Eastern Mojave Vegetation	Field Notes (Continued)
	Tom Schweich

Topics in this Article:
1800s
1900s
1910s
1920s
1930s
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
1991
1993
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2008 Tour de Swertia albomarginata
Mono Lake, August 2008
2009
2010
2010s
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
Contents
Literature Cited

When I first read the field notes of Annie Alexander and Louise Kellogg, I was fascinated by the descriptions they wrote about the places they went and the plants and animals they found there. By publishing my field notes on the Internet I hope to follow a little bit in their tradition.

1950s

The house next door.

Olga in front of the house next door.

Photograph assumed to be taken in Yakima, WA, in the early 1950s and late 1940s.

Death of Peter Paul Pawluk

Front Yard on Woodcock St., Sylmar.

In the front yard at the Woodcock St. house.

1950

Locations: North Table Mountain.

April 27, 1950. … Some years ago the Scouts carried tiny evergreens to the canyons along North Table Mountain east of Golden and planted them … (Colorado Transcript, 84(27), April 27, 1950, p. 2).

Locations: North Table Mountain.

August 7, 1958. … Golden its shark with a golden tooth. Mines students find many shark teeth under the lava cap on North Table Mountain, but have not yet found the tooth of gold … (Colorado Transcript, 93(43), August 7, 1958, p. 2).

1951

Tommy and the Daylight.

Location: Sylmar, California.

Locations: North Table Mountain.

The Denver Crushed Stone company ended quarry operations on North Table Mountain. About 750,000 tons of basalt was shipped from the quarry over a 2 1/2 years. Most of the basalt was used in the construction of the Harlan County Dam, Republican City, Nebr., (Colorado Transcript 85(3), July 12 1951, pg. 4.)

Locations: North Table Mountain.

July 26, 1951.

Eighty Years Ago This Week (1881)
The body of a man was discovered in a gulch southwest of town, evidently having been there since the previous winter. A hole in the skull pointed to murder. It was believed the man was C. M. Thornton, who hud lived in this vicinity.
Fifty Years Ago This Week (1901)
Black lava rock was being quarried from North Table mountain in great quantities.

(Colorado Transcript, __(__), July 26, 1951, pg. __)

Wilson girls with Martha and Tommy.

Location: Kansas City, KS

1952

Lockheed plant at Palmdale in 1952

Paul Schweich in office at Lockheed, 1952

Paul Schweich at work.

Locations: Clear Creek. Green Mountain. North Table Mountain.

March 6, 1952

Eighty Years Ago (1872)
This Week Work was being rushed on the Bagley and West smelter.
Seventy Years Ago (1882)
A large number of Golden people made a geologizing trip to Green mountain, under the leadership of Professor Lakes.
Farmers of the Clear creek valley were agitating the question of purifying the waters of Clear creek, which were polluted by mill tailings from the mountain towns. A meeting was held at Fairmount and it was agreed to meet with a delegation from Arapahoe county to outline a program of action.
Fifty Years Ago (1902)
This Week Golden people were rejoicing over getting night telephone service. Heretofore only day service had been available. Frank Jasper was night operator.
The Golden Basin Oil company announced that it would begin drilling operations within a few days.
The oil excitement near Golden was proving a bonanza for the Golden liverymen, Dennis and Cunningham, as every train brought oil scouts and promoters anxious to get to the fields as soon as possible.
Thomas Melz was seriously injured by a fall of rock in the Blake quarries on North Table mountain.

(Colorado Transcript, __(__), March 6, 1952), pg.__)

Back yard in Palmdale.

Martha and Tom on the California Riding and Hiking Trail in Bouquet Canyon

Front of rental house, 1118 E. Ave. P-14.

Lot for the new house.

View of Desert View Highlands housin development from hills to the south.

Locations: North Table Mountain.

July 10, 1952. . . . For seven years, according to the number of rattles, a snake waited on North Table mountain for Janie Shaeffer (11), Virginia Smith (11), and Arlo Smith (13) —looking for "Goldie," their horse, they ran on to this snake and put an end to it—congratulations. . . . (Colorado Transcript, 86(38), July 10, 1952, p. 1).

Ivan and Olga's house in Yakima.

Cabin on Yakima River

Mt. Shasta

Paul, Martha, Tom, Olga and Ivan

Sisters Olga and Lydia

Trip to see Ivan and Olga in Yakima, Washington.

Martha, Tom, and Lydia at Crater Lake.

