Newberry Springs Historical Tourism: Family Legacy, The Mojave Trail, Camp Cady, and the Trek to LA

SPEAKER_02 0:06

Hey everybody, this is Howard Fox, host of the Outdoor Adventure Series Podcast, and I am literally out sitting in the middle of the desert on a beautiful piece of property, and uh this is an exciting continuation of the series with uh the the great folks at Newbury Springs. I have been uh out there meeting great people, helping to celebrate the centennial anniversary of Route 66, and also learning really the passion that the longtime residents, the folks who have had family here for generations, the the hard work and persistence and really the feeling of love they have for this community and this area of the desert. And I have the pleasure in this particular segment to chat with uh John Burrell. John, it's a pleasure to have you on the podcast. Welcome to you. Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 0:57

Pleasure to be here.

SPEAKER_02 0:58

Fantastic. Now, I have to say, so for our listeners, we're under like a canopy here, a wood frame canopy. And I'm like, this is like the most magnificent view I've seen in my life. I mean, I could literally sit out here and just smoke a cigar, having a beverage of my choice, and just rake it all in. I got the sunrise, the sunset. I don't have to leave. I can be self-contained here. Tell us a little bit about your background, because I know you have a lot of family history here, and what is what keeps you just motivated to come back again and again and to really help make this community, this vibrant area attractive to visitors like me?

SPEAKER_03 1:36

Well, I'll tell you, my family first came here, I think, in around 1915, and have had property here ever since. They didn't never lived here. Well, part of the family lived here, but most of them left and were in the Los Angeles area, uh, and including myself. But we would come out most weekends, summers I would spend weeks on end out here taking care of. We actually we had Camp Katy. Uh or the family had at least it was a cattle ranch. And that was the old Civil War fort. Now it's a 2,000-acre uh fish and wildlife preserve.

unknown 2:15

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 2:15

Where I'm actually a one of the caretakers there. Okay. So basically Camp Katy was a beautiful place. Before the water dried up out here, we had a mile of lakes sailing, everything else hunting. Things just dried up.

SPEAKER_02 2:34

Now um it looks like we're on a little bit of a uh a hill slope. And is there was there water like literally right down here?

SPEAKER_03 2:43

This is this area here would be called the Mojave River fan. You can't see where I'm pointing, but it's sort of all fans, and the river bed then would be directly behind it.

SPEAKER_01 2:54

Okay, gotcha.

SPEAKER_03 2:55

There was water just below us, and you can see over here the different colors of the clay where the water had over thousands of years. And there's a big fossil bed down.

SPEAKER_01 3:07

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 3:07

Mannox fossil bed. So anyway, but this particular piece of property, you ask why we got it, it was my actually great-grandparents had five sections out there. And he was a miner, a wildcatter, had a lot of oil wells, things that actually drilled out here, send you several of the photos, the old big rigs. Excellent. In fact, the biggest rig was right where you crossed the railroad tracks over here. But of the five sections, so five separate square miles, they kept one quarter of a section in the family. And gone from one member of the family to another, and I've sort of most recently bought out my brother. And uh I'm going to build out here like a uh glamping resort. I'd offer that. Eco-tourism, yeah, historical tourism, that type.

SPEAKER_02 4:04

I would imagine this area would be great for the the glamping, like these small little glamping kind of ADUs, or maybe it's the TP style or the whatever style, but I mean, literally create like a little mini community for people that are uh coming in into it for for the glamping activity.

SPEAKER_03 4:24

Yeah, there'll probably be six separate clamp sites or groups and individuals. This will be the main one where we're sitting. Okay. It's about three acres laid out so the ten very large kind of uh like wall tents, safari type like chicozies and bathrooms inside.

SPEAKER_02 4:45

Okay, very nice. I I was gonna say it's probab I I'm more I little might be a little on in my price range, but I I know the owner, so perhaps we can work something out. We'll work something out we can. As you start to develop this land, what what is it important for you to ensure we're not coming in clearing things and building, but we're also really keeping the the mystique of the land, uh, the its its history intact, but helping people not only have a good time, a good experience, but also learn about what this land was all about.

