BGuthrie Photos: CA -- Death Valley Natl Park -- Scotty's Castle

CA -- Death Valley Natl Park -- Scotty's Castle:

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. SCOTTY_090728_0013.JPG: Death Valley Scotty: Cowboy, huckster, showman, and friend, Walter Scott had many stories to tell. In 1883, Walter E. Scott left his family's modest Kentucky home to join his brothers as a cowhand near Wells, Nevada. By age eighteen, Scott was a cowboy and trick rider in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. He toured Europe and America with performers such as Annie Oakley. A Fabulous Gold Mine: Scott left the Wild West show in 1902 after Buffalo Bill docked his pay for missing a parade. Broke but undaunted, he sold shared in a "fabulous gold mine" to Julian Gerard, a New York City banker. Gerard provided funds -- a grubstake -- for a portion of whatever gold Scott discovered. Wheeling and Dealing: To attract other investors, Scott used grubstake money to promote himself. He went on spending sprees in cities from Los Angeles to New York City. He stayed at the best hotels, bought drinks for everyone, left gigantic tips, bragged about his gold mine, and then disappeared back into the desert. As newspapers repeated his wild tales, he became a folk hero known as Death Valley Scotty. The Coyote Special: Scotty gained notoriety in 1905. He hired a three-car Santa Fe railroad train he called the Coyote Special that took him from Los Angeles to Chicago in a record 44 hours and 54 minutes. "We got there so fast," Scotty said, "nobody had time to sober up." The stunt led to a meeting with an earlier investor who would become his long-time benefactor. His name was Albert Johnson. A New York Romance: Walter Scott was performing in New York City in 1900 when he met and courted Ella Josephine Milius, nee McCarthy. Within a few months, he had married the twenty-four year old widow and candy store clerk. "Jack" as he called her, joined him on the Coyote Special train trip. She lived on and off with him until 1914. They had one child, Water Perry Scott. "My mine is where the devil himself can't find it. It's in Death Valley in the mountains where no man can ever go -- no man but Walter Scott ... I'm worth $1 million to $20 million and it's all there in the mine." -- Walter Scott
2. SCOTTY_090728_0015.JPG: Unlikely Partners: A Golden Friendship: Opposites often attract. Walter Scott was a rough outdoorsman with little schooling. Albert Johnson was a straitlaced, highly educated executive. Johnson visited Scotty in 1906 and again in 1909, hoping to see his gold mine investment in the desert. Both times Scotty avoided showing him a mine. Johnson, however, enjoyed the desert's fresh air and solitude and had a good time riding horses and camping with Scotty. In each other, this unlikely pair found friendship.
3. SCOTTY_090728_0020.JPG: "Oh, What Good Fortune!" Albert Johnson led a privileged life but found real riches in his Death Valley Ranch. Albert M. Johnson, unlike Scotty, was a quiet, religious man who did not smoke, swear, or drink. Johnson grew up in a wealthy Quaker family in Oberlin, Ohio. Upon graduating from Cornell University with an engineering degree, he joined his family's mining investment business. After injuring his back in an 1899 train accident which killed his father, he moved to Chicago and made a fortune in the insurance business. He and his wife, Bessie, devoted much of their time to church affairs. Grubstaking Scotty: Johnson first grubstaked Scotty in 1904. After the record train trip, Johnson decided to increase his investment in Scotty's gold prospecting. Johnson's vision of gold soon evaporated, but he continued to provide food and shelter for Scotty plus an allowance for his estranged wife. As far as anyone knows, Scotty never had a mine and never paid Johnson a dividend. Fulfilling a Dream: Johnson was intrigued by both the romance of the Wild West and the reality of the desert landscape. In Scotty, he found a colorful Old West character and companion. In the desert, he found relief from his back injuries and asthma. In Grapevine Canyon, he found an isolated place to build a home away from home, a castle in the desert. The Spanish phrase "Ah! Que dicha!" carved in a dining room beam sums up his dealings, "Oh, what good fortune!" "Whether he [Scotty] had any mine or not I shall have a delightful outing and know I shall come out in much better health for Scott is a prince of good fellows and a delightful companion." -- Albert Johnson, 1905
