Tag Archives: AP&CC

If You Lived in Trona You Have a Story to Tell

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A few weeks ago Linda Cunningham Monroe send me a story written by Leon Emo, It was called the The Sites and Smells of Trona. Leon gave me permission to reprint his story on Trona on the Web. It is based on his impressions of Trona while driving through on his way to Death Valley over the years and from an interview with Pam Gorden Sanders who lived in Trona until she was in the eighth grade. She is not listed in the Alumni Registry so I don’t know how old she is but I’m guessing that she moved about 1955.

Leon’s story is a  pretty accurate picture of the way I remember Trona. There are some differences, I know Joe Bangwin’s name. This is something Leon didn’t know until this week. I know that grass will grow in Trona if you can afford to waste the water. Even here in Minnesota, The Land of Ten Thousand Lakes, people are starting to rethink the wisdom of the stress it puts on water sources to keep lawns green.

AP&CC had a lawn in front of the plant for a while and they watered the oleander bushes around Austin Hall and the Club House with fresh water to keep them healthy. David Pillot grew what he called devil’s grass while they lived in Trona and I know he also grew grass in their yard out at Valley Wells. There were always roses in the circle in front of the school auditorium.

For a desert town Trona actually had a lot of trees. Many of the old salt cedar trees are gone now but there are still enough of them left to give Trona a distinctive look. They were watered with the salt water from Valley Wells. Now someone has discovered that palm trees can be grown very in Trona. I’d like to know what the requirements of their care are.The executive quarters had a large assortment of plants in it’s garden to be enjoyed by guests and out of town executives.

Leon mentioned that the population of Trona is now about 2,500. Considering that from the 1930 to 1960s the official population was about 2,000 the 2,500 number doesn’t seem so bad. 150 high school students doesn’t seem that bad either when you consider that during the 1950’s there were only 200.

This site is the way I try to tell my Trona stories. Doug Polly told it with with his Upinflames web site that I have preserved. Jess Dominguez tell his stories with his art. Some people tell their stories by way of donations to the Trona Museum or by volunteering to work there. Others are on alumni committees. Some people do it by asking me question or sending me pictures and stories of Trona that I add to this site. My sister does it by preserving our family history.

I’m sure George Pipkin probably holds the record and has written more stories about Trona and the surrounding area than anyone who ever lived. You cannot live in Trona without having a story to tell.

 

Things I Do Not Remember About Trona

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I was talking to my brother Joel today about Trona. He remembers it much better than I do. I am sure that is because he lived there longer than me and worked in both the Trona and Westend Plant before he moved in 1975. He reminded me that bunkhouse 17 that was on the west side of the clubhouse burned down. He also reminded me that the quonset huts shown near the bottom of the picture above were once used by the village maintenance crews that were part of Trona when AP&CC owned all the houses. I had even forgotten the gas station that was near the fire station.

And in my head I was getting Ted Langs gas station in Argus, where Joel once worked, mixed up with Joe Brangwin’s station in Trona. I’ve asked him to help put captions on the photos that he knows about. If you can help out add a comment to any that you know about. Joel also told me that he worked with Larry Fox at the Westend Plant for nine years and new him very well.

I still don’t quite remember exactly where the old Catholic Church was located. Joel told me that at one time it was an automatic three bases if a batter hit it. Does anyone remember the barn and stables down about where Zimmerman’s lumber was? I seem to remember one of the barn building being moved to the other side of Trona Road and being used by the NRA for a target range. Joel says I’m wrong. But he was wrong about how old Larry Fox was too.

Joel also mentioned a place called Silver City that was built on the east side of Trona Road. He said it was an expansion to Tent City and that all the structures were painted silver to reflect the heat. He described it as a place that didn’t have trees and didn’t have a chance of ever getting any.

And then there was the Federal Housing Project that was between Trona and Argus. I remember that very well. I can remember being at the opening festivities with my mother.

I think I remember that part of the project was on the west side of Trona Road but was torn down way before the rest of it was.

Now, if I can get my sister to tell me where the Hog Ranch was again.