Nicki’s daughter, Terisa Johnson Harju left the following message on Facebook:
It is with a heavy heart but also with many happy memories that we announce the passing of my mom Nicki. She passed on Saturday August 26th after having the rare opportunity to say goodbye to most of her friends and family. She asks that everyone “look for the glimmers” (reference on her fb page). She also asked in lieu of flowers, that donations be sent to the Ridgecrest Veterans Advisory Council via Carol Coy or the Ridgecrest Animal Shelter via Mary Sage.
There will be a celebration of her life in October, (most likely the 2nd or 3rd weekend). The place, date and time will be announced.
With the death of Margaret “Lit” Brush in Ridgecrest on July 9, 2023, the Northern Mojave Desert has lost a priceless asset to the history of the Searles Valley. In a lifelong whirlwind of activity, she found and preserved priceless remnants of that history for the enjoyment and education of residents and visitors alike.
Richard Leon Lively, passed away at the age of 77 at his home in Ridgecrest, California. Richard grew up in Trona, CA with his brother, Bobby Gene Lively, Jr., and resided in Ridgecrest, CA for most of his life. He graduated from Reno High School in 1965 and served two tours of duty in Vietnam from 1975 to 1979. He was honorably discharged as Sergeant Regular Army in 1981 after serving in Panama. He was a member of the 82nd Airborne Division and received medals for National Defense Service, Vietnam Service, Good Conduct (1st Award) and Vietnam Campaign in addition to Expert Badge M-16, Expert Badge Hand Grenade, Parachute Badge and Sharpshooter Badges.
After his military service, Richard earned A.S degrees in Police Science, Diesel Technology, Drafting Technology and General Education. He enjoyed ceramics and received many certificates of achievement as an honor student at local community colleges. He was a Deputy Sheriff under the federal government’s C.E.T.A. program in Mono County and worked at the Kerr-McGee Chemical Corporation.
Richard is survived by his nieces and nephews and will be interred at the Bakersfield National Cemetery with full military honors. We pray that you are at peace Richard and enjoying eternal conversations.
I received word that Virginia (Peek) Pappe passed away on November 11, 2022. Virginia was born March 3, 1943, in Kern County, CA. She married Charles Pappe, class of 1957 in 1961and they lived in Ridgecrest, CA.
Anna Sue Johnson Eldridge left a message on Facebook saying that Al had recently passed away. If I get any additional information, I will post it here.
Westend Circa 1950West End Chemical Company and Early Town- 1925
Is it West End or Westend? If you are talking about the Chemical Company, it is West End. If you are talking about the town, it is Westend. Don’t let the name confuse your sense of direction, Westend is on the south end of Searles Valley.
This work is available from the UC San Diego Library. This digital copy of the work is intended to support research, teaching, and private study.
Henry Hellmers was born in 1891 at Varel, Germany. He came to United States in 1908 and studied Chemical Engineering at the University of California, Berkley. He became a citizen in 1915. In1924 while working for “Borax” Smith he patented a process that he believed would make a plant at Searles Lake profitable. He used limestone mined in Panamint Valley to created carbon dioxide which when bubbled up through lake brine would cause the borax and sodium bicarbonate to separate from the solution.
Henry is listed in the 1950 Census as a resident of the Westend Village and used Westend as his address when he registered to vote in 1960. He managed the West End plant at least up to that time. The employees knew him as Mr. Westend.
Henry was known for his love of fly fishing and collection of photographic slides of wildflowers that he had taken.
The Key Patents by Henry Hellmers et al.
Henry Hellmers developed profitable processes for refining the lake brines into the marketable products that were produced by the West End Chemical Company.
1924 Patent by Henry Hellmers
1950 Patent by Henry Hellmers
Nevada Street
Mary Dunne, Lynette Blackmun, Nancy Dunne, Eleanor Crosley and Leona Olberg Lee walking on Nevada Street in 1940
Note the picture, and from the left to right beginning from the center of the picture, we have the old West End Village (now a pile of lime). Down the middle of the village and heading to the right is Nevada Ave.
To the right of the village are two one story buildings which were the bunkhouse garages. At right angles to the garages is the two-story No. 2 bunkhouse.
In front of the No. 2 bunkhouse is the No. 1 bunkhouse which has an open area (patio) in the center of the building.
To the right is a 100-foot wooden tank – at the time, the largest wooden tank west of the Mississippi. Beyond that was a series of tanks used for brine storage.
The white pile in the background is quick lime.
The building and the cement slab are the rec hall and tennis courts.
Four buildings in a row were bunk houses and beyond that are the borax storage tanks and right of that was the borax refinery building. Beyond that are the 5-foot carbonate towers, and in front of them were three vertical lime kilns. Beyond this were the 10-foot carbonating towers, and on the right is the machine shop.
The above description is from the book, Trona Trivia by Dr. O. N. Cole. Unfortunately, the picture isn’t large enough to identify all the landmarks he mentioned.
For many of us who didn’t live there, Westend was a place that passed on our way in and out of Searles Valley that we didn’t know very much about.
The photos and information on this page were sent to me by C. Patrick Dunne. They were part of a presentation he made for the 2014 Trona Centennial. Thank you, Pat!
