Okie Landing

See what I can dig up tomorrow... for now, by searching Nomad I found some old maps and a recent photo, I had posted before:






In the 1960's I remember cabins on those slabs, and there was an ice house in the side of the cliff (for storing fish until the next truck arrived).









[Edited on 10-27-2021 by David K]

Here's one taken in July, 2011:

Some more early totoaba history

www.mexfish.com/mexi/mexi/af051209/af051209.htm‎

Sometime in the early 1920s, a few American sport anglers had begun testing the waters around San Felipe, and in 1923, the first recorded totoaba--two fish--were exported to the United States.

In the beginning years of the San Felipe totoaba trade there was simply no market for the huge, six-foot-long carcasses left over after the buche (air bladder) had been cut out, dried and exported to China. The fish were left in haystack-sized piles to rot in the sun. When the smell and flies became intolerable, the fishermen and their families would simply move down the beach and set up a new camp.

Word got out about the enormous piles of wasted fish (due to the removal of the buche). Soon thereafter, buyers from the United States reached San Felipe in ice trucks specially equipped to make the 125-mile open desert crossing from the U.S. border at Calexico.

In the winter of 1924-25, 170,000 pounds of fish were hauled north to the Southern California market. The totoaba were bought on the beach for as little as five cents per fish, and sold at a tremendous profit.


A commercial catch of enormous totoaba at Bahia San Luis Gonzaga, Baja California, Mexico. From left to right, Tony Reyes, Gorgonio Fernandez, and his son, Chi Chi Fernandez, c. 1954. --Reprinted with permission from The Unforgettable Sea Of Cortez.

[Edited on 12-17-2013 by durrelllrobert]

[Edited on 12-17-2013 by durrelllrobert]

take a look at the above photo then take a look the statue of chi chi. it was on the san felipe malecon but moved to the harbor after the new malecon fell into the sea during the big storm/high tide!

Can you get in there from the 'new' road?

Quote:

Originally posted by durrelllrobert www.mexfish.com/mexi/mexi/af051209/af051209.htm‎ Sometime in the early 1920s, a few American sport anglers had begun testing the waters around San Felipe, and in 1923, the first recorded totoaba--two fish--were exported to the United States. In the beginning years of the San Felipe totoaba trade there was simply no market for the huge, six-foot-long carcasses left over after the buche (air bladder) had been cut out, dried and exported to China. The fish were left in haystack-sized piles to rot in the sun. When the smell and flies became intolerable, the fishermen and their families would simply move down the beach and set up a new camp. Word got out about the enormous piles of wasted fish (due to the removal of the buche). Soon thereafter, buyers from the United States reached San Felipe in ice trucks specially equipped to make the 125-mile open desert crossing from the U.S. border at Calexico. In the winter of 1924-25, 170,000 pounds of fish were hauled north to the Southern California market. The totoaba were bought on the beach for as little as five cents per fish, and sold at a tremendous profit. A commercial catch of enormous totoaba at Bahia San Luis Gonzaga, Baja California, Mexico. From left to right, Tony Reyes, Gorgonio Fernandez, and his son, Chi Chi Fernandez, c. 1954. --Reprinted with permission from The Unforgettable Sea Of Cortez. [Edited on 12-17-2013 by durrelllrobert] [Edited on 12-17-2013 by durrelllrobert]

The name Okie Landing

You are so right... ignorance is bliss, right?

One thing is for sure, anyone not wanting to be well informed should not read Baja Nomad!

Super Cool azkmb, and if you can make the trip, it's nice outside of summer's insane heat.
Thanks to all for the great stories

Okie Landing chat

Good idea, Ric... Who can say for sure?
I often defer to the excellent Lower California Guidebook when it comes to history, up to 1962.

Per the 1962 book:
Okie Landing was a place where boats could be rented for fishing, which used to be amazing here. It is (or was) 2.8 miles south from El Almacén, the stone ruin which was a warehouse constructed for the Miramar area gold mines (placer mines).



Sept. 2008 photo of El Almacén.

I think this warehouse would be closer to where supplies were offloaded and gold loaded on, not 2.8 miles away? The old maps call this site or nearby, 'Miramar' no map has Okie Landing until much later. It is on the 1962 AAA map (as 'Oakies Landing') but not the 1959 map.

It is on the 1962 Lower California Guidebook map and road log, but not in the 1958 edition.

Howard Gulick (the guidebook's author) traveled the 'new' road through here in 1956 (for the '58 edition) and again in 1960 (for the '62 edition). The 1956 (1st) edition researched in 1955 and earlier finds the road south of San Felipe went no further than the sulfur mine and Agua de Chale, southbound. Coming north, a vehicle could get as far as San Luis Gonzaga Bay in a 4WD vehicle via the Pioneer mine and Molino de Lacy.

This evidence would seem to indicate Okie Landing started after 1956 and for sure by 1960 when Gulick traveled there. The AAA guide of 1959 does not mention Oakies [sic] Landing but the 1962 one does.


On this 1930 Map, we do see a 'Landing' between Miramar Placers and an onyx site & Mesquitito Spring, but it could be either at El Almacén or Okie Landing on this slightly crude map.




Today, you can get to El Almacén from Cinco Islas (Km. 114) and drive north a short distance on the older road, which is just east of the highway.

Okie Landing can be seen from the new highway at Km. 117. The access is just north of that kilometer marker.