4. SCOTTY_090728_0024.JPG: Moonlight in the Desert: For Bessie Penniman Johnson, Death Valley was a haven of peace and spirituality. "... the white rays of the silver moon soften the great chasms round about, and the evening star glows like a blue-white diamond... Our movies are the moving of the breezes through the pinion trees; our dances are the dances of the stars in their courses; and our stories are Scotty's romantic reminiscences of lingering memories." -- Bessie Johnson, 1932 Bessie Morris Penniman was raised in Walnut Creek, California, at Shadelands, his family's fruit and nut ranch. Bessie left home to join the first freshman class at Stanford University. Two years later, she transferred to Cornell University, where she met Albert Johnson. They were married in 1896. Like Albert, she found Death Valley to be a peaceful retreat, but she wanted a few amenities. She ended up with a castle! Defending Scotty: Over the years, Bessie developed a friendship with Scotty. Bessie said he had a heart of gold and defended him from attacks. He called her Mabel; in her book, "Death Valley Scotty by Mabel," she described their desert adventures and sang his praises. A Voice of Concern: Bessie Johnson was a leader in the Chicago Business Women's Alliance. She helped young women adjust to the city and advance their careers. The Johnsons were active Congregationalists who supported the Christian ministry of Chicago evangelist Paul Rader. Both Bessie and Albert served as lay preachers.
5. SCOTTY_090728_0027.JPG: The Enchanting Desert: One of the hottest, driest places on Earth, Death Valley is a land of extremes. Desert Rats: Scotty claimed he had worked in the Death Valley area as a water boy for a survey crew and as a swamper -- or helper -- for a borax mining company. The allure of gold captured his imagination, and the valley became a stage for his exploits. Albert Johnson developed a fondness for the desert even though Scotty tried to scare him away by staging an ambush and by never showing him a gold mine. The desert soon worked its charms on Bessie, too. "The mountains are fortresses of protection. The canyons are full of interest. The long shadows, at night, are soothing ... I close my eyes and forget the restlessness of the world...." -- Bessie Johnson An Appealing Oasis: When the Johnsons decided to build a vacation home, they chose Grapevine Canyon because of its privacy, availability of titled lands, and abundant springs. The waters of this oasis had long attracted American Indians and, since the 1880s, homesteaders and miners. Johnson knew these springs could generate all the power needed to run an elaborate retreat.
6. SCOTTY_090728_0031.JPG: Roughing It In Style: Johnson began buying land in Grapevine Canyon in 1915 and amassed 1,500 acres. One of these parcels had been settled in the 1880s by Jacob Steininger. By purchasing this titled land, the Johnsons had a place to stay during periodic vacations. From a tent camp, they built three plain, box-like buildings and eventually a villa -- Death Valley Ranch -- now commonly known as Scotty's Castle. Spanish Colonial: Johnson initially asked architect Frank Lloyd Wright to design the larger house, but he rejected Wright's modernistic plan. Matt Roy Thompson, a Stanford classmate of Bessie, proposed buildings with arches and decorative tiles. Inspiration came from the Romanesque and California Mission style structures on the Stanford campus. Charles A. MacNeilledge was hired to create architectural designs, and Thompson to supervise construction. The architecture that resulted reflects various influences. Frank Lloyd Wright's Design: Architect Frank Lloyd Wright already had an international reputation when he visited Death valley in 1923. Wright proposed a new house and a library or chapel west of the initial buildings. He produced more than twenty preliminary drawings emphasizing clean, straight lines and diagonals. Johnson cited Wright's construction estimate of several hundred thousand dollars as his reason for rejecting the design. Johnson later noted that he eventually spent far more.
