Greg Wilkerson - Special to the Sun

During Whiskey Flat Days, more than 80 persons learned about the mining history of the Lake Isabella area from Bernard McGregor (1885-1939), aka Dr. Gregg Wilkerson, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, who lead two tours of Old Kernville. McGregor worked at the Keys Mine (1850-1941) from 1906 to 1939 and was called back from permanent retirement to lead the tours. He drove his 1928 Model A Pheaton.

Among Bernard’s memories were stories his uncle Samuel Johnston had told him about the Kern River Gold Rush of 1849-50 and how 5,000 souls descended on the Kern from Los Angeles. Bernard said that, in his day, he could see Ponderosa pines on the hilltops around present-day Kernville. Now the Ponderosas have retreated to higher elevations, a consequence of changing ecological zones brought on by global warming and how the placer developments on the Kern lead to discovery of the Keyes Mine in 1850.

Guests tour the old Keyes 10-stamp mill during Whiskey Flat Days. The mill is now deteriorating but was once used during the Kern River Gold Rush.

A walking tour to the old Keyes 10-stamp mill showed it to be in a badly deteriorated state. Bernard said he shunned working there, because the mill workers lost their teeth, hair and souls to mercury poisoning (mercury was used for separation of gold from the rock.)

While viewing the historic Walker Cabin (re-built 1861), Bernard told of the law suit involving the Royal Mountain King mine to which Samuel had stake. That suit set the legal precedent: in land law administration, mineral ownership takes precedence over surface ownership and use (Castle v Womble, 1861). Most amusing, was Bernard’s tale of his Aunt Gertrude Gaily, a nurse whose father (Bernard’s great-uncle) had died of depression having been swindled of his gold mine in Havilah. Gertude had nursed one Josh Thompson back to health after an unplanned underground explosion. In gratitude, and feeling compassion for Gaily’s sufferings, Josh and his Josh’s cousin Sim endeavored to set things straight. Sim took out $7,000 of their savings, and went to New York to see the mining company’s chief stockholder, Senator Clamons. Before he went into the Wall Street office, Sim purchased $70 top hat and high-finance suit. When told that the Senator could not see anyone without an appointment, Sim set out $1,000 in cash. 'I only want 10 minutes of the Senator’s time.' Sim explained that he had an outstanding cemented placer gold deposit on Upper Rich Bar with $2 million in gold that he would sell to the good Senator for only $100,000. He would give the Senator $5,000 to send his own engineer out to test the claims. If the claims proved up, the Senator would pay the $100,000.

Three months later the engineer came out, but realized he needed dynamite to test the hard iron-cemented gravels. Going down to the only supply store in the area, he was told Hank Simpson had purchased the last box of dynamite and was on his way to Weldon. The engineer caught up with Simpson and bought two boxes off the wagon. Using those explosives to test the claims, he found, sure enough, everywhere he tested, the samples assayed 10 ounces of gold per cubic yard. So a glowing report was furnished to the Senator who consummated his agreement. Little did anyone know that Josh had salted all the sticks of dynamite with gold dust, so no matter where sites were tested, they came back showing high gold values. Upon receipt of the $100,000 check, Sim and Josh signed it over to Gertrude. Then Sim sent a letter to Senator Clamons a long letter explaining in detail what had transpired and not to fire his engineer.

The Grand Canyon of Keyesville was visited, and the hydraulic mining performed there was explained. Also seen on the tours were the Black Gulch Arrastra, Keyesville Cemetery, and the High Grade Mine.

Lord willing, Mr. McGregor will return next year for more mining stories from Keyeville.