Visit to Crater Lake on the way home from Yakima.

At Coit Tower, San Francisco

Visit to San Francisco on the way home from Yakima.

Locations: Palmdale.
Palmdale School, Third Grade, 1952-3, Mrs. Connely
Palmdale School, Third Grade, 1952-3

Palmdale School, 3rd Grade, Mrs. Connely.

Locations: North Table Mountain.

October 30, 1952 Karl August Rohwer, 8-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. R. D. Rohwer of 823 Ninth St., Golden, was killed instantly Saturday afternoon, when he fell down a sheer 80-ft. precipice on the southeast side of North Table mountain. Karl, and his brother, Douglas, 11, a friend, Mike McMechan also of Golden, and Mrs. S. A. Rohwer of Arlington, Va., grandmother of the Rohwer children, were on a hiking expedition on the mountainside hunting for hawkes nests. None of the other members of the group saw the boy fall to his death. A dog belonging to the Rohwers caught the attention of Mrs. Rohwer by whining and holding back. The dog led her to the precipice and she saw the boy's body eighty feet below. … It required over an hour and a half by a six-man searching party to reach the body. Deputies Harry Gilbert and Jim Mitchell of the Sheriff’s office said the cliff over which the boy fell was so sheer that he had no chance at all to try to catch himself. … Interment was in Mount Olivet (Colorado Transcript, __(__), October 30, 1952, pg.__).

Other articles: Yucca Tree Street at 38969
Christmas, 1952
Christmas, 1952

Christmas, 1952

Christmas in Palmdale.

1953

T-33 (?) at Palmdale

Shed at Lockheed Palmdale plant.

Inside Shed at Lockheed Palmdale plant.

TR-411 with pilot.

TR-414 ready to go

Other articles: Yucca Tree Street at 38969
Snow, January (?) 1953

Other articles: Yucca Tree Street at 38969
Planting first tree, a fruitless mulberry, in February 1953

Planting our first tree, a fruitless mulberry, in February 1953.

Janice and John in their front yard.

Inscribed "Janice & John, front yard, Oct '53, Roswell, N. M."

Locations: Palmdale.
Palmdale School, Fourth Grade, 1953-4, Mrs. Morse
Palmdale School, Fourth Grade, 1953-4

Palmdale School, Fourth Grade, Mrs. Morse.

Locations: Palmdale.
Martha, 6th Grade School Photo
Martha, 6th Grade School Photo

Martha and Tom - 1953 - 11 & 8 respectively.

Locations: North Table Mountain.

December 24, 1953. Study Of Explosives. In connection with the study of explosives for the Reynolds Metals Company, facilities have been installed on North Table Mountain through cooperation with Mr. F. A. “Heinie” Foss (Colorado Transcript, __(__), December 24, 1953, pg.__).

1954

Martha and Tom, sometime in 1954.

Locations: North Table Mountain. Tramway Quarry.

Fifty Years Ago (1904). ... John Livingstone, student at Golden High school, was seriously injured when a section of rock fell on him at the Tramway quarries on north table mountain … (Colorado Transcript, 88(24), April 1, 1954, p. 8).

Other articles: Yucca Tree Street at 38969
Backyard, before the early Summer 1954 photos.
View from backyard in Palmdale.

Spring 1954. View of backyard in Palmdale. The back yard wall is still under construction.

Other articles: Yucca Tree Street at 38969
Backyard, early Summer 1954.

Photos in back yard, early summer 1954.

Paul, Sydney Gale, Merrilee

Breakfast on shore of Lake Tahoe.

Bathing at Lake Tahoe

Hope Valley in Summer 1954

Upper Carson Valley in Summer 1954

Echo Lake in Summer 1954.

Taking a break on the ill-fated hike to Star Lake.

Tom with fish caught at Angora Lake, near Lake Tahoe.

Two vacations this summer? Vacation at Lake Tahoe. Paul, Sydney Gale, and Merrilee, near Lake Arrowhead.

Other articles: Yucca Tree Street at 38969
Paul's 1952 MG TD, Summer 1954.
The Virginia City Cemetery

Entrance to the Occidental Mine near Virginia City.

The view from the entrance to the Comstock Mine.

The old schoolhouse in Virginia City.

Virginia City from the Cemetery.

Day trip to Virginia City. Pauls 1952 MG TD, Summer 1954.

Locomotive in Carson City, NV

Our day trip to Virginia City must have included a stop in Carson City, because this locomotive, the Glenbrook, was on display there.