7. SCOTTY_090728_0035.JPG: A Massive Undertaking: Building this villa required up to 90 workers at a time, trainloads of materials, and great wealth. The Johnsons spent nearly $2 million on labor and materials from 1926 to 1931. Most materials and fuel came from southern California. Supplies arrived by train at the Bonnie Clare station twenty-seven miles away and were taken to the site by trucks and mule-drawn wagons. Sand and gravel to mix with the cement, along with feed for the mules and horses, were obtained locally. A Variety of Workers: A decline in nearby mining provided experienced laborers to build the Castle. About half of the construction workers were Panamint Shoshone and Southern Paiute who were paid $3.50 per day. White laborers were generally paid more but had room and board deducted from their pay. Skilled craftsmen and artisans were brought in from Los Angeles to do everything from setting tiles to creating wood carvings and decorative ironwork. The tile workers were the highest paid at $11 per day. With the impact of the Great Depression, almost everyone's wages were reduced. Because of the remoteness and harsh desert conditions, employee turnover was high, especially among skilled workers. Scotty often said it took three crews to work on the Castle -- one coming, one going, and one working.
8. SCOTTY_090728_0042.JPG: The Castle's Distinctive Features Reflect Variety of Talents and Skills: The Johnsons used state-of-the-art construction techniques and custom-made decorations in the ranch's many buildings. Trained as an engineer and fascinated with technology, Albert Johnson was keenly interested in the latest building techniques. This remote ranch had to be self-sufficient, but he wanted it to be energy-efficient, too. Innovations included reinforced concrete, hollow building tiles, foam insulation, and adobe-like stucco exteriors. Bessie Johnson apparently had little to do with the construction and was only minimally involved with the furnishings, such as draperies and linen. She did supervise some of the decorative plantings inside and outside the Castle. At times, she expressed misgivings that her role was limited. Sun and Water Energy: Johnson installed innovative electricity and hot-water systems. Water from springs that flow at nearly 100 gallons per minute turned a waterwheel that generated direct current which was stored in batteries. In the commercial solar hot-water system, the sun heated spring water as it flowed through copper pipe overlaid by glass panels. Rendered inoperable after a winter freeze, the system was abandoned.
9. SCOTTY_090728_0045.JPG: Variety of Talents and Skills Master craftsmen were hired to create custom elements: Talented artisans came to the site to work on the Castle's unusual architecture and decorative features. They spent countless hours refining a layered stucco technique to give the exterior and aged adobe appearance. Other craftsmen pieced together intricately tiled turrets and floors, created and antiqued iron railings and fixtures, and carved designed in redwood beams, wall panels, and doorways. Ceramic Tile: Tiles are such a prominent feature that the Castle has been called a monument to the tile industry. All roofing, flooring, and decorative tiles were handmade. Some came from Spain but most were made in Glendale, near Los Angeles. Some were designed specifically for the Castle.
10. SCOTTY_090728_0047.JPG: A Marriage of Materials: Specially crafted interior details were carefully blended to create distinctively styled rooms. MacNeilledge and de Dubovay attended to every detail of the Castle's decorations and furnishings. Each room or group of rooms was finished and furnished according to a specific stylistic theme, such as Spanish, Mexican, Italian, or Gothic. Ironwork: Hand-wrought iron fixtures appear throughout the Castle. Master craftsmen made hinges, handles, balcony and stair railings, gates, latches for doors and windows, plus intricate wall sconces and chandeliers. Some were commercial purchased.
11. SCOTTY_090728_0051.JPG: Woodwork: Rugged redwood beams, ceiling planks, and wall panels were burned, brushed, and stained to give them an aged appearance. In some rooms, floral and abstract designs reflecting different themes were carved into the wood. Furnishings: Most tables, chairs, and other furnishings were designed and built in a Los Angeles workshop that Johnson created to outfit the Castle. Some antiques were purchased in Spain, Italy, and Mexico.
