Desert Messenger

November 21, 2012

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Page 18 By Dinice Ross, Hi Jolly Cemetery, Records/Historian Part 1 of 2 Angela Gonzales Scott – There are many stories how Angela (Angelita) Gonzales arrived in this area. Some parts of these stories are true, but, by adding or taking away parts, some are just entertaining sto- Glassware Southwest Motif Etched Absolutely Beautiful! Quiet Times 90 E. Main St., Quartzsite 928-927-8081 www.DesertMessenger.com Hi Jolly Cemetery's Pioneers- Who were they? ries. There is also a lot of information on the family of the Scotts'. This is Part 1 of Angela's story. If you would like more information – In the Shadow of Saguaros by Rosalee Wheeler, County of Peace by Jan & Marc Meng and Bill Keiser's Lost Mines and Prospectors' Lore are just a few of the books on local history that are very entertain- ing. These books can be found at the Quartzsite Library and in the Tyson's Well Stage Station Museum. Headstone reads: SCOTT W. E. 1862 – 1933 ANGELA G. 1882 -- 1966 Angelita (Angela) Gonzales Scott Born: 2/22/1882 in Yuma. Died: 3/25/1966 at Parkview Baptist Hospital, Yuma, at age 84. Buried: Hi Jolly Pioneer Cemetery, Plot 75. Married: William Ellsworth Scott in 1898 at Tyson's Stage Station. (Wm. died in1933, buried in Plot 76 Hi Jolly Pioneer Cemetery). Father: Felipe Gonzales. Mother: Francisca Martinez. Angela (Angelita) moved to Tyson's 7:30am-4:30 7 DAYS/WEEK 425 N. Central (Hwy. 95) HOURS Auto pay RV DUMP Cash or Credit Card Refills • Tanks OPD Valves Custom Hoses Recertification PROPANE R/O Ozone Water RV Potable Water with full hookups R/O WATER 5 GAL/ $1 WATER R/O ICE RV PARK 928-927-3714 Well at the age of 10 with her family. Felipe Gomez Gonzales, Angela's fa- ther, was born in what is now San Ber- nadino, CA. and he lived there until he was about 15 yrs old when his family came to this area. He married and worked in mining up and down along Just Rambling... Free is often not free. But wait! If you buy one you get another free. Just pay the shipping and handling costs - marked up. Buy marked up fuel and get a marked down car wash - is that free? How about free bumper stickers for donations? I can't afford free stuff. Provided by Elmer London & Desert Messenger 690 E. Main - Quartzsite (one block east of Family Dollar) 928-927-6551 the Colorado River (this was during Angela's childhood). In later years Felipe bought mules and a wagon and started freighting. Angela was born on Washington's Birthday. She lived for her annual birthday parties where music and food was plentiful and ev- eryone danced. Wm. Scott came to Quartzsite in the early part of 1894. He was a carpen- ter by trade but came west working for the railroad after he had settled his parents in Downs, Kansas. He mar- ried Angela in 1898 and had hoped to venture into Mexico but Angela had traveled enough as a kid, so when she married she wanted to stay put and raised a family. William and Angela had 12 chil- dren: William (died in infancy), Joseph, Phillip, William G., David, Angela (namesake), Benedict, Anita, Jesse, Rose (died in infancy), Thomas and Frances. Angela was a small, short woman in stature, and had a strong will. Known as the town healer, she was always alert in her wanderings in the desert for herbs and plants from which she concocted her cures and poultices. From her wanderings and large gar- den, she had a remedy for everyone's ailments. One year, in which she had a very good garden, she loaded all the vegetables that were not needed for her family, and with the help of her oldest son Joe, loaded up his old model A of the Desert Messenger Email: editor@DesertMessenger.com DEADLINE is WED. NOV. 28 for DEC. 5TH issue Phone: 541-218-2560 www.DesertMessenger.com November 21, 2012 pickup and they went to the new min- ing town of Swansea. She quickly sold all of her fresh vegetables to the min- ers (they would pay a very good price for fresh vegetables). – this was just one more way to help out her family. She was a legend in her own time – mining and running the family cattle business. (The Scott's cattle business was started with her father's wedding gift of a heifer to her - some reports are of 5 head of cattle.) After her fa- ther died, he left her an inheritance of twenty head of cattle which grew to over 500 head at one time. In the late 1890's Wm and his wife An- gela established a store at Tyson's Stage Stop – first in a tent then in an adobe building on the south side of the road. During this time, Angela and Wil- liam had $10,000 deposited in a bank – a small fortune for their time and place. When a government sur- vey indicated their mines might be on Indian reservation land, all oper- ations halted. The bank then failed and the Scotts were broke. They sur- vived by going into the desert and picking saguaro thorns from the gi- ant saguaro cactus. (Proud owners of Victrolas prized their records and it was a general belief that cactus pho- nograph needles brought out truer fidelity of tenor voices and lessened wear on the grooves of the old cellu- loid records.) At $5.00 per pound, the Scott's contract required $50.00 worth of cactus spines a month. It took a tremendous effort from the entire family to fulfill the contract. The monthly payments for the nee- dles kept beans and cornbread on the table, but it was almost impossible to keep the property taxes paid. In Part 2, Angela's story continues to unfold as the children grow older. Fol- low along in the next Miniseries 'Who were They?' as her impact within the Quartzsite community continues. READER'S OASIS BOOKS

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