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Written by: Alexandra Jonassen MOAH Collections Alexandra@lancastermoah.org You may have looked out upon the large dry lakes surrounding the Antelope Valley and wondered: how could these large lakes been filled with water in such a harsh desert? Did people ever occupy these areas? The answer is yes; people did occupy these areas and these giant lakes were once filled. These people are the earliest inhabitants of North America, termed Paleoindians by archaeologists. The Antelope Valley is part of the southern end of the Great Basin region, which includes most of Nevada, half of Utah, Oregon, and California, as well as parts of Idaho, Wyoming, and Baja California. Paleoindians are thought to have occupied the Great Basin during the Terminal Pleistocene to Early Holocene eras, also referred to as the Pre-Archaic and Archaic periods, which spanned approximately 12,000 to 8,000 years ago (Grayson 2011). The geological period that we are in today is still the Holocene era which began approximately 10,000 years ago. During the Terminal Pleistocene era while Paleoindians occupied the area, the climate was considered to be cooler and more moist than it is today. This wetter climate filled the large dry lakes we see today, which are called Pluvial lakes. These lakes had lush wetland marsh habitats surrounding them, which would attract wildlife including birds, both large and small mammals, plants, and brine shrimp that Paleoindians would utilize as food. Some examples of a Pluvial lake that exist locally are the Rosamond and Rogers Dry Lake located on Edwards Airforce Base (See Figure 1). Figure 1: Aerial View of Rosamond and Rogers Dry Lake Beds, Google Maps It is generally thought that during this time, Paleoindians were highly mobile hunters and gathers that would travel across the landscape to these wetland patches and utilize the abundant animal and plant resources that were present. They would occupy a patch of wetlands until it was profitable for them to move on to the next wetland area (Grayson 2011). How often this movement occurred is debated, but most scholars agree that Paleoindian movement between patches was fairly quick within the Late Pleistocene, as there were many other rich wetlands to exploit. These movements have been conceptualized as being part of annual movement cycles, seasonal rounds, and shorter-term routes (Jones 2003, Lothrop et. al 2018). How often Paleoindian movement occurred is debated by Mojave desert archaeologists. This highly mobile strategy persisted until approximately 10,000 years ago, when shifting climate conditions occurred during the Early Holocene, in which the climate became more dry and hot, much like it is today (Grayson 2011). This caused wetland resource patches to diminish and Paleoindians were forced to become more sedentary, focusing on utilizing whatever resources were available to them. This especially included food sources such as seeds. Seeds often require labor intensive processing in order to consume them. They have to be gathered, oftentimes from very small plants requiring intensive hand labor and basketry, and then broken down into edible forms such as meal. Paleoindians as well as later Native Americans utilized tools known as groundstone, tools made from stone, to process seeds down into a more edible meal that can then be cooked and eaten (See Figures 2 and 3 for examples of Labor Intensive Seed Processing) Figure 2: Example of Labor Intensive Seed Processing, Breaking Open Acorns Utilizing Stone Tools at the 2022 Society for California Archaeology Meeting Acorn Processing Workshop, photo by A. Jonassen There are also places known as bedrock milling features, where seeds and other resources were reduced down. Bedrock milling features consist of cupules or holes in sheets of bedrock where foods were dropped into and then ground. This change in temperature and lack of other resources is evidenced in the archaeological record by an increase in the presence of groundstone artifacts in archaeological sites starting at 8.5 thousand years ago (Jones 2003, Grayson 2011). Because more groundstone is being found associated with this time period, archaeologists can conclude that people were needing to utilize resources such as seeds that required more effort in procurement and processing because the availability of other resources was decreasing due to climate change. Figure 3: Example of Labor Intensive Seed Processing, Utilizing groundstone to grind acorns into meal at the 2022 Society for California Archaeology Meeting Acorn Processing Workshop, photo by A. Jonassen In addition to basic resources such as food and water, lithic material known as toolstone, stone used to create tools, was another crucial resource that Paleoindians needed to obtain in order to survive. Toolstone would have been crafted into different forms of tools, such as blades and spearheads, to kill and process various resources. It is assumed that Paleoindians procured toolstone while on their foraging rounds as they moved about the landscape (Jones 2003). Within the Antelope Valley region, we have several large toolstone quarries of a material called rhyolite that has been utilized for thousands of years. Due to the poor preservation of organic remains in the Mojave Desert region, lithics are often the only artifacts preserved well enough to apply them to understanding Paleoindian mobility strategies. New geochemical sourcing technology has enabled archaeologists to source where a specific type of toolstone came from. For example, if a stone tool is found at a site, it can be sourced to a rock quarry source hundreds of miles away. Somehow, the tool was originally procured from that quarry and then transported to the site in which it was found. Tracing where toolstone came from and where it ended up enables archaeologists to see where Paleoindians were going and what strategies they were taking for moving about and thriving in the landscape. By analyzing the materials left behind, archaeologists are able to trace how Paleoindians utilized the landscape and how drastically it has changed overtime. Research within the region is ongoing and new discoveries will continue to help shape our understanding of the past. The Native American tribes that occupy the Antelope Valley today include the Serrano, the Nuwa (Kawaiisu), the Kitanemuk, the Tataviam, Paiute, and Nuwu (Chemehuevi). They are all considered to be descendants of Paleoindian groups in the Great Basin region. References Grayson, Don. The Great Basin: A Natural Prehistory Revised and Expanded Edition. Oakland, California: University of California Press, 2011. Jones, George T., Charlotte Beck, Eric E. Jones, and Richard E. Hughes. “Lithic Source Use and Paleoarchaic Foraging Territories in the Great Basin.” American Antiquity 68, no. 1 (January 2003): 5-38. Lothrop, Jonathan C., Adrian L. Burke, Susan Winchell-Sweeney, and Gilles Gauthier 2018 Coupling Lithic Sourcing with Least Cost Path Analysis to Model Paleoindian Pathways in Northeastern North America. American Antiquity, Volume 83, Issue 3. DOI:10.1017/aaq.2018.25.