Martha with her corn patch.

Tom with his corn patch.

Martha and Tom with their corn patches.

Irma, Bob, and Ruby in July 1954.

Lydia Schweich and Ruby Shaw

Paul, Ruby, Tom, and Martha

Aunt Ruby comes to visit.

Picnic on Mt. Wilson.

"We meet Bob and Vera for a picnic at Mt. Wilson so Aunt Ruby can go home with them for a visit.

Martha is pom-pom girl in 7th grade with Palmdale School band.

Locations: Palmdale.
Palmdale School, Fifth Grade, 1954-5, Mrs. Salestrom
Tom's 5th Grade Class Photo

Tom's 5th Grade Photo

Christmas 1954 group photo

Locations: Palmdale.
View of Desert View Highlands.

View of the housing development in which we lived: Desert View Highlands.

1955

First Baptist Church of Phoenix

Picnic in the park in Phoenix.

First Baptist Church. Ivan Bell was the pastor of this church.

Fire!

The block behind our house was under construction by the Snow Wallace Construction Company. One fine weekend day, the construction office caught fire, and I had a wonderful time photographing it all. I don't know the actual date. However, judging from the position of this photo in the album, it was probably between Easter and Summer 1955.

Hiking in the hills to the south.

Tom, Diane Marston, and Martha. Anaverde Valley in the background of the upper photo. Desert View Highlands in the background of the lower photo.

What I Had For Pets.

Palmdale School playground

Horseback riding at Blue Jay.

"Riding instruction courtesy of Vaquero Schweich."

Martha, Sydney Gale, Merrilee, and Tom on a float in Lake Arrowhead.

Martha at Lake Gregory.	Tom at Lake Gregory.	Bob and Paul go sailing on Lake Arrowhead.	Cabin where we stayed near Lake Arrowhead.	Horseback riding at Blue Jay.
Martha riding at Blue Jay Stables.

Summer Vacation. I think the cabin in which we stayed was probably at the present day location of Twin Peaks.

There was one summer vacation at Lake Arrowhead when I broke my arm falling off the high bar. I was unable to attend Boy Scout Summer Camp that summer because of my broken arm. However, later that summer, I went with Kevin Klages and his dad to Yosemite. Since I was in the Boy Scouts, I would have had to be 11 years old. So the earliest it could have been was 1956. But it looks like we vacationed in Big Bear in 1956 without the Shaws. Something is not adding up here.

Literature Cited:
- Anon., .

Locations: Tioga Lodge.

Tioga Pass Buried in 50 Ft. of Debris
Lee Vining (Mono County). July 23 -- The historic Tioga Lodge on the edge of Mono Lake near here lost five buildings when cloudbursts swept along a torrent of rocks and debris that also blocked a five-mile stretch of the Tioga Pass Highway 12 miles away.
The famed highway, “back door” entrance to Yosemite National Park, lay buried for long stretches under 50 feet of earth and boulders.
State highway crews, most of whose power equipment is employed in battling snow in the wintertime, attacked the blockage on Highway 395 in the Tioga Lodge area first, clearing that today. They estimated it would take two to three weeks of work in the pass road.
No injuries were reported from the two cloudbursts which hit Thursday and yesterday. But Deputy Sheriff Loren O"Dell said scores of campers were marooned for a time along the Tioga Pass. However, most of them were reached by Yosemite Park rangers and brought to shelter today.
At the resort on Mono Lake a 400-foot fan-shaped mud “peninsula” bore entire cabins, seven private cars, a highway truck, a small hydroelectric plant, a roadside service station, and the effects of many vacationers.
For three and one-half hours yesterday, a 20-foot wall of water boiled down Andy Thompson Creek for two miles, descending 3,500 feet on its way to Mono Lake.
Everything in the raging torrent's path -- house-sized boulders, and eventually houses, tree, and cars were swept into the lake with it.
Authorities view the carnage and said it was a miracle that no one has been reported killed or injured.
This little mountain community was hit by similar cloudbursts and their after-effects 13 years ago but old settlers said none of the torrents of past years ever wreaked so much havoc.
One eight-room building at the Lodge, a structure 108 feet by 40 feet, was snapped into matchwood fragments in 20 minutes, tumbling over and over as the water roared over, under, and through it.
Some 21 linemen of the California Electric Power Company were cut off in their work camp on the Tioga Pass, but they said their supply of food was plentiful. A temporary road was being buldozed to reach them.

