KUDOS The Great Outdoors | Page 43

In 1849, during the Great Gold Rush, John Wemple Searles and his brother Dennis sailed from New York to the
goldfields of California in search of gold. John and Dennis, like most other prospectors, found very little gold to make all
of the hardship and rough living worth it. However, while prospecting in the Panamint Mountains in 1862 John came
across another find that would eventually bring him the wealth that had been alluding him, a dry lake bed full of small
sparkling crystals. John unaware of what these crystals were, nonetheless grabbed a handful and stored them in his
bag, to be forgotten for nearly 10 years. In 1872 while in Nevada John chanced upon a local desert character known as
Francis “Borax” Smith, who just happened to be mining this mystery crystal that John had found in 1862. Enlightened
about his rich find John quickly purchased and staked claim to 640 acres of this dry lake bed and formed the San
Bernardino Borax Mining Company. Today this lake bed is known as Searles Dry Lake.
In 1913 the company town of Trona was formed around the mining works, with a bustling population numbering in the
thousands. Over the years the population began to shrink, until, in 2010, the town was listed as having only 18 people
living in it. Records for 2014 state that there is a zero population. However, just driving around put the lie to that as we
witnessed a man and his son working together on a car engine, a woman walking her little dog, another family group
sitting on their front porch enjoying the breeze and a couple of teenagers riding their bikes. Obviously this forgotten
town still has a small but thriving population.
Trona may not be classified as “pretty” in the typical suburban, “green-lawn and colorful flowers” description, but it
holds its own ethereal beauty of strength, determination and a place trapped in another time when the world was a
hard place, but community was still the norm, celebrations were enjoyed with one's neighbors, and grief was shared in
the good company of those who also grieved with you.
Like any other place with abandoned buildings Trona has its fair share of those who live more in the shadows than in
the light of day, so if you visit just be watchful. And take the advice of my artist friend, a regular visitor to the town...
don't assume a house is abandoned. Knock and make your presence known before exploring. But first and foremost,
remember that someone might still own the derelict house so do no harm, take nothing away, leave nothing behind,
and be respectful of what was once another person or family's beloved living space.
The E-Z Serve gas station. Out of service and out of time. © Cindy Ackley Nuinn