The Lancaster Museum of Art and History (MOAH) will be closed from August 22, 2022 to May 12, 2023 for HVAC improvements. During this closure, the public is encouraged to visit the museum’s other locations: MOAH:CEDAR, the Elyze Clifford Interpretive Center, and the Western Hotel Museum. These locations will remain open with new, extended hours to accommodate the main facility’s closure. The museum will reopen on May 13, 2023 with a brand-new exhibition co-curated by Dr. Betty Ann Brown. The History of MOAH’s building A proper HVAC system is necessary for the care and maintenance of a museum. What is now the MOAH office building was once a bank teller’s office (See Figures 1-3). In the building’s construction photos from 2011, you can see the original brick wall that was in place before MOAH was constructed. The original bank vaults and walls are still in use today within MOAH’s collections department offices in the basement. The gallery spaces were then added onto this existing structure (See Figures 4-6). This building was never properly equipped to function as a museum and was thus lacking the proper air conditioning and humidity controls. Standardizing Temperature and Humidity Within museums, we house many different types of items in our collections. Each type is made from unique materials that can each be best preserved in certain climatic conditions. For many years, museums adhered to certain ideal conditions of relative humidity and temperature to protect their objects from mold, cracking, warping, shrinking, and other forms of decay. Recent movements to standardize museum care have resulted in the creation of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) group which works to provide recommendations and guidelines for conservation work within museums. With the improvements of air conditioning technology overtime, standards for temperature and relative humidity have been created to ensure a suitable environment for many types of artifacts. Conditions of 50% ±5° relative humidity (RH) and 70°F ±2° (called “50/70”) have become a general guideline for most museums (Hatchfield). How Temperature Changes Affect Collections Temperature changes affect objects in a variety of ways. As outlined by the National Parks Handbook for museums, as the temperatures of objects change, objects will reach thermal equilibrium and adjust to the temperature of their surroundings. Increased temperatures typically cause the expansion of an object and decreased temperatures cause contraction. These fluctuations in temperature can cause accelerations in the chemical, physical, and biological processes that cause deterioration (National Parks Museum Handbook). For higher temperatures, chemical reactions can increase- which is especially an issue for acidic paper, plastic, and photographic materials. Certain types of film can even catch on fire if exposed to high temperatures for prolonged periods of time. Higher temperatures can also cause objects to lose moisture from evaporation which can lead to cracking and deformations. In addition, higher temperatures cause increased biological activities, such as the spreading of molds and breeding of insects. Materials can also soften, including waxes which can collect dust more easily and become sticky (National Parks Musuem Handbook). At lower temperatures, objects can become more brittle and can crack, flake, and have other damages. Materials such as varnishes, lacquers, wood, oil, alkyd, and acrylic paints are especially at risk and need to be handled with extreme care (National Parks Museum Handbook). Fluctuations between hot and cold temperatures can cause materials to expand and contract quickly, which places destructive stresses on the object. Fluctuations that occur faster than the object can adjust to the changes can cause cracking or exfoliating (National Parks Museum Handbook). How Humidity Changes Affect Collections Humidity is generally measured as a ratio known as relative humidity (RH). RH is the mass of water vapor in a fixed volume of air and the maximum mass of water vapor that a fixed volume of air can hold at the same temperature. The relationship between temperature and humidity is that for a given volume of air, as the temperature rises, the humidity decreases and vice versa (National Parks Service). Understanding and monitoring relative humidity within a museum is important because water has a large role in various chemical and physical deteriorations. Deterioration can occur when RH is too high or too low or fluctuating. Moisture can come from various places, including exterior humidity from rain, pools of water, wet ground, broken pipes, moisture in the walls, from respiration as well as perspiration, and general cycles of condensation and evaporation (National Parks Museum Handbook). In addition, all organic materials and some inorganic materials absorb and give off water depending on the relative humidity of the surrounding air. This can cause damage to certain items such as faster corrosion with metal objects at higher RH levels. Pests and mold grow with higher RH and shrinking, and cracking can occur at low RH levels in organic materials (National Parks Museum Handbook). Improving and Maintaining Our Collections It is because of these risks to our collections that MOAH has advocated for our HVAC system to be improved. The improvements to our HVAC system