pniles
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Did you know Eliodoro Arce?
In 1993 a friend and I were preparing to depart on a kayak trip to Angel de la Guarda from a lot next to Greg and Sandy’s house at Bahia de Los
Angeles. I admired Sandy’s desert collection, particularly a cardon cactus “boot”. She told me she got it from Eliodoro Arce, that lived alone
in the desert and collected things. After the kayak trip I visited him on the old northwest road from Bahia de los Angeles to Highway 1, a few miles
NW of the Desengano mine. He was friendly, showed me around, and invited me for coffee. He lived in a thatch-roof cardon-rib shack complex with a
early 70’s Corvair station wagon body spliced in. He had no running car or animals.
Eliodoro Arce
I visited him a few times over the years thereafter. I’d bring him cigarettes, instant coffee, and some canned food, but he never seemed to want or
need anything. We’d talk sitting around his fire and coffee pot. He said he never drank water, only coffee. We did some walks. Over time I collected
various cactus skeletons from him, including a cardon boot. One afternoon we had a party when two of his nephews (?) showed up with ceviche, beer, and
comradery. I think one had a tire shop in Tecati, and the other managed a store in a US border town.
Eliodoro in 1994.
I don’t think I ever learned much about Eliodoro’s past, partly because of my poor Spanish. Although I surely asked him, I don’t remember if he
had been a worker at Desengano. I don’t recall seeing mining equipment around. There may have been a dry gold washer, but nothing operational.
Me (Phil Niles) and Eliodoro
I think it was 1998, or so, that I somehow heard that Eliodoro got sick and went to stay with relatives in (El Nuevo) Rosarito, where he subsequently
died. My wife and I visited his grave there, guided by a delightful niece (?) of his living there.
Eliodoro going home with a bundle of cardon ribs in June, 1994.
Searching Google I found five May 1961 photos of Eliodoro in Howard E. Gulick’s Baja Photographs, taken at Tinaja de Yubay, and on the El Camino
Real nearby. These places are about 5-miles, as the raven flies, from Arce’s home. He is identified by name in three of the photos. (David Keir has
posted two of those photos showing Eliodoro (unnamed) in a tan shirt. http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=44034).
The other person shown in these photos with Eliodoro is Faustino Perez. In a bio note, Gulick is quoted as saying that Faustino Perez, from Ensenada,
accompanied him on many of his 50’s and early 60’s trips to explore the “old roads, missions, amd ranches”. Many of Gulick’s northern baja
photos feature Faustino Perez. This suggests to me that Eliodoro was probably the local quide to the Tinaja de Yubay area for Gulick and Perez in
1961.
Ironically, during the years I had visited him, I had unsuccessfully looked for the Tinaja de Yubay using pre GPS directions, but it never occurred to
me to ask Eliodoro how to get there. This is despite having driven up the road toward Yubay with Eliodoro to look at pictographs he wanted to show me.
The only other references I have seen are some photo(s) at the Bahia de LA museum of he and some family. I remember that one sister had an
old-fashioned perjorative sounding name. Another thing, when I first met Eliodoro, I could swear he proudly showed me a picture of himself in a
stained and tattered copy of Life Magazine. Maybe a Gulick photo was published in Life? The magazine was stored in the Corvair, with other stuff,
like a big box of Mexican coins (he said were worthless), and some correspondence, I think maybe with botany collectors.
If you look on Google Earth for what I think is the location of his home (29 deg 7.822 min, -114 deg 2.966 min), all you see is a wide spot on the
north side of the road, and what I think is what is left of his huge ash pile, where he tossed his ashes out the back door for years. I see no
buildings or Corvair.
I expect some of you knew Eliodoro and his history much better than I. I’d love to hear your recollections. I apologize for any errors in mine.
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advrider
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Very cool, I hope people have more info! Isn't the Arce family kind of famous?
[Edited on 9-27-2019 by advrider]
[Edited on 9-27-2019 by advrider]
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David K
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Buenaventura Arce was a son of a Spanish soldier guarding the missions. He settled in San Ignacio and many family members populated the mountains
especially San Francisco de la Sierra. Harry Crosby's book Last of the Californios.
EDIT:
The first Arce in California was an English-born soldier, Juan de Arce who came to Loreto in 1698. He quit California in 1701.
The next Arces in California were brothers José Gabriel de Arce and Sebastián Constantino de Arce, in 1751.
Sebastian had a son recorded at Mission San Ignacio in 1764: Ignacio María Arce. He grew to become a soldier on the peninsula, married in 1789 (to
María Mónica Aguilar) at Mission Santo Domingo. They had a son the following year: Ignacio Buenaventura Arce.
Buenaventura Arce and his wife (Romualda Murillo) are recorded at Mission Mulegé in 1816 and San Ignacio in 1818 where he was named as mayordomo. He
began acquiring land and was rumored to have found gold in the Sierra Santa Clara. By 1840, following the mysterious death of Padre Caballero,
Buenaventura Arce had acquired the mission buildings and began living in the priest's quarters.
