The Wall Street Mill in Joshua Tree & the Spot Where Worth Bagley Bit the Dust

Joshua Tree National Park is amazing and there is so many natural features to see and explore there. A lot of people don't realize that the park was home to a number of mines. With mines come mills, and one of the best preserved stamp mills in Southern California is the Wall Street Mill, located near the Wonderland of Rocks in the park. The mill was owned by WF Keys from 1930 until the 1960s and can be accessed with a short 1.2 mile walk. On the way to the mill there are a number of abandoned cars, some ruins, an old windmill, and most interestingly the site of an old west style shootout that happened in 1943.
Keys was involved in a feud with his neighbor, Worth Bagley, and on May 11, 1943 that feud boiled over into a shootout that left Bagley dead. Keys was convicted of manslaughter, but that conviction was later overturned (with help from Erle Stanley Gardner, creator of Perry Mason). In a final act of defiance Keys built a monument to the shootout that can be found along the trail (the original monument has been removed but a replica is there now).
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[@jimihendrix1575]

I was stationed at the Marine Corp base in 29 Stumps in the early '80's. I was married at that time, so I never lived on base, but instead lived in each town in the area. 29 Palms, Joshua Tree and Yucca Valley. Once, after being in the field for a week, my wife came to pick me up and as we headed home, she turned the opposite way that would have taken us home. When I asked her about the wrong turn, she said, without blinking an eye, "I moved us." "I found a nicer place in Yucca Valley." Being young and having little in the way of belongings, she was easily able to relocate us without needing help tp move. We both loved the desert. I think about it often.

[@abbeyjane1306]

Semper Fi, '72-76

[@bloodyfinger5]

Was at the stumps in 80 , Semper Fi

[@Tet68]

Marine Corps told me if they wanted me to have a wife they'd issue one to me, they never did.

[@iamjackscompletelackofsurp9606]

29 stumps? 🤣

[@bloodyfinger5]

@@iamjackscompletelackofsurp9606 It's a Marine Corps thing

[@TheAsif5182]

thanks steve .i m so thankful and worried about you when i saw u gasping hard to breath while u are in hot climate for us to explore things . your videos are always fun,intresting ,informative , mysterious and so much more . simply i love the way are ❤

[@chrislougheed154]

I stumbled across your channel and wanted to share what an amazing job you do! You’ re engaging, provide very interesting information, and have an excellent eye for what worked find interesting. I think I’ve binged watched fifteen episodes! Excellent work!

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Thank you, I appreciate that.

[@robinparkes988]

That’s exactly what happened with me. What brilliant informative snippets of information, delivered in a relaxed and very watchable style 🇬🇧

[@robinparkes988]

That’s exactly what happened with me. What brilliant informative snippets of information, delivered in a relaxed and very watchable style 🇬🇧

[@PaulN-x2q]

That first abandoned car looks like it had some kind of engine worth rebuilding. I can't get enough of old rust. The engine in my daily driver came with a carburetor that had a butterfly completely seized and rotted, the intake and exhaust ports in the head were ugly with corrosion. New valve stem seals, and a carburetor, but, that was about all it needed; just a regular cleaning of the spark plugs and it drives like new, even fuel economy is close to specs.

[@Visaliaipa]

Very cool and great story.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Thank you!

[@johnorona3010]

Great video my friend. I was at that exact spot back in the mid 90's taking some B/W photos. I wish I could post here at your video but I noticed that everything looks much more decayed today from the time I was there. The car especially look in bad shape. Thanks for sharing.

[@oldmanronerickson2221]

Thanks, that was fun, like all your videos are. I enjoy what you do because at this age, my wife and I can't walk distances anymore. But we used to explore a lot.❤

[@michaelsimonds2632]

Yet another interesting adventure -- Thanks!

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@stewartthompson72]

That is quite the story. 1943 is pretty late in history for a gunfight.

[@steves7896]

Especially while America was at war. Selfishness knows no bounds.

[@IEchuckie]

In the desert, time stands still for some

[@NW918]

Gunfights occur in major American cities to this day. They are just not romanticized like the old west days.

[@RevMikeBlack]

Love the shot of you walking the trail with all the Joshua trees. Very cool!

[@toddrodgers5108]

Great narrative. Thank you I like walking with you. Blessings

[@yoruneko34]

I've been there! walked that path and saw the old stone! At that time I wondered what the hell happened here.. Now I know! thanks for your videos they are really awesome love the old history of that area.

[@Eccentric5B]

That converted car/truck with the flathead V8 is a LaSalle.

[@discostew115]

Another great video! Ive got your sticker on my bumper.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@georgewolfiii1170]

@@SidetrackAdventures Where can I get sticker?!

[@SidetrackAdventures]

@@georgewolfiii1170 I don't think we have any left. I might get more made soon.

[@steves7896]

With no intent to paint the president into a bad light, Keys sure makes me think an awful lot of George Bush! Awesome video, always love the American Southwest. Thank you for sharing!

[@curlyhum1276]

what was the mill used for? grinding wheat into flour? did it have a special use?

[@truracer20]

It was a stamp mill for processing ore.

[@312arts]

Yo, you and the first guy in pic look alike😮

[@randym9147]

I ve your videos dude; but I wish you would tell us what that mill was there for... What did this site have that was better than others... a well??.

[@truracer20]

It was a stamp mill for processing ore.

[@jamesportillo7714]

0:31 that guy looks like Robbin Williams 😮😢

[@brian752]

Always wondered with all the walking around you do in these abandoned desert places; aren't there snake dangers ? Seems it would be risky, those old structures and rocks would be perfect hiding for some snakes?

[@craignevels3530]

WILD STORY!

[@cathymaxcy3391]

What was Keys mining?

[@robertmacfarlane8176]

What was milled?

[@cliffpeebles9705]

Where do you find your ideas for stories? You're like an updated version of Huell Howser.

[@dwight7651]

any idea what kind of mill? a mine out there I can understand… a mill ? to grind what!

[@dwight7651]

No explanation point intended

[@BackriverRebel]

I missed it. What was the mill used for?

[@georgewolfiii1170]

The mill was used to first "stamp" rock and gravel into a fine powder, then run it through a sluice where mercury would collect the gold, and the rest would continue on to be dumped on the ground. The stamps were heavy solid cast iron weights that went up and down and pounded the rock and gravel repeatedly. Mills were called "a one-stamp mill," "a two-stamp mill," "a three-stamp mill," etc.

[@jamesrichardson1326]

Was it cold there when you filmed this video?

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Yes, especially when the wind was blowing. By the time we headed back though it had warmed up a lot and the jackets came off.

[@ScratchGlass9]

@Sidetrack Adventures ...love your travels, thanks for taking us along.. it's 8 degrees windchill here in Michigan at 3 p.m. Enjoy the weather out there !

[@larry-g8e]

That first truck is a Ford told to me by someone who knows..That day a young couple were going in the opposit direction..When I got there there were dirt foot prints on the hood..Guess he deceided to do a Here I am not having any respect moment..

[@michaelrodriguez2640]

Looks like a Ford with a flat head motor.

[@bobbys4327]

Yup, Ford flathead V8 came out in 1932 I believe.

[@truracer20]

It's a V12, likely a Lincoln.

[@DiogenesOfCa]

My dad used to own land out there with an old cabin on it. He didn't go up there for a couple of years and vandals trashed the cabin. Sometimes I really hate people.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

It boggles my mind why people do stuff like that.

[@bipedaltoolmaker]

One of my best and oldest friends has a cabin in the park. We went to the Wall Street Mill in maybe 1981, the Worth Bagley stone was there unvandalized and the mill and well were unfenced.

[@redtobertshateshandles]

Get drunk and high on drugs and destroy stuff. It's the Anglo Saxon way. 😂

[@TearDownThisWall]

Love trumps hate

[@Sharpbevel]

Met a park historian who told us the whole story. One important factor to his conviction was Keys was issued a free range permit to raise cattle during the war. The deputy sheriff investigating the shooting had a side business and wanted the permit. It was found later that much of the evidence against Keys was fabricated. When he went to prison the permit was transferred to the deputy sheriff who was later elected sheriff. Keys never held a grudge though and considered his prison years his “college” education and furthered his education. For more info there is a book called Ambushed The story of Bill Keys.