SPEAKER_03 5:24

Well, I the the history of this particular piece of land is is actually really interesting. One of the reasons the families always had it. That's because the Mojave Trail, starting back behind me, 130 miles at the Colorado River, follows all the way through the Mojave Preserve, Mojave Trail's National Monument, is on the other side of this fence. That that is BLM Land. That's at the bottom of my property.

SPEAKER_01 5:52

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 5:53

This road that we just came in, if we hadn't taken the driveway to where we're sitting, you could have gone another 130 miles and ended up Colorado River.

SPEAKER_01 6:04

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 6:04

Wow. I think it's uh so this is the road you just came in on was probably the oldest road in the Southwest.

SPEAKER_01 6:11

Okay. Very nice.

SPEAKER_03 6:13

And this particular piece, I just recently cleared it in the last few years, was even in 1964, they had Operation Desert Strike. Okay. Where all the bases out here converged the the war games. Right. And this was an observation post. Okay. For the military. And they would watch all the war games down in here. Oh wow. That's amazing. Sort of a meetup spot.

SPEAKER_02 6:39

Okay. Now, when Colonel and I drove up here, I noticed there were some hay bales over here. I I remember seeing a video that was shared with me about archery. Is that is that is that in this area? Is it part of it?

SPEAKER_03 6:52

We've always had, and there's magazine articles going back forever. A couple of great uncles were world-famous archers. Okay. And so archery out here was a huge thing. And they would have tournaments on this piece of property and down at Camp Cady. But the bales you're referring to, um, like the ones over here above pointing at this.

SPEAKER_02 7:19

We can point, see, it's over there. It's over there.

SPEAKER_03 7:21

There are bales over there. But there are 18 targets. It's a 7,000-yard archery golf course. Oh boy. So it's laid out exactly like a golf course.

SPEAKER_02 7:32

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 7:33

And you just do it with arrows. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 7:35

I learned how to play disc golf a couple years ago when I went to a conference in Tennessee. I suppose I can learn how to do archery golf.

SPEAKER_03 7:42

It's it's fun. Okay. So we've been doing it out here for for as long as I can remember. So you you have archery in your blood? In my blood.

SPEAKER_02 7:51

That's wonderful. What uh what is the impact do you see? I mean, having uh the developing the site and just clearing this land, I'm sure is no small feat. I mean, you're you're of a real estate background and development background. And to to for people that want to stop off the highway, enjoy this area, and then eventually work their way down into like on Route 66 in New uh Newbury Springs. What how do you see this affecting the community and for especially for these visitors coming in?

SPEAKER_03 8:29

I think particularly because I'm on the north side of the river. The river kind of runs through Newberry Springs, and then the the town is over off the 40 in Old 66. Okay. And then I'm on the side that's the 15 road from LA to the Vegas. In fact, if you look at the old maps from the 1800s, they show forks in the road. Right. And forks in the road is basically the Mojave Road and the Salt Lake Road, and they met right over here at Capcaty, where we'll probably go from here.

SPEAKER_01 9:02

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 9:02

And then they met there. That was Forks and the Road. Right over here where you'll see Small Hill. Right. So right on the back side of that, they kind of met.

SPEAKER_01 9:13

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 9:14

Between there and Barstow, the two roads, and then went into LA.

SPEAKER_02 9:17

Okay. In the not the last century, but the century before the 1800s, when the West was essentially expanding, perhaps even in the late 1700s, when folks are coming in and making their way on the on the the where do you ride your horse pull horses?

SPEAKER_03 9:38

The the train the oh the wagon trains. Wagon trains. I knew that was a word.

SPEAKER_02 9:43

So I would imagine all these roads, like the Spanish Road, the Mojave Road, all these roads are converging, sounds like at Camp Cadia. They are. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 9:53

They are indeed. And they are but they met right. A lot of the dirt roads that you just came in on have literally been here for since Father Garces. Okay. Francisco Garces, Spanish missionary, in 1776. Oh wow. He's the first one to take this trail. Okay. First European. It was an old Native American trading route. Okay. From Arizona and points east to the native tribes, the coastal Indians. So this is essentially a trade route.

SPEAKER_02 10:30

I love it.

SPEAKER_03 10:31

As it is today.