[Edited on 9-27-2019 by David K]
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larryC
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I have been through there where his house used to be. Now there is nothing left but rubble. I didn't know the history of the place so thanks for
sharing.
Off grid, 12-190 watt evergreen solar panels on solar trackers, 2-3648 stacked Outback inverters, 610ah LiFePo4 48v battery bank, FM 60 and MX60
Outback charge controllers, X-240 Outback transformer for 240v from inverters, 6500 watt Kubota diesel generator.
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David K
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I got an email from Mando ('Mothership') who knew Eliodoro Arce:
HI DK
IVAN AND MYSELF MET ELIODORO NOV '95 AND KNEW OF HIM VERY WELL.....
PROBABLY 60 -70 TRIPS THROUGHOUT THE 6 YEARS WE ENJOYED AND LEARNED FROM THIS WONDERFUL SOUL.
IVAN HAD A PREMONITION IN 2000....VISITED HIM IN (Nuevo) ROSARITO AT 'THE YELLOW' CASA.
HUGGED HIM AND SAID OUR GOODBYES FOR THE LAST TIME IN 2000.
HE DIED THE NEXT DAY.
HE TAUGHT US ABOUT LIFE.
Mando
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pniles
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Thank you all for your comments. Reading Mando's "...HUGGED HIM AND SAID OUR GOODBYES.." gave me quite an unexpectedly wet emotional response! Thanks
so much Mando. Can you tell me us any more about Eliodoro's past?
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David K
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Mando sent me three photos but no details other than what was on the photo itself. I hope he will send me (or post himself) the Who, What, When,
Where, Why that would be so interesting...
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Paulina
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I knew of Eliodoro from Herman Hill. Herman had a photo of him on his kitchen counter. Herman used to tell my son stories of "the Bee Man", as my son
would call the man in the photo. Herman visited with Eliodoro when he went out prospecting, taking him supplies, returning with honey. I should have
eavesdropped on those stories. Herman was sad when Eliodoro died. He never took the photo off of his kitchen counter.
P>*)))>{
\"Well behaved women rarely make history.\" Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
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David K
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Mando has some great Eliodoro Arce stories. He is a registered Nomad "Mothership" and I have invited him to post his stories here... Please welcome
him here.
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MOTHERSHIP
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CAFE ! CAFE !
It's only fitting starting out that greeting. Those were the first words Eliodoro uttered every time we pulled up to his casita. Didn't matter what
time of day it was...there was always a pot of coffee on the embers. That was and will always be the best "cowboy coffee" around !
Eliodoro was many things...most of all he was in tune with life.
A minimalist. He showed Ivan and myself that less is more.
Not because he lived alone...he had many "friends". The coyote who would sit close to us during morning cafe and the little bird who would perch on
his shoulder. Time spent with him was always a treat.
I would like to share these adventures of Eliodoro so that he will never be forgotten.
Mando
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Paulina
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Mando,
I am looking forward to your posts. Share those memories!
P>*)))>{
\"Well behaved women rarely make history.\" Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
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David K
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WELCOME MANDO!
Quote: Originally posted by MOTHERSHIP  | CAFE ! CAFE !
It's only fitting starting out that greeting. Those were the first words Eliodoro uttered every time we pulled up to his casita. Didn't matter what
time of day it was...there was always a pot of coffee on the embers. That was and will always be the best "cowboy coffee" around !
Eliodoro was many things...most of all he was in tune with life.
A minimalist. He showed Ivan and myself that less is more.
Not because he lived alone...he had many "friends". The coyote who would sit close to us during morning cafe and the little bird who would perch on
his shoulder. Time spent with him was always a treat.
I would like to share these adventures of Eliodoro so that he will never be forgotten.
Mando |
Welcome to posting on Baja Nomad, 'Mothership'!
Do you see UFOs when you are in the boonies of Baja?
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David K
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Hoping 'Mothership' will share some more of his Baja Gold with us!
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David K
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Having just finished reading the Second Edition of Herman Hill's book (Baja's Hidden Gold), I am very anxious to hear more from MOTHERSHIP (Mando)! I
spoke with Mando just now and he promised me that he would get back to sharing more on Eliodoro.
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Paco Facullo
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Super interesting !!! More Please .. Thanks mucho....
Since I've given up all hope, I feel much better
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BajaBlanca
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He sounds like a one of a kind character. What fun to hear the stories. I really like his hat.
Café Café !!!!!
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David K
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Read Mando's (MOTHERSHIP) exciting and continuing story about Eliodoro in Mando's first ever new post on Nomad: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=93946
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David K
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Have a look at this new page I made to honor the memory of an old prospector who touched the heart of all who knew him, Eliodoro Arce of El Desengaño
y Tinaja de Yubay: https://vivabaja.com/eliodoro/
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