Staring Ed Czajka (My Dad)
This is a History Mini-Series covering the desert near Balarat, CA. So much history is overlooked in this area especially related to the 49'rs that escaped Death Valley through the area.
Full series episode list can be found here:
edwardczajka.blogspot.com/201...
On this adventure, we tour the Barker Ranch where Charlie Manson was captured on October 12, 1969. We also explore the area around the ranch where the family had several bunkers to observe the area. We also show what the area looked like before it burned down in 2009.
Still pictures by Jim Mcleese
Banjo Short by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Artist: audionautix.com/
Original Building History:
Bluch and Helen Thomason began construction of Barker Ranch around 1940. It was originally used as a storage and shop facility to support their mining activity in the area. They constructed a small cabin and out building, with electricity provided by a windmill and generator, and drinking water from a nearby spring. In 1950, Bluch Thomason died and the ranch became a seasonal vacation property.
The ranch was sold to James and Arlene Barker of Oklahoma in 1955. The Barkers engaged in gold and uranium mining in the area through the rest of the 1950s and the 1960s. To accommodate their family gatherings, the Barkers enlarged the house and constructed more buildings.