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In late 1994, Action 29 began a project to paint the community’s rich history on its business walls, in an effort to boost community pride and make our city more inviting to visitors. We believe that by displaying our heritage in a spectacular outdoor art gallery, showcasing the talents of world-class artists, we are achieving that goal. We hope you enjoy our murals as much as we do. If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to call Action 29 at (760) 361-2286. We also invite you to take a virtual tour of our Oasis of Murals at: www.oasisofmurals.com or see our 29Chamber Photo Gallery.
Limited edition signed and numbered prints of the Twentynine Palms murals are available for $125 each from the Action Council for 29 Palms, Inc. Proceeds from the sale of these art prints are used to finance the Oasis of Murals Project. Out of 150 prints created for each mural, some series are already sold out. To find out which murals are still available or to request information, contact the Action 29 office: P.O. Box 306, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277, (760)361-2286. Action 29 also offers mural postcards, prints, posters, art cards, books, videos, T-shirts, and souvenirs. