Pioneer of the Mojave: The Life and Times of Aaron G. Lane By Richard D. and Kathryn L. Thompson

This is the story of Victor Valley pioneer Captain A. G. Lane, the first permanent settler on the High Desert. In 1858 Lane located at a spot about one-half mile below the lower narrows of the Mojave River.

He had barely settled in before his ranch was raided by Indians. Other attacks followed throughout the years, and once he was even forced to leave the desert temporarily. Also a constant danger was the criminal element who sometimes sought refuge on the Mojave. On one occasion a murderer and his accomplice were tracked and caught at Lane's way station.

The Civil War era was especially dangerous, with secessionist plots, gangs of horse thieves, and a general increase in criminal activity. Added to this turmoil was the anti-U.S. climate in San Bernardino, which had been a Mormon colony up until the time of the Mormon rebellion against the government in 1857-8. Located as he was directly on the road across the desert, Lane often found himself at the center of shadowy activities, including secret military missions undertaken in the dark of night.

The story of Captain Lane's life begins with his early years in New Hampshire, where he learned the homsesteading skills necessary for survival on the frontier. In his late twenties he served as a volunteer in the U.S. Army during the War with Mexico, following which he joined the gold rush to California.

While in the Mother Lode country, he established a roadhouse, and invested in other business ventures. After a series of financial reversals, he came south to restore his fortune and his health, which was impaired as a result of malaria contracted in Mexico.

More than an account of Lane's successes and failures, Pioneer of the Mojave is a history of the events on the High Desert during his lifetime, including the origins of Oro Grande and the first settlements in what later became the town of Victorville. One chapter is devoted to mining on the High Desert, and another to the development of the toll road through Cajon Pass. There is information on early politics, education and pioneers of the period. Also included are photographs and illustrations.

NOTE TO RESEARCHERS: This history was originally published in book form with an index and voluminous footnotes to my reference sources, plus side notes, but these do not appear here due to the transfer to HTML. There are some illustrations that have been added to the web version that do not appear in the book, and, conversely, most of the old maps reproduced in the book are not presented here due to size limitations. Also, the web version has a few minor text corrections. If you need the history in the complete edition, for research or genealogy, the book is still available through various sources. Send me an email and I will direct you to where you can get a copy.

YANKEE FARMERS AND FIGHTING MEN........(Lane's Family, Life in
New Hampshire, and Military History) ........... ..........................................2

CALIFORNIA AND BUST.(Lane Settles in The Mother Lode Country,
Goes Broke, and then Relocates in San Bernardino) ................................3

OLD SKELETONS AND NEW TRAILS..........(Pre-History of the Site of
Lane's Way Station -- Indians, Expeditions, Fur Trappers) ....................4

LANE’S CROSSING...(Lane Establishes a Way Station on the Mojave
Desert) ................................................... .........................................................5

OUTLAWS ON THE MOJAVE......(Mormon Horse Thieves and Seces-
sionists) ......... .......................................... ......................................................6

RIDING OUT THE CIVIL WAR..........(Secessionists, Floods and Indian
Hostilities)................................................ .......................................................7

LANE VERSUS ANDREWS....(Property Dispute and a History of Early
Settlement in Victorville)..................... ..........................................................8

GREEN GOLD AND MINT JULEPS.......(Lane's Farm in Bryman. Alfalfa
Introduced. Marauding Soldiers. Lane's Ranch Burns Down)................9

PART-TIME PROSPECTOR (High Desert Mining History)................ .....
......................................................................... ...............................................10

THE TOLL ROAD (Cajon Pass History)............................... ........................
....................................................................... ..................................................11

AN ESTEEMED AND CONFOUNDEDLY COMBATIVE PIONEER.........
(Civic Development: Early Post Offices, Voting Precincts, etc.)...........12

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