SPEAKER_02 10:32

Yeah. I would imagine, and again, I'm just thinking about this in the moment. I I'd seen a um someone who somebody yesterday had a a drone in their in their house in their home. I was thinking, I imagine if you had took a drone and put it high enough, you literally are seeing all these roads kind of converging.

SPEAKER_03 10:50

Yes, you can. In fact, I have photos that I'll send you for this piece with and I'll and uh with current maps overlaid with the maps from 1860.

SPEAKER_02 10:58

Well, that is very cool. See, I do my research and I'm seeding a little bit of stuff here, but this is good. This is good. As you look back and your journey professionally and and coming back and living here and being a part and really having family history in this community, what would you hope to share with others who maybe they're looking for their next place to settle down? And why why New Berry Springs? Why this area?

SPEAKER_03 11:28

It's beautiful, it's peaceful, quiet, friendly people everywhere you go. I've only been out here about three years full-time. Right. Kind of working on this. And uh I've just been, I didn't know anybody. I mean, the family's been here forever, but the ranch was so big it was separated from the community. But when I came out here, I was just very warmly embraced by everyone. A lot of people out here. I love it. Have been from Orange County in Los Angeles.

SPEAKER_02 12:03

Yeah. It's not lost on me either that night the stars must really pop out here.

SPEAKER_03 12:09

It is. Just gorgeous. I was dead. I can I can send you some pictures of head photographers out here for a dark night.

SPEAKER_02 12:17

I I I think this is a wonderful as Carla and the the Chamber of Commerce work to have more events out here. I could see having, if not they're not already existing, these dark sky events with the Las Vegas Astronomical Society, the various counties and cities in Los Angeles. This is a wonderful place. I mean it's yeah, from Vegas two, two and a half hours at the most.

SPEAKER_03 12:39

Well, yeah, and I think I'm largely billing again for ecotourism is my interest in historical tourism, and it'll probably be a lot to do with Jeep clubs. Not the razors, not people who want to go tear up the desert, real people who are trying to learn something. Sure. And that that's my interest, just to keep the story alive.

SPEAKER_02 13:04

Besides keeping the story alive here and now, are there like uh uh websites, perhaps you have a social site or a website, or are there places you recommend going to learn more about what you're doing or what this can what what some of the efforts the community is involved with?

SPEAKER_03 13:26

I have just a regular Instagram thing. Okay. Use people out here. We've done music videos out here. All right. So are we allowed to share your uh Instagram site? Yeah, it's uh WB Ranch Studios. Right, very good one. That was Will Helm, my the Will Helm family was a site out here, so it's always been the WB.

SPEAKER_02 13:45

Okay. Good. Well, we will have that in our show notes.

SPEAKER_03 13:49

And it yeah, it is on Instagram.

SPEAKER_02 13:51

Okay. Anything else that you would like to share with our audience?

SPEAKER_03 13:55

Yeah, just the uh I'm hoping that this particular part of the desert where all these old trails converged before they're lost to time and history. I'd like people to know what they are. I mean the Mojave Trail mattered. And to the people in LA, they look at the desert, you know, like just uh not necessarily look down on the people out here, but I don't think realize the contribution. Sure. Everything in LA came through here. The materials, the mining, everything going on, the money, the history.

SPEAKER_02 14:35

It's not lost on me yesterday as I drove in from Las Vegas on the 15, which for our listeners is literally a stone's throw over here. Is most people are driving LA to uh Las Vegas back and forth. And unless you decide are intentional about getting off the road and exploring, you're still going down a highway interstate. Right. Never having learned something new and realizing there's a whole world out there. And as you're sharing right now, is a whole world to explore and enjoy and appreciate. And I I appreciate you sharing that story with us today. Thank you. Oh thank you. All right. Anything else before we uh turn off?

SPEAKER_03 15:18

You know, back to the history of it. Literally, after Frank Francisco Garces, it was Kit Carson, Jedediah Smith. I mean, they all came up this route. Okay. This was it, and it's it's documented.

SPEAKER_01 15:29

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 15:30

We'll have to Fort Katy. That's how it was established.

SPEAKER_02 15:32

We'll do some uh get some history going when we prepare the show notes and make sure not only are we just sharing the story and the audio, but also links if people want to learn more about the history of this area and the the migration and the the commerce and the convergence on uh on Fort Katy. That'd definitely be very uh informative because there's people like me who are enthralled not only with the beauty but the history behind that goes along with that beauty. It mattered.

