A tribute
to the Victor Valley of 1870 to 1920, the Joshua Tree Chronicles is a mural
on a the landing between floors in the library at
Victor Valley Community College. In it there are
three layers symbolizing distinct subjects and times
in local history.
Closest to the viewer, on the front of the fallen
canvas, three High Desert icons loom above the
Upper Narrows of the Mojave River: Mrs. E.M. Potts,
founder of the Golden State Portland Cement Co.
in Oro Grande; William S.Hart, the cowboy actor,
director and producer; and Maria Chapuli, known
to locals as Indian Marie. Below the portrait
of Potts, a cement plant salutes her contributions
to industry. A horse and mule team and a railroad
train represent Victorville's importance as a
transportation center.
The second layer of the mural appears on the
back of the canvas, revealed as it peels from
the frame. In the style of an 1890's circus poster,
the image of oranges stuck to Joshua trees alludes
to the wily land-developers who prettied up Joshuas
in order to fool investors eager to get rich as
citrus growers.
Even if myth, the story: 1) is a good joke, 2)
illustrates the importance of real estate to the
Victor Valley economy.
The third Layer, the earliest in sedimentary terms,
is the cliff covered with petroglyphs — a reminder
of the first residents of the area. In the past, the attempt
to exclude these ancient people was tantamount to whitewashing
the truth in Victorville's history. Hence; "A visual crack
in the whitewash-attempt acts as a metaphoric symbol that
truth will always escape any attempt to conceal it. This
is a most apt message for a library to give its patrons."
(This site has also been subject to some "incidents.")
The Web designer acknowledges Victor Valley's Oasis newspaper and scholar Kevin Bruce as sources.