[@VintageVermilion]

What an interesting adventure- reminiscent of Huell Howser.

[@kurtweiand7086]

It just doesn't get any better then this.🤣. A classic Huel Houser saying!

[@MrOhgoodgolly]

The truck in the wash just north of the mill building was actually a converted limozine.The give away was the roo=ll dowb=n window at the rear of the driver compartment. The car was of extremely high quality when it was made. Most of the metal work of the cab and fenders were made fro hand formed aluminum and aircraft quality tubing and fitting under the dash, were a surb=prise. I could never find any ID indications but the aluminum block V8 engine with an updraft carb could probably help with an investigation. The forest service burned the old cabin that was about 15 feet West Northwest of the well which is about 15 feet deep. It is a shame they destroyed the cabin because it was in fretty fair condition. Above the fire place was the outline from smoke of a flintlock rifle.

[@peterhodgkins6985]

The flathead V8 in the late 40s and early 50s was used in some Ford Trucks and in certain Lincoln Continentals. So your information is probably right about that being a converted limo. Most likely a high-end Lincoln.

[@orangecatfarm7194]

It is a Lincoln, judging from the lights and the molding on the doors, a 1930 model. It also used to have side mounted spare tires; the bracket is still in place. Large cars were sometimes converted to trucks by later owners due to their large engines and heavy duty chassis. Also, during world war 2, work trucks qualified for additional gas rations over cars.

[@louisliu5638]

@@orangecatfarm7194 that car shown first also has a very strong inline six; lots of torque; around that mine you'd need vehicles well built. You just know they're going to be used for real work!!

[@straybullitt]

I concur. It's a 1930 Lincoln L-series chassis.

[@dougtodd305]

1930 Lincoln ,it was converted to a truck long ago

[@CactusAtlas]

During my visit to Joshua tree last year, I was looking for the nearby dam and got off course and walked down to where that first rusted out car was. I never heard of this story, but now I wish I knew. Anyway, I turned back and never saw the mill or the death site, so darn! But thanks for showing us that! So neat!

[@SidetrackAdventures]

With everything being so flat it is easy to get off course there. The dam parking was jam packed on our trip, but hardly anyone was heading towards the mill.

[@slopsec2358]

I saw that stone that Key's carved about Bagley. When I was young I was big into rock climbing and my buddies and I would make extended trips to Joshua Tree in the 70's and 80s. Back then it wasn't a park, it was a National Monument. At that time almost no one went there. Then in the late 70's early 80s it became a world known climbing meca. People would come from all over the world to climb there. In the early/mid 90's it became a National Park complete with tourist and fees. That place is full of history and many interesting things, like several grave stones, large boulders hollowed out with iron doors on them, complete with incredible stories if true, and hobbit houses like the first one you saw and did not go into. I used to love spending time there.

[@PinInTheAtlas]

Joshua Tree has so many hidden treasures and full of history. Nicely paced explore.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Its so much fun to explore.

[@AbandonedMines11]

Excellent video! Thanks for sharing all of the history that you researched. Yes, those old vehicles left at these sites are something else. In my opinion, it’s rare to find screens in the windows of these old structures like you mentioned. I know when I explored the Moser Mine in Joshua Tree, the cabin out there had all its screens still in place. I just don’t find intact windows anywhere else, it seems. Cool video! Keep ‘em coming!

[@SidetrackAdventures]

It was weird because the glass was long gone but the screen survived!

[@tomg3290]

How far from burrago?....low dessert ,seams familiar...well we'll well

[@brianmccarthy5557]

@@tomg3290 If you mean the Anza-Borrego area and Borrego Springs that's way down in San Diego County. This is the high desert. Joshua Tree National Monument. Nearby are 29 Palms, Yucca Valley and the Marine Corps Training Base. Pretty well known area.

