Desert Messenger

February 1, 2017 www.DesertMessenger.com 3 OVER 300+ BOARD, CARD, & DICE GAMES. Over 100 Gourmet Sodas. 2 Quartzsite Souvenir Penny Machines with 7 designs. Gifts, Greeting Cards, Puzzles, & Bingo Dabbers. QUARTZSITE OFF-ROAD ATLAS & CALENDARS. 121 W. KUEHN ST. QUARTZSITE, AZ 85346 www.tysonwells.com (928) 927-6364 Tyson Wells Gift & Game Store Lone Steer BBQ BBQ Chicken Pulled Pork San Indian Tacos Breakfast Burritos - Burritos & Tacos Curly Fries! Hot Dogs • Kraut & Chili Ice Cream Tyson Well's Centre Across from K B Tools GREAT FOOD! Stop in and say hi to Lyle and Maria DAILY SPECIALS! OPEN DAILY! NEW ITEMS! Blooming Onions! Pork Spareribs! GOLD & Treasure SHOW Quartzsite, A Z Daily Drawings Metal Detectors Gold Nuggets Equipment Demonstrations Speakers Gold Panning FEB. 10 - 12, 2017 Fri. 9-4 • Sat. 9-4 • Sun. 9-3 Metal Detectors Gold Nuggets Equipment Demonstrations Speakers $5 Admission QIA building www.QuartzsiteAzGoldShow.com Sponsored by Tesoro Metal Detectors, Natures Nuggets, Miners Depot and QIA Natures Nuggets, Miners Depot and QIA Natures Nuggets, Miners Depot and QIA 235 E. Ironwood St. Quartzsite Vendors Call for Details: 928-927-5479 FREE SEMINAR will be held to place BLM Route Numbers in YOUR Atlas, by Mark Goldberg, the author of the atlas. Bring your atlas, and a ballpoint pen to the Quartzsite Improvement Assoc. (QIA) 235 E. Ironwood St., on Friday, February 3, 2017 at 9 a.m. or 12 p.m. Have a Quartzsite Off-Road Atlas? So, what is Quartzsite really all about? Is it just a rest stop for the freeway? Is it populated just the few weeks a year when all the ven- dors and RVs are in the area? Why is it here and how has it survived? Those are the types of the questions the Quartzsite Museum and the Quartzsite Historical Society want to help answer for you. In the early years it was primarily a mining camp, and yes, a signifi - cant amount of gold was taken from the area. It supplied the miners and their families with necessities and it had a good supply of saloons. But those who came here weren't just the single men, so often depicted in Gold Rush stories. Many were fami- lies who were looking for a new life after struggling to survive elsewhere in the country. They came with hope, put down roots and stayed. These are our "pioneer families" and several have remained here for generations. What was Quartzsite like back near the turn of the Cen- tury (no, not 2000, we mean 1900)? Who were these families? What was life like here, then? The Historical Society has collected several Oral History tapes, interviews with sur- viving pioneers, as well as fi les full of photographs donated by the fam- ilies to preserve our history. Our collections continue to expand as relatives of these families bring in their memorabilia and tell us their stories. We welcome visitors at the Museum and encourage repeat vis- its since our collections are con- stantly changing. We are currently seeking photos and stories from folks who were married here and those who visited the 47-arm cactus, a very popular sa- guaro that only recently fell. Please send us items from your collections! We are a non-profi t historical society. Visiting the Museum is free, although donations are always welcome. Lo- cated at 161 Main Street (parking in rear), the Museum is open Wednes- day through Sunday 10 to 4 and guided tours are available during those hours. E-mail QHS@TDS.net. Phone: (928)927-5229. We continue to raise funds by recycling plastic and aluminum, which can be dropped off any time at the front gate collection can. New volunteers are welcome! Quartzsite Museum & Historical Society updates

• Cover