Katarzyna Nowocin-Kowalczyk
January, 2024
story from the book Secrets of California Deserts
Desert cities often have their own secrets and a short, albeit interesting and turbulent history. One of them is located in the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County, a city with a graceful, if somewhat intriguing, name, Twentynine Palms. Why twenty-nine and not, for example, thirty or twenty-five? Where does this number come from? To solve this mystery, we have to go back 200 years, to the middle of the 19th century.
At that time, but also in the early twentieth century, the climate in the Mojave Desert was wetter. There were many oases on it, which were used by the indigenous inhabitants of the area, the Serrano, Chemehuevi and Cahuilla Indians. Where the town of 29 Palms is now located, there was a spring they called 'Mar-rah,' which means 'land of little water.' Some also explain it as a place of 'small springs and a lot of grass.' The presence of water enabled the Indians to grow corn, beans, pumpkin, and squash.
When new settlers, prospectors and cattle ranchers began to arrive in the area in the 19th century, they called this desert paradise the Oasis of Mara.
Where does the water come from in the desert? Well, this is due to the San Andreas Fault, which is very active in this area. The cracks, which were formed by the movements of the earth's crust, formed fissures in the non-porous rock and the layers of earth, sand, and gravel near the surface. The water trapped in the deep layers is pushed upwards under pressure and flows out as a spring. And thanks to water, life on earth flourishes.
The oasis of Mara was beautiful and abundant with lush vegetation. It gave the people who lived there everything they needed. The Indians knew the land well. They knew every plant, every bird, and every animal that lived there. They knew the medicinal properties of plants and how to use them. They loved and respected the land. They understood that their lives and well-being depended on it. They treated it with gratitude and the oasis cared for them.
Legend has it that the first inhabitants of the Oasis, the Serrano Indians, came here thanks to their shaman, who told them that it was a good place to live and that they would father many sons here. He also instructed them to plant one palm tree every time a boy was born. In the first year, Serranos planted 29 palm trees in the oasis.
The fan palm (Washingtonia filifera), also known as the California palm, is the only palm native to California. In natural conditions, it grows in oases and rare desert areas wherever it has access to groundwater. Palm trees provided the Indians with shelter, food, clothing, and material to make various everyday items. They ate its flowers and fruits, and made baskets, hats, and sandals out of its leaves.
The Chemehuevi Indians settled in the Oasis in 1867 and peacefully mingled with the Serrano.
On June 29, 1855, Colonel Henry Washington, an American surveyor on behalf of the U.S. Surveyor General's Office, arrived at the Oasis. His task was to take measurements and determine the San Bernardino Base Line. The Oasis of Mara was on the Colonel's itinerary. He did not know the place because there was no written information about it. His attention was drawn to a cluster of beautiful, large fan palms. He counted them, wrote them down in his notes next to the coordinates of the Oasis, and called them cabbage palms. Then he went on his way. Sometime later, one of the members of the research group reported that the surveyor had counted 26 palm trees instead of 29. However, the name 'Twentynine Palms' was already spelled out.
Another legend has it that it was gold prospectors who first used the name Twentynine Palms, referring to the 29 Washingtonia filifera palms surrounding the Oasis. There is also information about two partners, McKenzie and Germain, who have filed a mining claim to a site some distance from '29 Palms Springs.'
Which story is true? Maybe none or maybe all of them. After all, all of them somehow contributed to the creation and consolidation of the current name of this place.
In the mid-19th century, when new settlers began to arrive in the area, the Mara Oasis was a popular stopover. It was here that travelers could rest and replenish their water and food supplies before continuing their journey through the unknown desert. Some, however, stayed. The Indians living in the Oasis treated the guests in a friendly manner. Unfortunately, the newcomers did not respect the land or its hosts. Gold, silver and other deposits began to appear around the Oasis like mushrooms after the rains, and the Oasis itself was exploited by herds of breeding cattle. The 'guests' began to claim the land and the water. The Indians were driven from their homes to the reservations that were being created at that time.
The Chemehuevi Indians refused to submit to the control of the American government and refused to move to the reservation. For them, the oasis was a sacred place that they wished to preserve, just as they wanted to preserve their language and culture. Unfortunately, the story turned out quite tragically for them.
The newcomers, called invaders by the Indians, literally plundered the oasis area. Trees were cut down and water drained to support the growing mining activity. Soon, the wild game that was food for the Indians also ran out. People were dying of malnutrition and diseases brought by the white man. Fewer and fewer children were born. The white man began to claim land on the Twentynine Palms site and claimed water in the oasis. Although the California government promised to give the land to the Chemehuevi Indians and create a reservation for them, in the early 1870s, it sold the land surrounding the Mara Oasis to the Southern Pacific Railroad. It did not consult the tribal members on the matter, nor did it inform them of the sale. The situation was becoming more and more dramatic for the Indians. Soon, the Southern Pacific demanded water in the oasis and denied the Indians access to it. After the Willie Boy incident, the tribe eventually left Twentynine Palms and settled in the Mission Creek Reservation.
The 1902 census showed that 37 Serranos and Chemehuevi lived in the Oasis. As the influx of white settlers arrived, by 1913 they had all left.
The city of Twentynine Palms was populated with newcomers and grew at its own pace. In 1927, the first post office was opened here.
After World War I, many veterans suffered from tuberculosis, asthma, and other ailments caused by inhaling mustard gas used in combat. They also suffered from 'shell shock,' which is psychological suffering caused by shells exploding during combat. We now call this post-traumatic stress disorder. The veterans needed peace, quiet and good air.
Doctor James B. Luckie of Pasadena, California, cared for many of them. But instead of referrals to a veterans’ hospital in Santa Monica, where the coastal air was damp and cold, he recommended a warm, dry, desert climate. In the 1920s, he drove through the desert in search of the best place that would provide a favorable environment for people suffering from respiratory and heart diseases, while still being quiet and peaceful. He chose Twentynine Palms. Veterans began to move there with their families. They settled on 160 acres of land that the federal government made available free of charge to new settlers. This is how the vast area of today's Twentynine Palms was determined. Because Dr. James B. Luckie greatly contributed to the city's population, he is called the father of Twentynine Palms.
The former Mara Oasis is no longer a place of 'big grass.' The drilling of many deep boreholes in the region has caused a significant decrease in the groundwater level, and this means a real threat to the larger area, as well as to the survival of the fan palm in this place.
Today's city of Twentynine Palms lies in the open desert at an altitude of 610 m (2000 ft) above sea level, in an area called the Morongo Basin. It is famous for its natural beauty, clean air and... murals. Artists have taken a liking to this desert place and make it famous with their art.
The city is also known as the northern gateway to Joshua Tree National Park and as home to the Marine Corps Air Combat Center, the world's largest training base for the United States Marines.
Twentynine Palms is an important part of the larger history of the Old West. Some say that this place has never lost its pioneering spirit.
Catherine
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Twentynine Palms, The Land of Little Water
and Murals - desert stories from the book
Secrets of California Deserts
Mojave, Colorado, Great Basin with the cultural expert’s eye
author: Katarzyna Nowocin-Kowalczyk
translation: Elizabeth Kanski
photos: Katarzyna Nowocin-Kowalczyk
👉 The book is available on Amazon in hardcover and paperback;
in a version with color or black-and-white photos;
in Polish, English, and Spanish
Your book 'Secrets of California Deserts' is one of the best travel books. You have collected many interesting stories in this book.
California has many interesting stories to tell. Twentynine Palms is one of those places.
Very interesting story.
great story, well written, it's a good read