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Join PXL for Our 4-Day Spring Doin's
Our "Randsburg Uprising!" at Randsburg, CA
When we think of the discovery of gold in California what first comes to mind is James Marshall and the 49'ers. After all, the significance of the migration into California known as "The Gold Rush," was so rapid that California skipped being a U.S. territory and became a state straightaway in 1850.
But the quest for gold didn't end there. The Kern River Valley experienced its own gold rush in 1851, and prospecting went on for many years afterwards. So it was that in 1895 one of the greatest gold strikes ever, happened in the Mojave Desert in the foothills of the El Paso Mountains.
Charlie Burcham and his partners, John Singleton and F. M. Mooers, struck gold on the slopes of what they called "Rand Mountain," and they established what came to be called the "Yellow Aster Mine." Over the 38 years that the Rand Mining District was most active, the Yellow Aster, along with other mines, produced over 250,000 pounds of gold. The area also produced significant amounts of tungsten and silver worth millions of dollars.
With the help of Charlie's wife, Rose Lamont Burcham, who was both a partner in the mine and a physician, the partners established the towns of Randsburg and Johannesburg to support the several thousand miners and their families who populated the district.
Johannesburg, which today abuts U.S. 395, (or more properly said, U.S. 395 abuts Johannesburg, because there was no U.S. 395, back in the day) was laid out in a grid, and it is said that Rose Burcham was not only responsible for planning Johannesburg but also for building the aqueduct that brought water needed to support both the people and the 100 stamp mill used to process the ore.
Believed to have been the first medical doctor to reside in Kern County, Rose Burcham was a remarkable woman in her own right. Often acting as managing partner of the Yellow Aster, and eventually the sole surviving partner to Burcham, Singleton and Mooers, she was the kind of Kern pioneer woman often celebrated by our chapter and fitting of her own monument.
Peter Lebeck last Clamped at Randsburg in 1989, when we erected a monument as part of a four-way Doin's, alongside John P. Sqibob, Slim Princess and Billy Holcomb chapters of E Clampus Vitus. If you'd like to read more history, here is a link to our web pages about Randsburg and the 1989 Doin's. The main page includes a link to the short historical monograph written and edited by Drs. Mike Johnson and Sid Blumner as a keepsake for that event.
As for our current Doin's, expect a good time, but pack accordingly. Typical daytime temperatures in early April are in the upper 60's to low 70's, with nighttime temperature in the mid-40's. Rain is infrequent (on average once a month) but desert roads are subject to flash flooding so keep that in mind. The road into Randsburg is well paved, but will take you off the main highway. If you take advantage of our posted directions you should have no trouble getting even a large rig to the Clampsite.
Thanks to the generosity of Brother Neil Shotwell, we'll be Clamping at the site of what had been "The Rand School," which will provide us an indoor space roughly the size of the large room we had at the Willow Springs Raceway, which will easily accommodate 100 men.
Our outside Clamping space is on natural ground adjacent to the schoolhouse without any pesky trees to spoil your view of the Clamper next door. Make sure to bring plenty of shade and water; and burn barrels are OK so long as you keep them off of the ground. While we expect to be able to accommodate everyone, this is not a place for manspreading Clampsites. Please obey directions from our Clamps Hostrix, and move your rig if you are asked to make adjustments. We won't have space for circling the wagons, but we firmly believe that getting to know your neighbor at a Clampout is a very good thing.
Don't expect to run down to the supermarket if you forgot something, because there are none. If you need something, it's best to bring it with you. Gas is available 24 hours at the Texaco station on U.S. 395, which has a convenience store, but don't expect to see or eat anything exotic. Hamburgers and sandwiches and beer are available in Randsburg, including at the Joint, which has a full bar.
Gates open at noon on Thursday, but you are on your own foodwise until Friday afternoon, starting with the Humbug's Meet 'n' Greet. If you'd like to bring some pre-dinner snacks to share, or to share anytime, it's always appreciated by the Brethren. But please do not bring meat for Saturday's breakfast. The chapter will provide a brunch on Saturday. We're going to try that instead of our traditional PXL potluck so as not to waste too many leftovers.
Lastly, please make an effort to attend our plaque dedication on Saturday at 10:12 am, at The Joint in downtown Randsburg. It will show your support for our chapter and help build the reputation of our order. We are not merely about celebrating and commemorating history but also showing the public that local history matters.
To read about Clamping with Peter Lebeck in Kern County, just read on.
ABOUT CLAMPING WITH PETER LEBECK
Kern County is a big place and it covers all kinds of terrain: from the driest portions of the Mojave Desert, to the snowiest pine forests of the Sierra Nevada; from the oak woodlands of Walker Basin to the still wild grasslands of the San Joaquin Valley. Then of course there is Fort Tejon, Pine Mountain, the Kern River Valley, the Tehachapis, and…you get the drift. Kern County IS a BIG and interesting place.
And needless to say, we do try to get around. So if you are looking for something different, always make sure to look us up when you are planning your Clamping Calendar. If you've Clamped the desert, try the mountains. If you've Clamped the mountains, try the desert. But always make an effort check with us because we may be going someplace you'd really, really enjoy, and we do get around.
PXL Clampouts are not so large that you'll ever feel lost, and not so small that you'll ever feel like you're crashing someone's private party. Brothers visiting from other chapters are always made to feel welcome, and we especially encourage you to drop by if you live in Kern County or the adjoining areas of southern and central California.
At Peter Lebeck we plan two, full-weekend Clampouts every year, one in the spring and the other in the fall, and we favor overnight outings because we believe it is the surest way to make sure that each of our Brothers makes it home safely. At Peter Lebeck we also believe that Clamping is as much about plaquing as it is about camping and camaraderie, so we try to mount at least one erection every year and we try to Clamp near by. So won't you join us for the adventure? We'll make sure you get an extra helping of Timbo's beans.