Locations: Palmdale.
Yucca School, Sixth Grade, 1955-6, Mr. Little
Tom's 6th Grade Photo

6th Grade, Yucca School, Mr. Little

I make squeeky noises in the school band.

I'm in the school band.

Other articles: Yucca Tree Street at 38969
What my dad gave himself for Christmas, a 1955 Studebaker
Bugs Bunny, Christmas 1955

Bugs Bunny, Christmas 1955

Martha, Christmas 1955

Locations: Red Rock Canyon.
Red Rock Canyon the day after Christmas, 1955
Red Rock Canyon the day after Christmas, 1955

Red Rock Canyon the day after Christmas, 1955.

Other articles: Yucca Tree Street at 38969
Lydia in the snow at Palmdale.
Quarter midget in the snow

Snow in December 1955?

Quarter midget in the snow.

1956

Quarter midget in Quartz Hill.

Quarter Midget

Racing quarter midgets in Quartz Hill

Tom in front of the Pussy Willow my mom wanted me to have.

Me by my pussy willow in my section of the garden.

Pawluk family in Omaha.

Annotations on the backs of the photos, probably written by Betty, from left to right: "Janice and John on our back steps. John has his birthday shirt on. He was very pleased and tells you thanks loads." "Ribs and Janice in the laundry room. This was only a pose on Ribs part, believe me." "Pete walking across the room."

Locations: North Table Mountain.

The fire department was called to North Table Mountain where the roof of a rock house was afire (Colorado Transcript, 90(27), April 19, 1956, pg. 5).

Four boys and a snake

Four boys and a snake.

End of school year party.

End of school year party, 6th grade.

MG TD in front of our house.

Dad in his MG TD.

Dad by his MG TD.

The MG TD by itself.

Dad in his MG TD.

Photos of my dad's MG TD.

Cabin at Big Bear

Big Bear, Summer 1956

Summer vacation at Big Bear.

Other articles: California Highway 41 Inspiration Point

Locations: Vernal Fall. Yosemite National Park.
Kevin Klages and his dad crossing the bridge below Vernal Falls.

My photo of Vernal Fall in 1956.

Deer in Yosemite Valley.

A bear got into the cooler that was left out.

Kevin and his dad, Ward Klages.

Yosemite Valley from Wawona Tunnel in 1956.

The first summer of my Boy Scout career, I left arm was in a cast, and I was unable to go to summer camp with my troop. In part to make up for my disappointment, but probably also to accompany Kevin, Kevin Klages and his dad invited me to go to Yosemite with them. We camped in the valley for four or five nights, and dined on trout that Kevin's dad caught in the Merced River. Kevin and I slept in the tent while his dad slept in the back of his truck. A bear came through camp one day and ripped open the cooler. Kevin and I were quite excited; Mr. Klages not so much. We hiked to the top of Vernal Fall and beyond, where I took a photo of Nevada Fall. I don't remember it we made it up to the top or not. For the last night we drove to Tuolumne Meadows. It was cold enough that night for the tent to remain standing after we removed the poles. The next day we drove over Tioga Pass, which was still a gravel road in those days.

Locations: Palmdale.
Mr. Smith's 7th Grade Class

Mr. Smith's 7th Grade class.

Locations: North Table Mountain.

Robert Cito, 14, was released Monday from St Anthony’s hospital, where he received treatment for injuries incurred when he was knocked off North Table mountain last week by a bolt of lightning. In a 15 foot fall Robert’s collar bone was broken and he was cut and bruised. He was climbing North Table mountain with four others when the accident happened. All the boys suffered shock and the Golden Fire department was called out to rescue Robert (Colorado Transcript, 90(47), September 6, 1956, pg. 6)

Dining room, kitchen through door at right.

Living room.

Photos inside our Palmdale house.

Christmas, 1957

My mother and Vera Shaw clean up after Christmas dinner.

Christmas tree, 1956.

(left to right): Bob Shaw, Paul R. Schweich, Martha Schweich, Merrilee Shaw, Irma Schweich, Sydney Gale Shaw.

1957

Death of Paul Robert Schweich

Aunt Olga and Uncle Ivan at Phoenix First Baptist, 1957

Photograph of Aunt Olga and Uncle Ivan at the Phoenix First Baptist Church in Phoenix. Photographer unknown.

Locations: North Table Mountain.