will allow us to have a reliable, steady temperature and humidity control. We will continue to have climate control readers in place within our different galleries to monitor changes in humidity and temperature to ensure that our items are preserved. Figure 1: MOAH during construction in August 2011 Figure 2: MOAH Library 2/14/2012 with original brick walls from bank office Figure 3: MOAH Library board room 2/24/2012 with original brick walls from bank office Figure 4: MOAH Classroom under construction in 2011 Figure 5: MOAH entrance lobby under construction in 2011 Figure 6: MOAH entry lobby under construction in 2011 Works Cited Hatchfield, Pamela “Crack Warp Shrink Flake: A New Look At Conservation Standards”, January/February 2011 edition of Museum magazine. National Parks Service The Museum Handbook Part I: Museum Collections

As spooky season nears, we would like to highlight one of our more unusual collection pieces - a funerary hair wreath and set of hair earrings. MOAH’s hair wreath and earrings were donated by Barbara Hoover in the year 2000 (See Figures 1-6). This set is said to date to the early 1800’s (TD 20.105). So , why would anyone make jewelry items and artwork out of hair? Hair art first started in the 17th and 18th century in England, and it reached a high in popularity during the Victorian era (1837-1901). Queen Victoria wore a hair necklace of her husband, Prince Consort Albert, when he passed which sparked interest in hair art (National Geographic). In the United States, hair art popularity grew with the high tolls of the Civil War. It became customary to make art from hair as a memorial for the deceased. Hair would be taken from the dead and used in jewelry, tokens, and hair wreaths. In addition to remembrance of the dead, such art was also made from hair of the living as tokens of friendship. For example, locks of hair were taken from friends and left in autograph books for sentimental remembrance. Hair art was a way to signal one’s sincerity in remembrance of someone both alive or dead, while also remaining in “fashionable style” (Smithsonian Magazine). Emily Snedden Yates, a special projects manager at the Mütter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia and co-curator of their 2018 exhibition “Woven Strands: The Art of Human Hair Work” , stated that: “A lot of hair would be braided and then placed in a book and a poem would be written underneath it, or something describing their relationship with a person. It was really an ode to the person's essence” (Artsy). Hair wreaths were often made in a horse-shoe shape made with wire and hair. The hair would also be formed into various shapes and patterns, such as flowers , which were added to the wreath (Everhart Museum). It has been speculated that the U-shape was used to symbolize the dead’s ascent upward to heaven (Everhart Museum) or because a horseshoe was a Victorian symbol of good luck (Sauk County Historical Society). MOAH’s hair wreath is shaped in a typical circular wreath design. In addition to arranging the hair in different swirls and knotted patterns, wood or glass beads, buttons, and seeds were also often included in the wreaths as adornment. When finished, wreaths would be mounted on silk or velvet backgrounds often in shadow box frames which were then hung in a family home in remembrance, becoming a form of a family tree. (Sauk County Historical Society). Wreaths could contain hair from just one person or multiple family members and friends, with the newly deceased member’s hair placed in the center of the wreath (Everhart Museum). MOAH’s wreath , does contain a smaller bouquet section of hair in the center, which is likely from the newly deceased. Women were primarily responsible for making hair wreaths. Patterns for making hair wreaths would be sold in stores and regularly found in women’s magazines (National Geographic). A famous guide for doing hair work was published in 1867, called Self-Instructor and the Art of Hair Work ( Self-Instructor and the Art of Hair Work ) , which can be viewed at this link: ( http://archive.org/details/selfinstructori00campgoog/page/n12/mode/2up?view=theater) from Smithsonian Magazine. The book teaches how to create certain braid designs for artwork as well as examples of different hair art design patterns, from abstract shapes to full landscapes (See Figures 8-11). After the Victorian era, the tradition of hair work faded. Historians have speculated that this change may have come from the advent of funeral homes, which removed death from being a home focus. Its decline can also be linked to changes in fashion as well as new ideas about hygienic practices (National Geographic). This creepy, but rather beautiful tradition has been revitalized in the creations of hobbyists. The Morbid Anatomy Museum in New York occasionally offers classes in hair wreath design for those interested in learning the craft. Still today, parents often keep a lock from their child’s first haircut. Those traditions bring back the memory of the Victorian hair art. Figure 1: Barbara Hoover’s donated hair wreath (TD 20.105) Figure 2: Detail of hair wreath braiding with wire rings embedded in Figure 3: Detail of hair wreath braiding Figure 4: Center bouquet in hair wreath Figure 5: Detail of hair braiding and wire designs at top of wreath Figure 6: Braided hair earrings Figure 7: More abstract hair design from