12. SCOTTY_090728_0053.JPG: Albert Johnson and Scotty spent hours adverturing and exploring Death Valley, while riding on horses or mules. Desiring to share the adventures with family and friends in a more comfortable and luxurious manner, Albert Johnson purchased a 1914 Packard touring automobile. Preferring the size and power of a vehicle capable of going 55-60 mph, Albert Johnson's favorite vehicles were Packards. The Packard automobile was synonymous with wealth, costing much more than the average worker could afford. Albert Johnson owned several different models of Packards over his lifetime. The 1914 Packard 7-passenger standard touring car was one of his favorites. With motorized transportation, interesting areas could be reached in less time and with more comfort than on horseback or mules. Today, the main roads within Death Valley National Park are paved. The back country roads in the park remain gravel and sand. The National Park Service recommends high clearance and even 4x4 capable vehicles in some circumstances in order to travel these roads. Imagine Albert Johnson traveling in his 1914 Packard on roads in much worse condition than they are today.
13. SCOTTY_090728_0058.JPG: Hard Times and Unfinished Dreams: Castle construction came to a halt in 1931 and left the Johnsons' plans frozen in time. A land survey associated with the proposed Death Valley National Monument found that the land Johnson actually owned was one mile north and west of the Castle. The ranch was officially closed to visitors during the early 1930s while Johnson resolved property ownership with the Federal Government. Tourists Provide the Gold: The Great Depression depleted a large part of the Johnsons' fortune. After reopening the ranch, the Johnsons offset some costs by providing tours, curios, meals and lodging. In the tourists, Scotty soon found an audience for his wild tales.
14. SCOTTY_090728_0059.JPG: A New Owner: The Gospel Foundation and Scotty's presence kept the Castle saga alive. Bessie Johnson died in an automobile accident on Death Valley's Towne Pass in 1943. With no younger heirs, Albert set up a charitable foundation to inherit his estate. After he died in 1948, his Gospel Foundation of California took over the ranch and continued the Johnsons' practice of providing tours, serving meals, renting rooms, and caring for Scotty.
15. SCOTTY_090728_0062.JPG: Beginnings of Another Era: When the ranch became a part of the national park system, the future of Scotty's Castle was insured. Facing rising maintenance costs, the Gospel Foundation of California sold Scotty's Castle and Johnson's other Grapevine Canyon holdings to the U.S. Government for $850,000 in 1970. They became a part of Death Valley National Monument, the surrounding two million acre federal park established in 1933. The Foundation then donated the furnishings to the National Park Service.
16. SCOTTY_090728_0065.JPG: A Mission to Conserve: The National Park Service manages its sites to provide for both their preservation and public enjoyment -- a difficult balancing act between often opposing goals. Adjusting Priorities: At Scotty's Castle, the Park Service's mission is to preserve the historic site, to present educational services, and to assist researchers. At times, these tasks can conflict with each other, so priorities must be adjusted and difficult decisions made. Conservation Guidelines: Because of long-term effects, conservation decisions must be based on historic research and state-of-the-art practices. At Scotty's Castle, curators and other specialists research and document the condition of the structures and furnishings. These reports provide guidelines for activities ranging from routine maintenance to major restorations.
17. SCOTTY_090728_0068.JPG: A Matter of Constant Care: Conserve [from the Latin conservare: to keep, guard, observe] to keep in a safe or sound state; especially to avoid wasteful and destructive use of resources. An Ongoing Task: National Park Service museum curators, park rangers, and maintenance workers oversee and tend to the never-ending, day-to-day care of the buildings, furnishings, and grounds at Scotty's Castle. As needed, consultants are brought in to conduct studies and give advice. Taking Their Toll: Environmental factors are constantly monitored at the Castle. Heat, wind, light, rain, pests, and even earthquakes deteriorate or damage such materials as textiles and furniture, roofing tiles, stucco, woodwork, and ironwork. A leaking roof can lead to spalling stucco, termite infestations, corrosion of ironwork, and damage to interior furnishings.
