Desert Legends...El Paso Mounains

This is the former home of Evelyn "Tonie" Seger, who moved here with her husband in 1963.  She and her husband left their residence in Huntington Park, so that her sick husband could recover with the aid of the dry desert air.

Seger's husband died within a year of her arrival.  During an interview that I conducted with her during the late 1990's, Seger told me that her husband had been trying to locate a water source for their settlement, and that his wish, as he lay dying, was that Evelyn continue her search for water. 

According to Seger, she later found the water source with the aid of a divining rod.

For forty years, Evelyn Seger was the guardian of Burro Schmidt Tunnel, lecturing visitors on the tunnel's history, and on desert lore. 

Seger died in 2003.  Sadly, her home has decayed, due to neglect, and to vandalism.

However, the tunnel is still accessible, and it still attracts scores of visitors.