A School Divided: Uniting Three Brands with One Solution

This project took us to the far reaches of the Mohave Desert. We didn’t know precisely where Trona Unified School District was until we realized it was a part of the desert commonly known as Death Valley. The Searles Lake is a “terminal” lake in the Searles Valley in the northwestern part of San Bernardino County. Some people might even know this as Borax Lake. The mining community of Trona is on its western shore and yields approximately 1.7 million tons of industrial minerals annually.

Several billion tons of mineral deposits lay beneath the flat lakebed, in fact, an entire periodic table of minerals and salts. Searles Lake contains samples of half the natural elements known to humanity. The lake was discovered in 1862 by Dennis and John Searles, who happened to be searching for gold in the area. Later they met “The Borax King” Francis Marion Smith and launched mineral extraction operations from the lake’s deposits. The best occasion to visit Searles Lake is during the annual Gem-O-Rama geological event every second weekend of October.

Speaking of Borax, you may remember the iconic 20 Mule Team on the front of the soapbox and the television commercials done by Ronald Reagan during the series “Death Valley Days” from 1964-1965. He was the host of “Death Valley Days” a series on television. Our former 40th President acted in some episodes before his political aspirations took him away from Hollywood. Pacific Coast Borax Company sponsored the program, which later became U.S. Borax.

Appreciating the History of Borax

The Borax twenty-mule team is one of the most memorable icons of the American West and the pioneers. They transformed their mineral wealth into the foundation of the modern industry worldwide. Today that twenty-mule team is the proud symbol of a visionary company that remains the global supplier of choice for customers seeking outstanding products, value, and service.

The use of borax dates back to ancient times. The Egyptians used it for mummification, and in the late 1800’s Boron compounds were a household staple. It was known as the “miracle mineral” used as a medicine, food additive, and cleaner.

U.S. Borax traces its origins to Death Valley, where the first Borate Deposits were discovered in 1812. The first 20 mule team hauled Borax 165 miles through Death Valley in scorching heat in 1883. Fully loaded with two ore wagons and a 1,200-gallon water wagon, the rig weighed 36.5 tons. A 20-mule team consisted of 18 mules, and two draft horses hitched closest to the wagon to ensure a steady pull. In Mohave, wagons were constructed for $900 each, designed for balance and strength as well as carrying a heavy load of borax ore. Each wagon was capable of carrying ten tons (about one-tenth the weight of a modern railroad freight car). Empty, each wagon still weighed 7,800lbs.

The one-way trip from the mine to the railroad took ten days across the desert and mountains. Water from two natural springs bubbled along the route, and in some instances, it was piped down into wells. When the distance between the wells was too far, the teams relied on the water wagon they carried behind them. In the sweltering heat, wooden tanks tended to dry out and fall apart, so heavy iron tanks were used.

The first two mules in the twenty-mule train were chosen based on their intelligence and ability to lead the others. The next ten were called the “swing team” worker mules that did not require special training except to respond to commands. Followed by the “pointers,” these mules were specially trained to leap over the chain when the team turned a corner. Finally, the “wheelers” were the last part of the team. These mules or sometimes draft horses were the largest and strongest of the pack animals.

On top of the wagon were the drivers called “muleskinners.” They served as trainers, drivers, veterinarians, and mechanics, usually solitary men who had short tempers and were used to enduring extreme hardships. For their efforts, muleskinners earned $100 to $120 per month, very high wages for that time in history. Between 1883 and 1889, the twenty-mule teams hauled more than 20 million pounds of borax ore out of the Valley. Not a single animal nor a wagon broke down during this time. The ingenuity of the builders and designers and the perseverance of the men and mules prevailed.

After diligently hauling borax out of the Valley for more than five years, the twenty-mule teams were relieved of their daunting task by the growth of the railroad. Today, it would take more than 250 mule teams to transport the borax ore processed in just one day at Borax’s modern facility in the Mohave Desert. Not surprisingly, this mine supplies more than half of the world’s borax needs.

Long after they ceased to make the torturous trek from Death Valley, the teams continued to make many promotional and ceremonial appearances on behalf of the U.S. Borax Company. Today, borax is not recommended for medicinal use like a century ago. However, boric acid, borax, and boron compounds are utilized in almost every major industry. Some examples are the making of fiberglass, Pyrex, laboratory glassware, ceramics, porcelain enamel, detergents and soaps, aircraft and automobile anti-freeze, brake fluid, cosmetics, building materials, flame retardants, and electronics. It truly is nature’s miracle mineral.