Morbid Anatomy Museum Figure 8: Page 43 from Self-Instructor and the Art of Hair Work, 1867, depicting thick braided hair bracelets Figure 9: Page 41 from Self-Instructor and the Art of Hair Work, 1867, depicting braided hair bracelets/necklaces Figure 10: Page 15 from Self-Instructor and the Art of Hair Work, 1867, depicting braided hair pendants Works Cited Figure 11: Page 48 from Self-Instructor and the Art of Hair Work, 1867, depicting hair art designs, including flowers, abstract shapes, landscapes, friendship, and religious iconography Works Cited Artsy “The Curious Victorian Tradition of Making Art from Human Hair” by Allison Meier, The Curious Victorian Tradition of Making Art from Human Hair | Artsy Everhart Museum “Victorian Hair Wreaths”, http://www.everhart-museum.org/Collection/Wreath.htm     Morbid Anatomy Museum Morbid Anatomy | Facebook National Geographic “Trendy Victorian-Era Jewelry Was Made From Hair” by Becky Little, Trendy Victorian-Era Jewelry Was Made From Hair (nationalgeographic.com) Sauk County Historical Society “The Hair Wreath” by Bill Schuette, Home - Sauk County Historical Society (saukcountyhistory.org) Smithsonian Magazine “Victorians Made Jewelry Out of Human Hair” by Rose Eveleth, Victorians Made Jewelry Out of Human Hair | Smart News| Smithsonian Magazine Self-instructor in the art of hair work, dressing hair, making curls, switches, braids, and hair jewelry of every description : Campbell, Mark, 19th cent : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

The Mojave Bigfoot, the Sierra Highway Devil, and Marvin of the Mojave are some of the many names used to refer to sightings of mysterious desert beings in and around the Mojave. Those who have lived in the Antelope Valley long enough may be familiar with these various names for one of our famous local cryptids, most commonly known as the Yucca Man. The Yucca Man is said to be a desert adapted Sasquatch that lives throughout Southern California, Nevada, and Arizona. He has said to have been spotted in the Antelope Valley area multiple times, from the 1970s onward. In the spirit of Halloween, we will take a look at exactly who or what the Yucca Man is and how his legend came to be. First Encounters On a night in 1971, the Yucca Man was first spotted on Twentynine Palms Marine base. The story changes slightly depending on the source, but it is said that a marine guard on duty was found the morning after his shift unconscious with his rifle bent in half. When asked what happened to him, the Marine stated that a huge hairy man had appeared out of the dark and came towards him. The Marine lifted his rifle and ordered the figure to stop but it took the rifle from him and bent the weapon in half. The Marine was then knocked unconscious (Occult Museum). The creature was stated to have glowing red eyes and smelled horrid (Stilwell). According to the Occult Museum, both the FBI and the CIA were brought in on the investigation of the incident and it is not clear what they found out. Apparently, there were at least two other sightings of similar figures that night (Occult Museum). One sighting described that there was a 12-foot-tall figure with a smaller figure beside it. Other reports called in that their dogs kept barking at something in the neighborhood. In Fontana, there was a racetrack north of Foothill Boulevard called Mickey Thompson’s Fontana Dragway. This racetrack ran from 1955 to 1972, when it closed after a series of deaths (Layne). Spectators of the crashes said they saw someone they called the “Speedway Monster” which was assumed to be a wild man resident of the nearby San Gabriel mountains who frequently crossed the land at the edge of the dragway. Later reports of the Yucca Man came in 1979, when a couple from Desert Hot Springs reported that their car was stopped by a large, hairy man who stepped out into the road. They described that it stepped out from behind a yucca bush and that its chest was the size of a refrigerator with its arms hanging below its knees with long, tan hair (Occult Museum). After stopping the car, the figure then left into the desert. During the same year in Hemet, 17 possible Yucca Man footprints were found each about a foot and a half long and six feet apart (Occult Museum). What happened to these footprints is unclear. Investigators have claimed that, like Big Foot, the Yucca Man is an ancient humanoid creature that was pushed out of his native habitat as the area around the San Bernardino mountains began to develop. Increasing amounts of sightings have taken place at Joshua Tree National Park where tents are said to have been opened in the middle of the night by stinking, unidentifiable beasts (Layne). One of the most famous photos taken of the Yucca Man was snapped at the Hidden Valley campground, showing a large hairy figure in the middle of a dirt road (Figure 1). Figure 1: Photo of the alleged Yucca Man from 1990s (Layne) Old Origins Native Americans, who have inhabited the Antelope Valley area and greater Mojave Desert of Southern California for thousands of years, have a number of tales regarding “hairy devils”. According to Ken Layne from Desert Oracle, ‘The Tongva People living around the Santa Ana River called the devils’ hideout east of the river’s source in the San Bernardino Mountains the Camp of the Takwis, pronounced the same as the Tahquitz known to the Cahuilla of Agua Caliente. According to John Reed Swanton’s The Indian Tribes of North America, “Takwis” also survives as a site name at the head of the Santa Margarita River, at Temecula Creek. Throughout Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley, you’ll see it spelled Tahquitz — the angry specter’s unhappy home in the region is the cursed Tahquitz Canyon.’ To some, the Tahquitz are thought to be things that should be avoided, in the darker parts of the desert. According to Layne, “To the Cahuilla, the Tahquitz could be the “original shaman” and a murderous monstrosity that collected victims from Tahquitz Rock (or Lily Rock).” It is possible that these encounters could be related to what we know as the Yucca Man. Palmdale and Lancaster Encounters During the 1960s and 1970s, Yucca Man encounters rose as new housing developments took place. Chuck Wheeler in the Antelope Valley Daily Ledger-Gazette described some eyewitness reports in a June 1973 issue beneath the headline “Bigfoot Surfaces Again In Palmdale, Nine-Mile Canyon.” According to the report, the creature was spotted at 3:45 a.m. in Palmdale, with testimony provided by a Floyd Smith. Wheeler reported that “the creature likes to run around houses and leaving footprints. That is its MO in the East Lancaster area where footprints were found around several houses recently. One woman reported that the creature ran around her house and scratched at the door. A small boy sent to tell his father supper was ready was found hours later crying near the corral. When asked what happened to him, he answered that a big, furry man would not let him pass” (Wheeler). In addition, in more recent years, there have been multiple sightings of a large, red-eyed creature called the “Seirra Highway Devil” spotted on Highway 14 near the junction with Pearblossom Highway at night, running across the road. Edwards Air Force Base Our very own Edwards Air Force Base is said to have several encounters with the Yucca Man. It has been reported that there is underground infrastructure at EAFB that is monitored by the base. According to the tales, security cameras picked up images that several furry beasts were seen moving through the underground tunnels at night disappearing quickly. Big Foot researcher Bobbie Ann Slate took reports from several EAFB basemen, including a Sgt. House, who claimed that they had seen a pair of large blue looming eyes looking at him while he was on patrol in his car (See Figure 2). These eyes were said to be about 4 inches apart and seven feet off the ground. The eyes were first noticed about 200-300 yards to his left, and then they proceeded closer to the car for about 100 yards before stopping. Then the air began to smell, and the eyes were then only 50 yards away. Sgt. House stated that: “The movement of the eyes was extremely fast. Another thing that bothered me was that they didn’t bob up and down. It was like two lights on a wire moving from one point to another.” He then drove off after apparently getting another distress radio call (Layne). According to a 2009 article in the base newsletter, Inside Edwards, the entity known as “Blue Eyes” was reportedly discussed at a reunion of the 6510th Air Police Squadron officers who worked on base between 1973 and 1979 (Layne). ‘“Attendees traded memories of their bizarre experiences on patrol such as seeing ‘Blue Eyes,’ the local version of a Yeti near South Base or ‘Marvin of the Mojave,’ a ghost who could be heard but not seen and left size-10 sneaker imprints in the sand,” Lisa Camplin of the 95th Security Forces Squadron wrote in the official Edwards newsletter. Recent encounters The most recent possible reports of a sasquatch-like figure, or the Yucca Man, was in 2012 at Devil’s Punchbowl where a figure was said to be stalking hikers in Big Rock Canyon. It is unclear if we will ever confirm the existence of the Yucca Man in the Antelope Valley, but the stories are a true local classic. Many have been inspired by the Yucca Man and have incorporated them into their own work- including a beer by an Ogopogo brewery and an annual Summer Solstice Festival known as the Yucca Man Shakedown (See Figures 3 and 4)! If you have your own Yucca Man stories, please comment them down below, and we hope you had a Happy Halloween! Figure 2: Artistic rendering of the Yucca Man by Sverre Wilhelm Malling, entitled Yucca Man,2017. Sverre Wilhelm Malling | Yucca Man (2017) | Artsy Figure 3: Artistic rendering of the Yucca man on Ogopogo’s Yucca Man Imperial Stout. Ogopogo Yucca Man Imperial Stout – CraftShack - Buy craft beer online. Figure 4: Poster advertisement for the 7th Annual Yucca Man Shakedown. Yucca Man Shakedown - A Summer Solstice Celebration - Home | Facebook Works Cited Layne, Ken. Desert Oracle: Volume 1: Strange True Tales from the American Southwest, 2015 sourced from The Known Unknown: Tales of the Yucca Man (longreads.com) . Stilwell, Blake, “The ‘Yucca Man’ is a beast that stalks Marines at 29 Palms”, We Are The Mighty, August 9, 2021, The 'Yucca Man' is a beast that stalks Marines at 29 Palms - We Are The Mighty . The Occult Musuem, “The Mysterious Legend of The Yucca Man”, sourced from The Mysterious Legend of The Yucca Man (theoccultmuseum.com) . Wheeler, Chuck, “Bigfoot surfaces again in Palmdale, Nine-Mile canyon”, Lancaster, Ca. Daily Ledger Gazette, Friday, June 1, 1973, sourced from BFRO Media Article 103 .

