I've been informed that Death Valley National Park now has a staff member reaching out to record histories from the 
"old timers" who once mined, worked in, lived in, or had dealings with the park area. This is not only really cool but timely in an urgent way. If you know any "old timers" who you believe NPS would be interested in contacting about this please respond. 

I just got off the phone with Jim Harris (age 91) who with this father worked the King Midas Mine once upon a long time ago who confirmed that he'd been contacted by NPS staff. Jim is working on more details of his DEVA history to provide to the project. 

The NPS has also contacted a fellow I've not heard of before, Emmett Harder, author of These Canyons Are Full Of Ghosts: The Last of the Death Valley Prospectors. Maybe some of you folks know about or have even met Mr. Harder? I just ordered this paperback off of Amazon for $25 and look forward to reading it. I did ask Jim Harris if he knew Emmett Harder and he said he did not. (How cool if they had known each other.) 

Here are some fun details about Emmett Harder which makes NPS going after his recollections a priority.
https://www.sastrugipress.com/sastrugi-p...tt-harder/

Ten years ago one of our previous forum members, ETAV8R, wrote this Amazon review, "I have many books on Death Valley. Some are geological based, others deal with off-road trails, and a few on the history of the area. Anyone interested in this region will love the simplistic yet well told tales in this book. Provides more history on Mr. Briggs than I have found to date. Don't hesitate but also don't pay exorbitant prices." 

Another Amazon reviewer wrote this of Mr. Harder in the review section. "Emmett not only is a man among men, rugged, tough men at that, but also is a great storyteller. What's perhaps the most surprising about Emmett is that he tells amazingly enthralling true stories." 

DVD, you will enjoy Harder's book. I've read it three times over the last 10 years. Maybe it is time for number 4?

(2022-02-03, 01:52 PM)ski3pin Wrote: DVD, you will enjoy Harder's book. I've read it three times over the last 10 years. Maybe it is time for number 4?

Per NPS he's still alive. How cool would it be for a group of us from this forum could spend an evening around a campfire somewhere in Death Valley listening to his stories! Thanks for the positive review of his book.

Some people primarily associated with Panamint Valley come to mind:

Bill Gossett
A fellow who posts on the PanamintValley.com forum under the moniker "Packrat"
Rocky Novak

In 2006, Packrat started a thread about Indian Ranch. Last time I checked it was about 60 pages long, and full of stories focusing on Indian Ranch and the wider Panamint area.  Who knows, most of those stories might be true!