checked out the JT indian pictographs and on over to the Barker dam which was used by the cattle ranches to water their cattle.
Since we were in the area we went over to the Wall St Mill site again and took a few pictures of the old mill.
After a little rock climbing we headed for our last stop at Ryan Ranch. In 1896 the ranch was used as a bunkhouse by the miners of the Lost Horse mine. They piped water from the spring by the bunkhouse 3.5 miles over to the mine. There are several water storage tanks there as well as a couple of pump houses.
A few slideshows. Photobucket take a little while to load up.
Keys Ranch
http://s304.photobucket.com/albums/n...view=slideshow
Wall St Mill
http://s304.photobucket.com/albums/n...view=slideshow
Ryan Ranch
http://s304.photobucket.com/albums/n...view=slideshow
The Keys school house. Mrs Keys taught her kids and several others from the area.
The Ranch House
Lots of aquired junk
Hard top was off of an old Model T
In case you want to know how it works
The old car was used as a chicken coop.
The saw mill
This was an old Mack truck - with chain drive
Stamp mill
Pictographs
Barker Dam. The dams hight was added to by the Keys family at a later date - Concrete above the rock wall.
Barker Ranch House
Wall St Mill
Ryan Ranch Bunkhouse
One of the newer water tanks
Old stamp crusher
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