Keepers of the Caves

Jack and Ida Mitchell's story of their 20 year pioneering development of Mitchell Caverns as a Route 66 roadside attraction. Jack and Ida Mitchell came to the desert fleeing the Great Depression. As with many before them, they arrived with a sack of beans, a .22 rifle, determination to stick it out, and not much more. What they found was a remote piece of heaven where they rebuilt their lives and developed a tourist attraction centered on the ancient limestone caverns that now bear their name. This real-life adventure of these Keepers of the Caves is one of the most enduring pioneer stories of the East Mojave Desert. Jack Mitchell, 2003, 175 pages, softcover