[@tomg3290]

@@brianmccarthy5557 theses daze -!- I dream the damn eskers of wes Wisconsin snows are dusty dry gulches an blowin sands -0- ole burrago. All jumping cactus an occitillo...all sandz...no cold.!.

[@johnnyquest3707]

the book “Ambush” by Kidwell about Keyscand the gunfight was kind of hard to find but really good. I wish we went the site when we were checking out the Keys ranch that’s still there. His dam is amazing. Keys used a Remington Model 8 semi auto in I believe .30 caliber for those interested in that stuff. A You Tube vid on Keys shows him in later years holding the gun, unless it was a replacement, the other possibly confiscated by police as evidence. Good video with excellent photography. Very tough people to live and thrive in such a harsh place. Bagley, not so much I guess.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Will have to check the book out. I see its available on Amazon.

[@dougtodd305]

I was there right after Keys died everything was intact. Alot of his cars were still registered. He had alot of old cars .no fence back then it wasn't a park, You could stay as long as you wanted and it was free

[@T-Babbbldot]

I have been there a few times. My Taxi Company used to take military personnel from Ontario, Ca. airport to 29 Palms base. Once I was driving and my Cab had a breakdown just past Joshua Tree City. The passenger hitch-hiked the rest of the way. While I waited for a tow truck. The time was 2:30am, I watched the desert night sky resting atop my engine hood & it was fabulous!

[@hjemison]

I live in Arizona now but many years ago (50+years ago) I was pulled over by Arizona State Police for speeding at 2 am on I8. I swear they came out of my trunk! Anyway, the two officers and I watched the night sky with no light pollution. We watched a meteor shower and it looked like you could touch the stars!

[@hjemison]

From the quick look at the engine in the truck, it appears to be a Ford flathead engine. The flathead engine was used between the mid’30’s and the early’50’s.

[@The_Conspiracy_Analyst]

7:13 LMFAO, that's something you die of in the oregon trail game! How did he die of that in 1969?

[@SpanishEclectic]

I love this stuff. Interesting story, especially the Earle Stanley Gardner tie-in. I started watching the Perry Mason reruns when I was in college in the 1980s. Great comment below about this story being incorporated into the show. It's still fun to watch episodes now and then, especially to see guest stars like Leslie Neilson, Burt Reynolds, Michael Landon, Gary Collins, etc., who later became famous, but had only bit parts at the time. My Dad grew up in LA, and remembered the old Victorian Era County Courthouse that was replaced by the 'modern' one featured in the show's intro. Nice to see so many others still have interest in this local California history. Thanks, Steve.

[@Last_one_before_I_go]

These adventures are so cool. I love these little snippets of California history. Thanks so much for doing these !

[@ryandavis7593]

The car with the aluminum body panels is most likely a Pierce Arrow. They were the main manufacturer of aluminum body automobiles in the twenties.

[@mojavedesert519]

The park service is kind of elusive with artifacts and such these days. People take digital photos, which a lot have GPS coordinates. They post these online where vandals can get the information and do their deeds.

[@JasmineApple]

Good video! It's hard to believe people just left their cars out there. That just blows my mind. Typhoid! Yikes! Your wife is right -- that does look like your logo.

[@franksalsa9342]

I love the desert.. thanks for taking us all along..

[@joecampo1770]

I have a picture that I took in 2005 of the original statue. Would you like me to send it to you via email? Thanks for the great content learn a few things.

[@lauriechristmas5494]

Love Joshua Tree National Park … Remember when it was Joshua Tree Monument … I lived about 10 miles away from there .. Just moved … Please checkout Pioneertown!!! … It’s about 3 miles north of Yucca Valley .. great historical western town … Many movies were filmed there … It was founded by movie stars … Today it is still a great “living “ town. … It will not disappoint!!! … Also Twentynine Palms nearby has gorgeous murals on the city buildings … Love your videos … Happy Trails ❤️❤️💯💯😀😀🌴🌴🌴🌴

[@garybender432]

People vandalize things because they have no respect. It’s too bad that hardly ever get caught and when they’ do oft times get little or no punishment.

[@mobiltec]

Poor old Bill Keys... Widely misunderstood and wrongly convicted, he still came out on top. Too bad about the way he died.

[@jerroldkazynski5480]

Joshua Tree has a sweet spot in my memory. Camped & hiked there in the 80s, usually near the south entrance.

[@DiogenesOfCa]

I went backpacking there for three days in '85 and didn't see a soul. It was a magical place, it's still great but there are a lot more people there.

[@jerroldkazynski5480]

@@DiogenesOfCa I was in the 29 Palms area not long ago, and visited the Joshua Tree visitor center to "catch up." Couldn't believe the growth. Didn't have time to travel into the Park. The gift shop and modernization told the tale.

[@larryaldrich4351]

I really like this cinematography. I feel as if I'm actually hiking through the brush with Big Steve.

[@texasgal3903]

I live in the desert SW Texas, I understand about the sand really well! When my parents first bought their house, the area was just under residential development in the 60's, but there was still desert around them, and when our windy season came up, which always was in the springtime, we'd have hard winds of 50mph to even 70mph, the sands from around the desert would blow the dirt into the yard and pile up like a mountain of sand, it was really hard the first years of living there, until they were able finish the home development that were built all around, plant trees, grass and bushes, other buildings around, and that stopped the dust from then on.

[@conniewojahn6445]

"Mill" is a term used for a structure that grinds something, usually using power from water to turn the grinder. So, what did this "mill" do? No flowing water to power it.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

It was a stamp mill. Stamp mills pound rather than grind. It was used to process gold and silver ore from local mines.

[@jerrybennett7856]

My dad, along with us kids, started exploring Joshua Tree in the 50's. He moved to the town in about 1979 and loved Joshua Tree. I think he explored every inch. My grand daughter goes there often.

[@bob_frazier]

Man I love your videos. Thanks.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Glad you like them!

[@denniscoleman8802]

I think it is a Ford……? Looks like a flat head motor…..not 100%😎

[@Jislas442]

Your right it is a Ford model T and the other a model A. Too many pieces gone for the year.

[@dougtodd305]

1930Lincoln limo

[@dezertraider]

VERY VERY COOL..KEEP UP THE GREAT VIDEOS..SAFE TRAVELS..

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Thank you!

[@mawi1172]

Thanks for the info I didn't know I needed! 😂🤣😂🤣 I always wondered where he died! 😞😥😞😂🤣😂🤣

[@bomax5995]

I really love this kind of knowledge. I would like to spend the rest of my life as a friend of your's. Very interesting as always. Tack från Sverige

[@mrvic92154]

Thank you for taking the time to show us what's out there, I really love history and I am tempted to go out and explore before the Vandals tear it down, shoot it up and scrappers get out there and take away priceless history, So sad that people are out there doing stuff like that, It's disappearing in a record pace all on its own

[@dougtodd305]

Rangers out there nowadays, hasn't changed to much in 40 years,but do go see for yourself, one of my favorite places

[@stevetaber4452]

You could be a Clamper. Great history at hand. Good job Steve.

[@Porsche996driver]

Great trip! Hearty souls running a remote mine in the desert!

[@Junk65]

Here Lies bagley. Couldn’t shoot. Ended Badly.

[@brianmccarthy5557]

First time I went to Joshua Tree I was 11 and in Boy Scouts in 1968. We must have been close to this site as we were in The Wonderland of Rocks. I'd never heard of this site and the gunfight before. In 1968 the vandalism had just started in earnest as hippies were beginning to infest the area and make it dangerous. You know; Peace and Love and Charlie Manson. Coming from an old LA family I recognize that an LA Sheriff leaving the department in 1938 to live in the High Desert was probably a very bad sign. Bagley seems almost certainly a very bad guy. A guy who had friends in the corrupt LA Establishment of the time, which led to Key's imprisonment. If I remember correctly this story was adapted into more than one Perry Mason episode, though I've only see the old reruns. Great story. Thanks for taking us along. As others have said, you seem to be channeling a little Hugh Howser in some of your programs. Good stuff! Happy Thanksgiving.

[@russell-di8js]

Fancy trying to stop some1 getting home? Guy's name should have been "Worthless Bagley!"

[@ssranch6017]

Thank you sir for the video I enjoyed it very much. God bless and stay safe your friend from Stuttgart Arkansas

[@archieolmstead6688]

I have hiked to the mill many times and the surrounding areas in the Park. I live in DHS which is not far from JTNP.

[@dale6349]

Actually my father was in San Quentin in the late 60s go figure!!!!!

[@cuzzdog]

Vandals strip away history too often. It befuddles me as to this reckless selfish ignorance. Leave it for others to adventure explore!

[@claytonhowe2309]

Visit Bill Keyes Ranch, through the US NPS for a tour.

[@thesarge4457]

Thank You Sir. I see you found my truck there; I was wondering where I left it, again thanks. THE SARGE

[@xr6lad]

@ 8:00. Given that car/utility is at the mill I wonder if that’s the vehicle that was driving down the road when it came across the blocked road and the shootout occurred?

[@kurtweiand7086]

🤔

[@richedwards6036]

The Keys car that he drove to the mill is at Keys ranch. Its the one with bullet holes in it. The only way to see it is on a guided tour or be a caretaker like I was.

[@mickeyphillips6603]

My opinion as to why people feel the need to vandalize is that it’s their only way of making their mark in the world. They have nothing redeeming or constructive to contribute.

[@edwardlincoln5680]

That old car with the v-8, made into a flat bed is probably a Cadillac. It has both the exhaust and intake manifolds on top of the engine.

[@adambennett2176]

Can a do a video on eagle mountain. 🤔 I know there's a little town out there off I 10. I think it's abandoned now..

[@adambennett2176]

Awesome car!! That would make a good lawn ornament!!

[@AndyMetz-x6q]

I missed what was the purpose of the "Wall Street Mill"?

[@JP-su8bp]

Thanks for sharing your little day trip, and also for letting us know how easy (or not easy) it is for folks to reach various site.

[@mikelamberth9975]

Looks like a flathead V8, so that second truck is a Ford.

[@TeddsPicks]

I agree that mine does look a lot like the sidetrack adventures logo ...

[@birdman5223]

Another fascinating obscure tale, keep up the good work MrSteve!

[@freddyw4555]

Glad Keys got the better of it. No need to block the road to his property

[@richardcrites1484]

About the truck. Dah old Steve lol😂😂😂😂😂

[@ddiver7908]

LOL what a passive aggressive wife you have 🤣

[@panatypical]

Lotsa tweakers out in Joshua Tree....

[@stevenrafters7817]

When I was a kid Joshua tree held the national turtle races

[@babusastry]

What did the mill do? What was its purpose?

[@kurtweiand7086]

Very interesting video. If guns were outlawed. This 🔫shootout could have been avoided. 🤭🙄

[@dougtodd305]

He woulda killed him with a rock!

[@emmachamberlain7587]

That car just needs fresh fuel and a coat of paint ! good as new

[@DeidresTravelAdventures]

Are those bullet holes in that thar truck?! 😱

[@dfpytwa]

If you hike into Ryan ranch from the main road along the trail just east of Cap Rock you'll find a big rock with a couple dates and a name painted on it. At the base are the graves of two brothers who got drunk and into a gunfight with each other and killed each other. I think their last name was James ironically. There was also a similar ruin there of an adobe ranch house which is probably just a mud pile by now since I haven't been to that spot since 1983. One wall was still standing back then but eroding as well as a huge metal water reservoir.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

The ruins at the Ryan Ranch House are still around, so not quite a pile of mud yet, at least as of about 2 years ago. Didn't stop by on this trip.

[@flouserschird]

Reminds me a lot of Red Dead Redemption 1

[@jameshswor]

Not once did you explain what kind of "mill" this was...

[@IEchuckie]

Stamp mill. Crushed rocks

[@Pssnmeoff]

I think the truck at 8:30 is a Diamond T.

[@YahshuaLovesMe]

looks like an old truck...

[@deanteasdale6252]

What was he mining for?

[@valeriegoode9762]

Thanks for sharing.