April 18, 1957. Robert Vincent, 15-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Vincent of 421 Plateau Parkway, Golden, suffered a shot from a .22 rifle in his left leg just below the knee, Saturday. Golden police officials said the shot was fired from the gun of Thomas Pike, 16, of Denver, who said he didn’t realize the gun was loaded. … Robert Vincent and Thomas Pike had been target practicing on North Table mountain and were coming down the mountain when the accident occurred (Colorado Transcript, __(__), April 18, 1957, pg. __).

Me, my mother and sister Martha in the back yard on Easter Sunday.

Mother, Dad, and Martha on Easter 1957.

Me on Easter 1957

My 7th grade girlfriend, MaryLou McNulty, at Marineland.

Diver at Marineland.

Seventh grade field trip to Marineland.

Locations: Camp Jubilee.
Bob Oman, Kevin Klages, and John Csongradi drink from the irrigation ditch before we were told not to.
Bob shows the beads we were awarded in competition.

Camp-O-Ree at Jubilee Scout Ranch

My first camping trip as a new Boy Scout was at Jubilee Scout Ranch. This was probably in Spring 1956. There were four of us crammed into a thin-fabric orange tent. I was on the outside. We slept on the cobbles of the wash. The first night I was terrified of having to go to bed. The second night I was exhausted and relieved when I could lay down.

My troop went to Jubilee Scout Ranch once or twice a year. But after the first time, we always camped on the mesa above the wash.

Kevin, John, and Bob in our campsite.

View of Camp Jubilee.

Other articles: Forest Road 3N17 at Nike site

Locations: Mount Gleason.
Inside the Nike battery.

Armed Forces Day, Saturday May 18th

Mount Gleason Nike Site

Moving a missle onto the elevator.

The view from Mt. Gleason Nike Site.

Moving the missle from the elevator to the launch platform.

Locations: Guffy Camp.
Picnic dinner at Guffy Camp.
Picnic dinner at Guffy Camp.

Picnic dinner at Guffy Camp.

First Class Scout.

Tom guards the barbeque.

Tom's Summer Scout Uniform.

Boy Scout Summer Camp at Yosemite National Park in August 1957
It looks like we hiked to the top of Vernal Fall, if not higher, and hiked to Glacier Point, and chased a bear into the Merced River.

Picnic lunch at Mt. Palomar en route to San Diego.
Me and a tortoise at the San Diego Zoo.

Summer vacation in San Diego.

We stayed at Ocean Manor, 1370 Sunset Cliffs Drive, now known as the Inn at Sunset Cliffs. Last time I saw it, it looked a little run down.

Locations: Palmdale.
Palmdale High School gym under construction.
Palmdale High School under construction.

Palmdale High School under construction.

Construction of Palmdale High School.

Other articles: Yucca Tree Street at 38969
The front of the house.
Coffee in the living room.

A set piece of family togetherness.	East corner of the house.	Martha in her room with Dusty, her cat.	My mother, Lydia, in the back yard.	Dad pretends to enter the front door.
Mother sets the table.	Dan and Eleanor Marston come to dinner.	View of back yard through dining room window.	My mother, Lydia, in the living room.	Paul at rest.

Photos of the house at 38969 Yucca Tree Street, Palmdale.

Martha waits on the dock to go to San Miguel Island.

The Lockheed Recreation Club sponsored a trip to San Miguel Island.

Locations: North Table Mountain.

November 21, 1957. ... The sheriff's office was swamped with calls Tuesday afternoon from folks inquiring about the explosion they heard—the explosion occurred on North Table Mountain where the Frederick Roth Construction company purposely set off a charge of dynamite to loosen rock which will be used at the new Air Force Academy north of Colorado Springs .... (Colorado Transcript, 92(6), November 21, 1957, p. 1).

Tom's school photo, December 1957

Tom's school photo.

1958

Locations: North Table Mountain.

July 31, 1958. … North Table Mountain burned to the edge of the rimrock -- a second alarm was sounded to get more men to fight the fire and the Prospect Valley fire truck responsed to the call for assistance from the Golden firemen … (Colorado Transcript 92(42) July 31, 1958, p. 1)

1959

January 1959

Locations: North Table Mountain.

Clarence Bryant's letter to the editor of the Colorado Transcript describing his trip to North Table Mountain (Colorado Transcript, __(__), August 13, 1959, pg. __).

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Date and time this article was prepared: 11/21/2019 3:56:24 PM