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Death Valley Scotty
Introduction Preternatural and forbidding, Death Valley lies snuggled between the mountains along the California-Nevada border. It is an awesome and nightmarish place: the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere, and more consistently than anywhere else, the world's hottest spot. The Indians called it Tomesha, the Ground Afire, and the searing midsummer heat bears out the aptness of the name. In July and August, when temperatures over 120° are regularly recorded, the unwary traveler may wonder if Hell itself can be more accursed. Yet for much of the year, Death Valley boasts a primeval beauty no other place can exactly match. Jagged, snow-capped peaks rise thousands of feet above barren stretches of salt. Undulating sand dunes, sculptured by swirling desert winds, provide a curious contrast to kaleidoscopic rock formations. From October to May the climate is remarkably Salubrious, the air a pure delight. Nature has worked on a grand scale in Death Valley. Covering an area 150 miles long by five to 15 miles wide, it is a land of dramatic starkness, of ear-shattering stillness, of strange illusion. Exhinits of the geological column spanning from earliest times to the present make it a naturalist's paradise. But oddly enough, for all its physical wonderment, Death Valley's most intriguing mystery was embodied in a paunchy, singlehanded prospector who for fifty years captured the headlines of America with his bizarre and flamboyant escapades. His name was Walter Scott, but he was known to the world as “Death Valley Scotty.” He toured with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, then achieved national prominence in 1905 when he chartered a special train to break the speed record from Los Angeles to Chicago. He told wild tales of gold, flaunted thick rolls of currency, fought a variety of sensational court battles, moved alternately from bum to hero and back again, and finally climaxed it all by giving his name to a strange, multimillion dollar castle in the wasteland of Death Valley's Grapevine Canyon. Part fact, a great part folklore, Scotty's singular life was perhaps the Last Hurrah of the Old West. Even his death in 1954 rated headlines in some of the nation's greatest newspapers—this despite the fact that he confessed under oath on two widely publicized occasions that his claims of golden riches were only an elaborate hoax. What was the magical attraction, the Scotty Charisma, that enabled him to keep his name in the news for half a century (probably longer than any other “common man” in modern history)? What universal appeal lay in the antics of this self-styled bonanza hunter? Scotty may have represented the realization of Everyman's secret dream: he had money, notoriety, lived a prodigal, free-born life, and answered to no one. He singlehandedly bucked the Establishment, and like the hero of a thousand classic Westerns, somehow seemed larger than real life. Although only a paper hero, created and recreated by the news media, Scotty exuded a peculiar blend of mystery and showmanship that proved just the right combination to intrigue a credulous public again and again. He gave the masses entertainment and a vicarious sense of adventure. Most people wanted to believe Scotty's tales, and as result, they often did. In the cold light of retrospection, Walter Scott accomplished little more than the hiring of a fast train with someone else's money, and later, the reflected fame of a millionaire companion's unusual palace in the desert. He was a flimflam man by trade—a beguiling desert huckster who, as one judge put it, “sold the city man Death Valley.” Yet he became a national celebrity as a result, a living legend, and—although he never produced a single worthwhile claim—surely the most famous prospector the world has ever known. Perhaps that was the real gold mine he searched for all along. Scotty's Castle Introduction Death Valley, with its unique desert character consisting of a deep geological trough, high spectacular mountains, and shimmering salt flats, has been described as an apparition. In reality, however, the apparently forbidding landscape has intense beauty and unusual life forms that become readily apparent when more than casual observation is offered. Many men have made significant contributions to the penetration of this awesome desert over the years. Two of them—Walter Scott (Death Valley Scotty) and Albert Johnson—through their unique human-interest landmark in Grapevine Canyon called Scotty's Castle, perhaps did more than anyone else to bring Death Valley to the attention of the world. Their castle-in-the-desert created national controversy and mystery, which may be attributed to Albert Johnson's desire for seclusion and Walter Scott's beguiling nature. The National Park Service acquired Scotty's Castle in July 1970 from the Gospel Foundation of California. The principals of the Foundation, Mr. Walter Webb and Miss Mary Liddecoat, through their sensitive appreciation of the values represented, provided gracious and generous contributions that made the government's acquisition possible. In company with Maintenance Leader William C. Bolton, we enjoyed the good fortune of having an amicable relationship with the former owners in establishing a mutual understanding for the interpretive treatment of the Castle. We were later joined by District Park Ranger Wayne Schulz and Park Technician Dorothy Shally in the development of factual information about the history and structural aspects of the Castle. Others on the National Park Service staff and private interests also provided invaluable data to the project. The authors of this descriptive publication are uniquely equipped in both background and experience for their endeavor. Dorothy Shally monitored guided tours in an attempt to improve the quality of presentation to the visitors. She researched facts pertinent to the text or guide script; checked on paintings and other historical items in the Castle; interviewed former workers and visitors who knew Johnson and Scotty, or knew of events at the Castle when they were living there. She also assisted in identifying and preparing items for shipment that were in need of restoration, as well as finding qualified specialists for the purpose of cleaning and repairing delicate Castle furnishings. Bill Bolton gathered a great amount of information about the physical plant and its operation. Bill spent many hours studying old blueprints, and then searched out the complicated electrical, plumbing, and steam systems. This entailed digging, crawling, and testing to determine what went where and how the installations were originally consummated. He located firms to replace hardware to match or simulate the originals, and provided valuable assistance in the restoration of the Deagan Tower Chimes. Bill's accomplishments in the development of a quality maintenance program have contributed greatly to visitor appreciation and enjoyment. All concerned became imbued with remarkable enthusiasm in sharing a common effort at Scotty's Castle; our interest grew with each new pursuit. And while some may say that the castle-in-the-desert is out of place, one has only to look closely at the detail and design in the handcrafted iron and woodwork, to examine the precision fitting that only true artisans could have accomplished, and he will have a genuine appreciation—as we did—for this grand old mansion called Scotty's Castle. Robert J.
Murphy |