Currently on display at the Western Hotel Museum are several bottles produced by Antelope Beverages - the Antelope Valley’s very own soda distributer (See Figure 1). Antelope Beverages produced several different types of soda throughout the 1940s-1950s and was a favorite among community members at the time. It is unclear when exactly the company first started, but advertisements for the company have appeared in AV high school year books and newspapers from throughout the 1940s. On display at the Western Hotel Museum is an ad for the company from the Antelope Valley Ledger Gazette which was first founded in 1888 (Antelope Valley Ledger Gazette Blog, MOAH) (See Figure 2). This advertisement dates to March 13, 1944 and features an image advertising the sale of war bonds for WWII which would soon end in 1945. The advertisement also features two birds, one dressed in a soldier’s uniform who encourages the other to stop for a nice drink before their trip (See Figure 3). Flavors of Antelope Beverages included: lemon, root beer, grape, strawberry, crème soda, kola, lithiated lemon (a beverage treated with lithium which was thought to cure hangovers), sparkling water, ginger ale, orange, and cherry blossom. In addition, Antelope Beverages also had the franchise to bottle “Squirt.” Bottles of soda could be purchased, and then empty bottles would be returned to the company for re-filling which was customary through the 1950s. Antelope Beverages products were manufactured and bottled in Lancaster by Antelope Valley Distributing Company (See Figure 4). Their office was located at 149 East Tenth Street, which is now known as Challenger Way. The phone number for the company was just two digits: “41” back when only a few folks and businesses had their own phone numbers in Lancaster. Though there are no direct references to the location of Antelope Valley Distributing Company on any historic topographic maps, at 149 East Tenth Street is now a trailer park which first appears on historic maps in 1958. It is likely that this trailer park was built on top of what was the Antelope Valley Distributing Company (See Figure 5). Three Antelope Beverages bottles and the Antelope Valley Ledger Gazette advertisement are on display on the second floor of the Western Hotel Museum, near Myrtie Webber’s very own picnic box (See Figure 6). Be sure to stop by during the Western Hotel Museum’s new operating hours: every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 11AM- 4PM (Closed Holidays), located at 557 W Lancaster Blvd, Lancaster, CA 93534 (See Figure 7). Figure 1: Three Antelope Beverages bottles on display at Western Hotel Museum Figure 2: Antelope Valley Ledger Gazette Advertisement for Antelope Beverages Figure 3: Birds Illustration on Antelope Valley Ledger Gazette Advertisement for Antelope Beverages Figure 4: Front façade of Antelope Valley Distributing Co. (Norma Gurba-Kleit, Growing up in the Antelope Valley 60s, 70s, 80s Facebook page). Growing up in Antelope Valley 60' 70's 80's | ●● ANTELOPE BEVERAGES CO | Facebook . Figure 5: 1958 Lancaster East Topographic Map with plotted location of 149 East Tenth Street Figure 6: Display of Antelope Valley Beverage bottles, advertisement, other historic bottles, and Mertie Webber’s picnic box at Western Hotel Museum. Figure 7: The Western Hotel Museum, photograph taken on 11/13/22. Works Cited Antelope Valley Ledger Gazette (lancastermoah.org) Norma Gurba-Kleit, Antelope Valley Beverages Distributing Co. Store Front, from Growing up in the Antelope Valley 60s, 70s, 80s Facebook page: Growing up in Antelope Valley 60' 70's 80's | ●● ANTELOPE BEVERAGES CO | Facebook.

