Page 15 - 2005 DT 12 Issues

New Field Office Dad would join them on Sundays. You to change crews and take on water.

Manager Named had to pay the Wilsons, of course, but An old-timer remembers, “As a pas-
part of the payment was in helping with time on summer evenings, many
he Bureau of Land Manage ranch chores. The old-timers recall one families would walk to the depot to see
ment has announced that of the chores they liked best was sitting passengers’ trains arrive. The passengers
TJuan Palma will be the new in the shade of a cottonwood tree in the would walk around to stretch their legs
manager for the Las Vegas Field Office. evening preserving fruit in mason jars and we’d be interested to see what the
He will report for work in early March. for the coming winter. You got to take city folks were wearing. Each Septem-
Palma is presently manager of BLM’s home a winter’s supply of canned fruit, ber, the residents wouldn’t wait to see if
Colorado Western Slope, where he su- and the Wilsons and their ranch hands there would be any new school teachers
pervises more than 300 employees, tucked a full supply into their cellar. [arriving]. Also the young men of the
oversees three interagency fire organi- In the first days of Las Vegas, es- town were interested in new faces!”
zations and provides internal services caping to Mt. Charleston was mostly a
to seven BLM offices. summer’s dream. By horse it was a full
“I am excited to come to Las Vegas day’s journey over dusty, rutted roads
and contribute to ongoing community roughed out by the mountain’s logging
partnerships with which our employees wagons. Then time was compressed by
are actively involved,” said Palma. “I a wondrous new invention, the automo-
believe in the value of strong, collabo- bile. Now you could enjoy cool days
rative partnerships to address business, 7,000 feet above the frying valley; you
social, and environmental issues.” could, that is, if there were roads the new
Palma was raised in Toppenish, automobiles could travel on. In the
Wash. He attended Brigham Young Uni- spring of 1916, auto owners, their
versity and graduated from Oregon State friends and families determined to grade Technology marched on. From the
University with a Business Management recollections: “A memory of the first
degree. He received a master’s degree their own auto road to meet one being radio I heard, about 6 grade, 1923. Our
th
in Environmental Sciences from the built by the Griffith family from their Camp Fire Girls troop was invited to the
University of Nevada at Reno. new camp sites in Kyle Canyon. They
We welcome Juan to Las Vegas and worked on Sunday, father’s only day off, McNamee home on Fremont Street to
look forward to a productive partnership from dawn until the noon heat stopped hear a program about Camp Fire. Mr.
in the stewardship of Red Rock Canyon. the labor. McNamee had one of the first radios in
Helen Hankins, Elko Field Office But preparation began on Saturday town. There was much static but [it was]
Manager, is temporarily assigned to with Mom and her girls getting food to- a great occasion just the same.”
manage the Las Vegas Field Office un- gether for a big picnic supper for the Movie pictures were a great occa-
til Mr. Palma reports for duty. following day. Dad and the boys loaded sion, too. “During grammar school years
the car Saturday night with picks, shov- [about 1919], the Majestic [Fremont
nd
els, rakes and bladers. Before dawn the near 2 ] was the only theater. A differ-
Growing Up, continued from p.1 auto was laboring toward the road (ba- ent movie [played] each evening, but
sically where U.S. 95 is now), the back Monday was our favorite, always a
though the family lived in Las Vegas, seat packed with brothers and sisters, the Western and a serial. A pianist played
the expectant mother would travel by front seat occupied by proud father and appropriate music. Another first! Movies
train to the cool shores of California to anxious mother. In recalling those days, with sound. About 1927. The beautiful
deliver her newborn. Mother and her the old-timers didn’t talk of lugging El Portal Theater on Fremont issued
summer baby might not return to the water jugs to sweaty work crews or help- printed programs for their first sound
family until late September. ing to put up tents for the picnic that movie. It was a dressy occasion.”
Even a century ago, families es- followed the road building; instead, they Innovations came by the carload in
caped the summer by camping in the dwelt on the magic bonding of a family the war and post-war years of the 1940s
mountains. For the first years the most working together with fellow and ‘50s and growing up changed, too.
accessible cool spot was Sandstone town’s people. It became more like today’s. No burro
Ranch (Spring Mountain Ranch now- But sophistication was edging into races. No more Run, Sheep, Run, on
a-days), run by the Wilson boys, Buster the isolated town. After the Union Pa- dark nights or marveling at the first au-
and Tweed. Mom and the kids would cific Station was built, sleek trains from tomobile. There’s a different kind of
spend weeks there, exploring the won- big cities of the East and West Coasts growing up as Las Vegas celebrates its
th
ders of Red Rock and Lovell Canyon. paused 15 or 30 minutes in Las Vegas 100 year. But like always, it’s a lot of fun.
FORRC/February 2005 Page 7