Guide to the Trona Argonaut Newspaper Collection AR.2015.001
Chris S. Ervin
First Edition
Mojave Desert Archives
2016-07-31
37918 Lanfair Road # G15
Essex, California 92332-9786
archivist@mdhca.org
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
Mojave Desert Archives
Title: Trona Argonaut Newspaper Collection
source:
American Trona Corporation
source:
Searles Valley Historical Society
source:
Casebier, Dennis G.
Identifier/Call Number: AR.2015.001
Physical Description:
5.0 Linear Feet
Date (inclusive): 1936-1999
Abstract: The Trona Argonaut Newspaper Collection contains nearly sixty-three years of news related to the company mining town of Trona,
California. The weekly paper was published from 1923 to 1999. During the war years the newspaper won several national awards
for excellence. Although the collection has no issues for the first 13 years of the paper's existence, it does provide examples
of each publication year from 1936 until its last issue in 1999.
Content Description
The Trona Argonaut Newspaper Collection contains nearly sixty-three years of Trona newspapers starting in 1936 and continuing
until its final issue in 1999. The set is incomplete, although it contains examples from each publication year from 1936 to
1999. The collection contains no issues for the first 13 years of the paper's existence.
Biographical / Historical
Trona is a former American Trona Corporation company mining town on the western edge of Searles Dry Lake in the Mojave Desert
region of San Bernardino County, California.
A weekly newspaper covering news for the town of Trona was published from 1923 to 1999. The first incarnation of the paper
was called the
Trona Pot-Ash. It was a mimeograph sheet containing news and comments on local events.
American Trona Corporation, seeing the interest and need for a weekly newspaper, took over publication in 1924. The sheet
evolved into a professional six-page newspaper printed in Los Angeles. It lasted for 17 years and had 10 editors.
During World War II, the company town of Trona became a defense plant. The newspaper staff increased, the paper expanded to
10 pages, and the name changed to the
Trona Argonaut. During this period, the newspaper won several national awards for excellence.
In the 1950s, the mining company divested itself of homes and services and Trona transitioned away from being a company town.
Publication of the newspaper was suspended in March of 1953 for three years.
From 1957 to 1964, a new weekly newspaper called the
Searles Review was published in Trona. In 1964, the name changed back to the
Trona Argonaut. The final issue of the
Argonaut is dated February 4, 1999.
Conditions Governing Use
Property rights reside with the Mojave Desert Heritage and Cultural Association. For permission to reproduce or to publish,
please contact the Archivist at the Mojave Desert Archives.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research. For access, please contact the Archivist at the Mojave Desert Archives at archivist@mdhca.org.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in chronological order in 14 series by publication name.
1.
Trona Pot-Ash, 1936-1941
2.
Trona Argonaut, 1942-1949
3.
Trona Argonaut, 1950-1953
4.
Searles Review, 1957-1959
5.
Searles Review, 1960-1963
6.
Trona Argonaut, 1964-1971
7.
Trona Argonaut, 1972-1975
8.
Trona Argonaut, 1976-1979
9.
Trona Argonaut, 1980-1983
10.
Trona Argonaut, 1984-1986
11.
Trona Argonaut, 1987-1989
12.
Trona Argonaut, 1990-1992
13.
Trona Argonaut, 1993-1995
14.
Trona Argonaut, 1996-1999
Preferred Citation
Trona Argonaut Newspaper Collection. AR-2015-001. Mojave Desert Archives, Mojave Desert Heritage and Cultural Association,
Goffs, California.
Date accessed.
Publication Rights
All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from or otherwise use collection materials must be submitted in writing to the Archivist,
Mojave Desert Archives, 37198 Lanfair Road # G-15, Essex, CA 92332. Consent is given on behalf of the Mojave Desert Archives
as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission from the copyright owner. Such permission
must be obtained from the copyright owner.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gifted by Dennis G. Casebier to the Mojave Desert Heritage and Cultural Association, 11 July 2015.
Processing Information
Processed by Chris S. Ervin
Other Finding Aids
Details on the number of issues per year contained in the collection are enumerated in the
Trona Argonaut Newspapers Collection Inventory spreadsheet compiled by Chris S. Ervin. The issue dates included or excluded in each series are listed on cover sheets in
each box by year.
Bibliography
Pipkin, George. 1978. "Trona Memories."
Searles Valley Slate.
Brush, Margaret. 2014. "From the Curator."
Searles Valley Slate.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Trona Argonaut
Searles Review
Trona Pot-Ash
Searles Valley (Calif.)--Newspapers
San Bernardino County (Calif.)--History, Local--Periodicals
American Trona Corporation
Searles Valley Historical Society
Casebier, Dennis G.
Box 1 of 13
Trona Pot-Ash
1936-1941
Physical Description: .4 Linear Feet 16W x 20L x 3.5D
Subjects and Indexing Terms
American Potash & Chemical Corporation
Pipkin, George Cook
Box 2 of 13
Trona Argonaut
1942-1949
Physical Description: .4 Linear Feet 16.5W x 20.5L x 4D
Subjects and Indexing Terms
American Potash & Chemical Corporation
Box 3 of 13
Trona Argonaut
1950-1953
Physical Description: .2 Linear Feet 16W x 20L x 3.5D
Subjects and Indexing Terms
American Potash & Chemical Corporation
Box 3 of 13
Searles Review
1957-1959
Physical Description: .2 Linear Feet 16W x 20L x 3.5D
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Westphall, Marguerite
Box 4 of 13
Searles Review
1960-1963
Physical Description: .2 Linear Feet 16.5W x 20.5L x 4D
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Westphall, Marguerite
Box 5 of 13
Trona Argonaut
1964-1971
Physical Description: .4 Linear Feet 16.5W x 20.5L x 4D
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Bray, Doris
Box 6 of 13
Trona Argonaut
1972-1975
Physical Description: .4 Linear Feet 16.5W x 20.5L x 4D
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Bray, Doris
Box 7 of 13
Trona Argonaut
1976-1979
Physical Description: .4 Linear Feet 16.5W x 20.5L x 4D
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Bray, Doris
Box 8 of 13
Trona Argonaut
1980-1983
Physical Description: .4 Linear Feet 16.5W x 20.5L x 4D
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Bray, Doris
Box 9 of 13
Trona Argonaut
1984-1986
Physical Description: .4 Linear Feet 12.5W x 16.5L x 4D
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Bray, Doris
Box 10 of 13
Trona Argonaut
1987-1989
Physical Description: .4 Linear Feet 12.5W x 16.5L x 4D
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Bray, Doris
Roberts, Chuck
Box 11 of 13
Trona Argonaut
1990-1992
Physical Description: .4 Linear Feet 12.5W x 16.5L x 4D
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Roberts, Chuck
Box 12 of 13
Trona Argonaut
1993-1995
Physical Description: .4 Linear Feet 12.5W x 16.5L x 4D
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Sonia, Joe
Box 13 of 13
Trona Argonaut
1996-1999
Physical Description: .4 Linear Feet 12.5W x 16.5L x 4D
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Sonia, Joe