Lancaster Christmas Parade 1959, MOAH Collections Since the 1950s, the city of Lancaster has been hosting its annual Christmas parade! This picture was taken during the 1959 parade on Lancaster Boulevard and Elm Avenue. The parade, still hosted by the Chamber of Commerce, continues to take place every year alternating between the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale. Hosted this year in Palmdale, the parade will return to Lancaster Blvd. for 2023. Regardless of the hosting City, Santa is present every year. On Saturday, December 17th, the city will be hosting its Breakfast with Santa event at Sgt. Steve Owen Memorial Park, Stanley Kleiner Activity Center. Participants will enjoy a pancake breakfast, fun arts and craft activities for children, and the opportunity to meet and take pictures with Santa and his elves! More information about Breakfast with Santa is available by contacting the Parks, Arts, Recreation and Community Services Department at 661-723-6077. Online information can be found at this link: https://www.cityoflancasterca.org/our-city/departments-services/parks-recreation-arts/special-events/breakfast-with-santa MOAH wishes you a Merry Christmas! Snowy Joshua Trees, MOAH Collections

Jacqueline “Jackie” Cochran (1906-1980) is considered one of the world’s pioneering aviatrix. During the span of her 40-year flying career, she set more speed, altitude, and distance records than any other pilot in history. Her piloting career began in 1932, with her first record set in 1934 when she flight-tested the first turbo-supercharger ever installed on an aircraft engine. She also went on to become the first person to fly above 20,000 with an oxygen mask. In 1941, she became the first woman to pilot a military bomber across the Atlantic Ocean. During WWII, she headed the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) program, providing pilots and flight instructors for the war efforts. She later led the congressional efforts in fighting to earn the WASP member's veteran status. One of her most well-known feats was accomplished at the Antelope Valley’s own Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB), where in May of 1953, she became the first woman to break the sound barrier while flying a USAF F-86A Sabre. Chuck Yeager accompanied her on this flight, acting as her chase pilot. She returned to EAFB numerous times in the following years, setting several more records, including international speed and altitude achievements. To commemorate her feats, EAFB named May 16 as “Jackie Cochran Day”, with a plaque dedicated to her and her accomplishments in aviation.

Edward Pierce Moulton (1871 – 1940) and his wife, Zada Belle Burkett Moulton (1873 – 1950), relocated to Palmdale from Kansas in 1919. One of his first local endeavors was the development of pear orchards on 40-acres of land near Sierra Highway. His next business venture was to expand, opening the Palmdale-Moulton Hardware Store which was located on Palmdale Boulevard and Eighth Street East, the site of the present-day Western Union. He and his family owned and operated this business for many years. In addition to this business, Edward also served as President of the Palmdale Irrigation District from 1921 to 1924. Zada worked as clerk of their hardware store, while also engaging with the community by leading special events and serving as a member for the Palmdale Woman’s Club. Their son Owen Sr. became the owner of one of the most popular service stations in Palmdale, the Red Crown gas station, which was located on the Southwest corner of Palmdale Boulevard and Sierra Highway, operating from 1930 to 1946. In addition to this, he negotiated a contract with the government for Star Route 1 which stretched from Palmdale to Littlerock, Pearblossom, Valyermo, Llano, and Juniper Hills. Owen was also heavily involved with the community, much like his father. Owen served as President of the Palmdale School District, the Palmdale Chamber of Commerce, and the Kiwanis. He was also a founder of the Palmdale Fin-and-Feather Club, and a volunteer fireman. The Moultons became a large part of the Antelope Valley’s history, with three generations of the family attending school at Antelope Valley Union High School. Because of the long distance between their home and the school, it was common for the children to stay in the school’s dormitory during the week, as was the case with Edward's daughter-in-law Cora. Many of the early members of the Moulton family are buried in the old Palmdale Cemetery, with other members of the family still living locally. Edward’s great-granddaughter Connie pays homage to her family’s history, displaying artifacts from the original Palmdale-Moulton Hardware Store in her home. "Gurba, Norma H. Legendary Locals of the Antelope Valley. Arcadia, 2013. Photo courtesy of MOAH Collections"

Today’s artifact of focus is a rhyolite biface found amid an archaeological site in Lancaster. The Antelope Valley has been home to Native American tribes for up to 12,000 years, occupied primarily by the Kitanemuk, Chemehuevi, Tataviam, Kawaiisu, Vanyume, and Serrano cultural groups. These groups maintained a mobile way of life that was centered around hunting and gathering resources. To properly obtain and utilize said resources, various types of tools were necessary, including projectile points and grinding stones. Materials for the tools were acquired from the local terrain and manufactured into whatever item needed. One of the most common materials used for manufacturing lithic tools among the Antelope Valley was rhyolite. Antelope Valley Indian Museum, Antelope Valley Indian Peoples, AVIM.parks.ca.gov Hobart M. King, Rhyolite, Geology.com Photo courtesy of MOAH Collections

