Speaker...

I'm available for speaking engagements on aviation historical and the other subjects that I cover in my blog.  For more information, contact me at sandnsky8@gmail.com.

Randsburg, continued.....

Despite the construction of saloons and dwellings, the place didn't actually become a "town" until December 20, 1895.  On that day, all thirty three residents formally organized "Rand Camp".

Mustang Visionaries....

Hello folks:

Here are the scanned images of the article on the North American A-36 that I wrote for a major aviation magazine several years ago.

Randsburg- red light district...

The three structures in the foreground are reputed to be remnants of Randsburg's old "red light" district.
Photo by Scott Schwartz

Randsburg-continued...

The cabins that made up the brothels still stand to this day.

Randsburg-Continued...

Eventually, the settlement took on the look of an actual town.  There were saloons, churches, a school, and, of course, a red-light district.

Randsburg, continued...

As people settled the area, tents gave way to wooden structures.  The problem was that the construction tended to follow the wagon ruts, with little thought given to the logical lay out of a town.  Residents tended to set up their tents, and later build their buildings very close to each other, so that they would be closer to their neighbors.  In some cases, the buildings were so close to each other that they looked like they were attached.

Randsburg-continued...

Soon, the area became a city of tents; even the saloons operated under canvas.  Even during these early days, there were so many saloons, that one resident at the time commented that virtually every business was, in fact, a saloon.

Randsburg-continued.....

In order to understand how a town evolved from a small mining camp like Rand Camp, the reader must understand that prospectors flocked, in droves, to Rand Mountain once it became known that Mooers, Singleton, and Burcham had found gold.

Randsburg, continued...

Under the watchful eye of Dr. Rose Burcham, the Yellow Aster Mining and Milling Co. (so named, by the way, after a pulp novel that Mooers had read) weathered the stormy labor disputes and other problems.

But, how did the town of Randsburg, itself, come into existence?

Randsburg, continued...

Timeless reflection:  Current Randsburg residents home is reflected in the window of one of the towns antique shops.
Photo by Scott Schwartz