SPEAKER_03 16:00

It mattered people were driving this road during our revolution.

SPEAKER_02 16:05

Yeah. It still matters. So listen, folks, I hope you enjoyed uh today's episode. It's so nice to be outside recording this. I'm getting a little vitamin D, and I'm very happy about that. But really I hope you uh enjoy this episode with John Burrell. We're gonna do some more exploring uh shortly. But until next time, just look for us on the outdoor adventure series uh website, outdooradventureseries.com. Find us on Facebook and LinkedIn. The YouTube video will be up uh as well on the outdoor adventure series page. And of course, listen to this podcast episode wherever you get your podcast from. And listen, come out here, explore, and this is going to be a uh echotourism hotspot, glamping, high-end glamping. But hey, I know the owner, so all good things could uh come of that. But listen, hope you enjoyed today's episode, and we look forward to having you join us uh in the future. This is Howard, Outdoor Adventure Series Podcast.

SPEAKER_00 17:02

Take care now. So what are we looking at here?

SPEAKER_03 18:06

This is the one monument for the first Fort Cady, which was right down here. Um before they moved it up river to where is now the ranch houses.

SPEAKER_02 18:21

And what does that plaque say?

SPEAKER_03 18:23

Camp Cady was located on the Mojave Road, which connected Los Angeles to Albuquerque. Non-Indian travel on this and the nearby Salt Lake Road was set by Paiutes, Mojave's, and Jumavis defending their homeland. Check both roads. Camp Katy was established by U.S. Dragoons in 1860. The main building was a stout mud readout. Cab structures were built a half mile west in 1868 or 1868. After peace was achieved, the military withdrew in 1871. This protection provided by Camp Katy enabled travelers, merchandise, and mail using both roads to boost California's economy and growth. Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with Billy Holcomb, chapter of the A Clampus Fight as State Department of Fish and Game, Lavi River Valley Museum, and Daggett Historical Society. May 1st, 1994.

SPEAKER_02 19:30

Wow. Very nice. Yeah, that was it. Absolutely gorgeous out here. What are we looking at right now?

SPEAKER_03 20:56

We're on the Mojave Trail down as it entered the Camp Cady property. We're south and west of where we were earlier, where I showed you where the road came out of the Mojave River bed. And then we stopped another spot, and I told you we're dropped down and lower here at Ironwood. And then from Ironwood it came right to here, through this gate, straight down there.

SPEAKER_02 21:23

What's significant about this gate?

SPEAKER_03 21:26

This is the Mojave Trail went through here.

SPEAKER_02 21:28

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 21:29

So the Mojave Trail was here first, and then when the ranchers came in, they said, okay, we'll use this road. Uh huh. Just put up a gate.

SPEAKER_01 21:36

Gotcha.

SPEAKER_03 21:36

So they said there's always this story when there's a gate. Somebody owned it now when they were and then if you're lucky and you look really hard and know what you're looking for, you can see old wagon tracks, the steel two inch wagon tracks that would drive through when on the rare days that it did rain, they'd drive over the wet clay, and then it would get buried and embedded in the clay, and then get uncovered from. Time to time with blow sand or covered with blow sand and then uncovered in wind. Uh but if you know what you're looking for, and this is gonna seem like a setup, you can look straight down here and see one of the old tracks. But that's a very minor one. Over here about 50 feet. Very good one. Also on the road where there was a road it it lends itself to erosion. So you see a lot of little ravines like this where once was a road here.

SPEAKER_01 23:02

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_03 23:05

Yeah, it feels really good right there. Yeah, over here. And then a mistake grew in the middle of the road. So Howard, so we don't have to walk a half mile that way. Or a quarter of a mile. I'll send you a picture of what's down there. And you can say that we went there.

SPEAKER_02 23:35

Excellent.

SPEAKER_03 23:36

In fact, get this you can clip it together. All right, we've got another quarter of a mile. We'll walk down. I'll show you the last old redoubt from Camp Katie.

SPEAKER_02 23:44

Excellent. Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 23:46

Ready?

SPEAKER_02 23:47

Ready. Let's go.