HISTORY OF BEAR VALLEY SPRINGS Introduction

Many people have asked me how I became interested in the history of Bear Valley and the Fickert family. When we began building our home in Bear Valley, the salesman for the contractor was the late Tom Wilde who, with his wife, June, was publisher of the Bear Valley Springs Cub. One day as we were talking, I mentioned that I had written several magazine articles, and the Wildes immediately said, "How about writing some articles for the Cub about the history of Bear Valley?" The idea was intriguing so I agreed to do some research to see what I could find. Since that time the project has just kept growing.

In July and October 1981, the Cub published two of my articles about the Indians who hunted and gathered in Bear Valley. Because we were finishing our new home and moving from Los Angles, I wasn't able to do the research and write the balance of the articles until 1982. From October 1982 through May 1983, the Cub published seven more articles on the history of the valley. In the process of gathering material I interviewed Ben Sasia and Ola Mae Force who had known the Fickerts all their lives and who were both well acquainted with the ranch and its operation. I was fortunate that I taped those conversations because Ben died in 1987 and Ola Mae passed away in 1989.

Several years ago there was a revival of interest in Bear Valley history, and many people approached me for information. Elaine Kelso, then publisher of the Caliente Fence Post published most of the original articles as a series in 1994. In January 1995, the Bear Valley Springs Cultural Arts Association asked me to speak about the Fickerts and Bear Valley before their group. A large number of people attended the meeting and showed a great deal of interest in the subject. Since I had been thinking about putting the history into a book, this renewed interest spurred me into action, and I began to do more research.

As the research progressed, new sources and additional information came to light. An interview with one person would lead to another person who had other stories to tell. Elaine Kelso gave me the address of Kathie Fickert Bate, great-grandaughter of Fred and Mary Fickert. This led to a meeting with Marsha Fickert, Kathie's sister, in Medford, Oregon. Marsha had pictures and family information which were not available elsewhere. The information from the family, as well as other research, revealed that earlier articles contained factual errors. These errors have been corrected, and I have attempted to make this book as accurate as possible.