ORAL HISTORIES

Her grandfather John's ranch in Pahrump in the 1930s; DeAnna's childhood, traveling between Pahrump and California; her father, Leon's, attempt to grow cotton in Pahrump early on; John Hughes's mine; living at the Blue Diamond Mine and commuting to high school in Las Vegas; schooling in California and in Pahrump; life in Pahrump before a good road connected it to other communities; working in the cotton fields as a youngster; Leon's farming at the north end of the Pahrump Valley. John Hughes's mine; the Hughes' role in proving cotton could grow in Pahrump; living in a former brothel; memories of teen life in Pahrump, contrasting Pahrump in the 1980s and 1950s; DeAnna's experiences as a teenager in Pahrump and in helping her mother. Memories of the Manse Ranch; life in a tent while working in the cotton fields as a young child; thoughts on atomic testing.

Remarks on the elder J. Irving Crowell; J.I.'s schooling; J. Irving's railroad accident forces J. I. to leave Stanford; J. I.'s memories of summers helping J. Irving at Chloride Cliff; early railroads. Working in Los Angeles; returning to Beatty to re-open the fluorspar mine. Dorothy and her mother visit Beatty; first impressions; the floods of 1969 and 1923; raising children in Beatty; health care; the three-day drive to Los Angeles; later travels.

A teaching job in lone during the Depression; first journey to Ione; life in Ione and the school and teacherage there; the many responsibilities of a teacher in a small community. Weekends on the ranches in the Reese River Valley; dances in Austin, Tonopah, Goldfield and Smoky Valley; life at the teacherage; further discussion of dances and other social events; accepting a teaching job at Darrough's Hot Springs; bank closures in 1933; the Darrough family; the school at Darrough's; bank closures and remarks on George Wingfield.Becoming a teacher; moving to Sloan and meeting and marrying Bill Ellis; the camp at Sloan closes and the Ellises move to Las Vegas; the Younts of Pahrump; John Yount; mines in the Goodsprings area; memories of Jim and Della White Fisk; remembering Sam Yount and others in the Yount family.

Joining her sister Jacque Ruud and brother Frank Woner and their spouses in Pahrump; Ron brings his knowledge of the well pumping business to Pahrump; the advent of cotton and Frank Woner's work with the Pahrump Ranch. Building a home and shop in Pahrump; running a motel; selling the motel and business complex; working in the cotton gin; Ron's work drilling and pumping wells; how the hardware store and business began; a discussion of well-drilling. Pahrump's Harvest Festival; the community spirit in Pahrump; further discussion of the Floyds' hardware store; observations on present-day Pahrump; subdividing and selling land; thoughts on Pahrump's future.

Stan Ford's work with trucking and farming; the family moves to the Pahrump Valley; the Raycraft and other ranches; Pahrump Valley in the late 1940s. Remembrances of Pop Buol; explaining the valley's artesian water system; haw the Younts may have came to the valley; Doby Doc an interesting neighbor. The little red schoolhouse and the growth and quality of valley schools; well-drilling; Nevada water-use laws. Ash Meadows Lodge in the late 1940s; mining for clay; an attempt to locate a brothel in Pahrump; the Nevada Test Site - its effects on the valley and the sad state of roads in the area in the early days. The Nevada Test Site; the Pahrump Valley begins to grow; electric power is brought in; early subdivisions; road construction and maintenance. Participation in school events; the Harvest Festival and Fourth of July; old-time Indian funerals; early law enforcement in Nye County.

Move to Pahrump to work in the cotton industry; childhood in Pahrump; memories of ranch life before electricity or telephones; an explanation of the South Ranch and of Bowman family members; working in the cotton fields; meeting her future husband in Las Vegas and his connection with Pahrump; the Hafen Pond as a community swimming pool; some Frehner family background; flagging for a crop-duster; families who worked on area farms and ranches; riding horses for enjoyment and transportation; childhood freedom and the caring community in Pahrump. Pahrump as a sharing community; remembering the Pallan, Bowman, and Andersen families; youngsters' activities in Pahrump then and now; remembering the Walt Williams family. The schools in Pahrump and riding the bus to high school in Shoshone; a high school is established in Pahrump; a discussion of marriage in a small community; growing up as a girl in Pahrump