Heinrich “Henry” Specht (1878 – 1948) and his family moved to Esperanza in 1885 when his father contracted tuberculosis. In 1887, he attended the first class at the Del Sur School. After the death of his father in 1888, Henry joined his friend Ted Atmore and became a local cowboy, rounding up herds of cattle. At the age of 21, Henry joined the Army and was sent to the Philippines serving in the cavalry for the Spanish-American War. He may likely have been the Antelope Valley’s only resident to have served in the war voluntarily. After his service in the war, he went to Dunsmuir, where he worked in the logging industry and became a restaurateur. Specht returned to the Antelope Valley in the early 1900s and built the Corner Saloon in Lancaster, located at the northwest corner of present-day Lancaster Boulevard and Sierra Highway. He ran this saloon until it was destroyed in the devastating fire of 1912. Specht and his girlfriend, Grace Nicholson, eventually married and homesteaded 320-acres in Happy Valley. They also purchased the Gavin Ranch, located next to Richard Shea’s Castle. Shea hired Grace to cook for his workers, and Specht became the foreman in charge of building the fencing around the castle. After this endeavor, Specht bought a 1,400-acre ranch in Del Sur on Avenue I and 120th Street West where he dry-farmed wheat and barley. Specht was also one of the founders of the Westside Farmers Association and the Westside Store. In 1946, he retired and bought Ted Atmore’s Voltaire-Fairmont ranch where he and Grace stayed until his death. Henry reportedly loved recalling his father’s prediction from 1888 that Lancaster would one day become a large city, which it certainly has. The photo here shows Henry and Grace, c. 1912. "Gurba, Norma H. Legendary Locals of the Antelope Valley. Arcadia, 2013. Photo courtesy of MOAH Collections"

Today’s artifact of focus continues to emphasize the role of Myrtle “Myrtie” Webber within Lancaster. This trophy is the “Myrtie Webber Apple Pie Baking Contest” trophy, a perpetual trophy that was in use from 1979-1982 as the tradition of a pie baking was a major part of the annual Lancaster Heritage Days event. Though it was not awarded to Myrtie herself, it draws honor to the contributions she made in establishing long-standing traditions within the Antelope Valley. Even though this particular event is no longer held, we carry on the spirit of celebrating Lancaster’s unique heritage as well as Myrtie’s apple pie baking during the Annual Antelope Valley Fair and Alfalfa Festival. Such festivals are an intrinsic part of Antelope Valley culture, with similar events dating back to 1895 when the first Lancaster festival was held as a two-day event celebrating local ranchers and farmers. This year, we are extending the celebration of Antelope Valley culture and heritage beyond the Fair and Festival with the upcoming “Celebrate Lancaster” exhibition, opening at MOAH:Cedar in October. A unique celebration of the Western Hotel is on its way as well, with significant changes being made to our exhibitions – one of which is the addition of a room dedicated to Myrtie Webber herself. Due to these changes, our upstairs level is currently closed to the public, but it will reopen on November 10, with a "Grand Reopening" of the entire exhibition on December 8. Stay tuned for more updates regarding these events! Photos courtesy of MOAH Collections

For decades, Myrtle “Myrtie” Webber was one of Lancaster's oldest and most prominent residents. After the death of her first husband in 1908, Myrtie Sullivan moved from Missouri to begin a new life in Lancaster, California. After her arrival, she began working at the Western Hotel where she met George Webber, the Englishman who owned and managed the hotel. The two later married in 1910 and ran the hotel together until he died in 1934. Between 1908 and 1913, when Myrtie first began working at the Western, it was busy with employees working on the Los Angeles Aqueduct. The aqueduct, stretching from the Owens Valley into the Antelope Valley, helped the town recover from a decade-long drought. To accommodate the numerous workers, tents were erected just west of the hotel. During this time, Myrtie and her staff housed and fed as many as 250 workmen in one day. In 1918, the Spanish Influenza epidemic reached the Antelope Valley and Myrtie transformed the hotel into a temporary hospital, where she became a volunteer nurse for those in need. Being one of Lancaster's early supporters, she also provided use of the hotel for Chamber of Commerce meetings, and later served on planning committees for the Antelope Valley Alfalfa Festival. Myrtie was one of the thirty founding women who organized the Lancaster Woman's Club in 1922. Due to Myrtie’s inability to leave her work, the club held its first meetings within the Western Hotel. Myrtie operated and lived within the hotel until the late 1960s. In 1971, old age and poor health forced Myrtie from her home and into Mayflower Gardens convalescent home, where she died in 1978 at the age of 110, making her the Antelope Valley’s oldest citizen. Photos courtesy of MOAH Collections