18. SCOTTY_090728_0312.JPG: Leather curtains
19. SCOTTY_090728_0323.JPG: Scotty's room
20. SCOTTY_090728_0346.JPG: Peep-hole by the door
21. SCOTTY_090728_0351.JPG: Buffalo Bill. Scotty didn't like Bill much because Bill had fired him from the Wild West show.
22. SCOTTY_090728_0388.JPG: The scoop next to the door is in front of the peep hole. Scotty claimed that if intruders came, he could take a shot gun, stick it in the peep hole, fire once and kill people at both the door and the window.
23. SCOTTY_090728_0979.JPG: A railroad line closed. Johnson bought them and used them for firewood.
24. SCOTTY_090728_1008.JPG: Scotty's grave
25. SCOTTY_090728_1014.JPG: 1872 1954 Death Valley Scotty Walter Scott "I got four things to live by: don't say nothing that will hurt anybody, don't give advice -- nobody will take it anyway. Don't complain. Don't explain." Dedicated November 12, 1954 by the Death Valley 49ers, Inc.
26. SCOTTY_090728_1017.JPG: Scotty's dog Windy
27. SCOTTY_090728_1082.JPG: The unfinished swimming pool
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Wikipedia Description: Scotty's Castle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Scotty's Castle is a two-storey Spanish Villa located in northern Death Valley National Park, California, USA. It is also known as Death Valley Ranch. Scotty's Castle is not a real castle, and it did not belong to the "Scotty" from whom it got its name.

History:

A man named Walter Scott, also known as “Death Valley Scotty”, convinced Chicago millionaire Albert Johnson to invest in his (fraudulent) gold mine in the Death Valley area. Johnson made many trips to the area, eventually bringing his wife, Bessie Johnson. Over the course of his visits Johnson came to terms with the disability that lingered from a 1894 accident. Bessie apparently became convinced that Death Valley was good for his health. She encouraged the idea of building something more comfortable than the rough shack Johnson had built earlier. Construction began on Scotty's Castle (Death Valley Ranch) in 1922, at a cost of $1.4 million dollars.

The stock market crash of 1929, dealt a blow to Johnson's source of capital, but did not immediately affect his sizable personal fortune. Another event in 1930, however, did make it impossible for Johnson to finish construction: President Herbert Hoover ordered the withdrawal of 2 million acres (8,000 km�) of land in the Death Valley area from public domain pending the creation of Death Valley National Monument. The surveyors sent to map out the boundaries of the potential new National Park discovered that the surveys done of the region in the late 1800s in service to the original homesteader residents had been completed incorrectly. As a result, it was found that Johnson had not actually acquired title to the land where the "castle" had been built because the original homesteader in Grapevine Canyon, Jacob Steininger, had not filed on the ground in the canyon, but filed on 120 acres of land near Grapevine Springs, 6 miles from the "castle". Following this discovery, Johnson immediately ceased cons ...More...
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Same Subject: Click on this link to see coverage of items having the same subject: [Natural Beauty] [Park (National Park Service)] [Structures]
2009 photos: Equipment this year: I mostly used the Fuji S100fs. I've also got a Nikon D90 and a newer Fuji -- the S200EHX -- both of which are nice but I still prefer the flexibility of the Fuji. Trips this year: Niagara Falls, NY, New York City, Civil War Trust conferences in Gettysburg, PA and Springfield, IL, and my 4th consecutive San Diego Comic-Con trip (including Los Angeles, Yosemite, Death Valley, Kings Canyon, Joshua Tree, etc). Ego strokes: I had a picture of a Lincoln-Obama cupcake sculpture published in Civil War Times and WUSA-9, the local CBS affiliate, ran a quick piece on me. A picture that I took at the annual Abraham Lincoln Symposium appeared in the National Archives' "Prologue" magazine. I became a volunteer with the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Number of photos taken this year: 417,000.
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