| HASTIE BUS RESTORATION PROJECT by Liz Meyer The restoration of a 1928 Chevrolet bus promises to bring back the colorful stories and history of the Morongo Basin's first public transportation service-the 29 Palms Stage and Express. It was in the depths of the Depression and the mid-thirities when Johnnie Hastie first drove into Twentynine Palms. His vehicle was the soon-to-become familiar, 1928 twelve passenger bus complete with wood-burning stove-lovingly called Old Betsy. At the time there were only 150 people in the entire Morongo Basin. The population was composed of miners, ranchers, World War I veterans, homesteaders, and a scattering of children. The Stage ran daily from Twentynine Palms to Banning, making stops in Joshua Tree, Yucca Valley, and Morongo Valley along the way. To sustain himself and his business, Johnnie offered to deliver anything under ten pounds for ten cents. A bale of hay would be fifty cents over the cost of the hay. Johnnie rode a saddle horse around Twentynine Palms, picking up orders for his daily trips. In Joshua Tree, orders were tied on to an old iron ring that had been hammered into a Joshua tree. In Yucca Valley the orders were left at Hardesty's Market and Post Office. For years and years he drove down to Banning and back, seven days a week. One round trip per day, and he was loaded with passengers, orders, and money to pay for them, shopping lists, and banking transactions, as there were no banks on the desert. To preserve this historic precursor to our current Morongo Basin Transit Authority (MBTA), the 29 Palms Historical Society has acquired the remains of this bus, and established a committee to restore it. This bus will again drive the streets of the Morongo Basin-this time only for parades-to remind us all of early life on the desert. Plans include storing the bus in a "bus-stop" diorama, depicting its service to our earliest residents. RESTORATION The project of restoring "Old Betsy" can only happen with volunteer work and donations. Carpenters have volunteered to re-build the wooden frame, which is now completed. The Chassis is in the process of being cleaned of rust and painted. When that is completed, the frame will be mounted on the chassis, and the engine (running and ready) will be installed. The restored wooden-spoked wheels with new tires are already on the chassis. Wiring, windows, and the metal molding around the frame come next. The parts are all being stored in a large garage where they are protected from the sun and weather. The restoration committee is in need of antique car builders and donations of money to purchase the parts still needed, including windows, sheet metal, and electrical components. 
Johnnie Hastie assists passenger board original bus. Pioneer Days Parade 29 Palms, 1957 |
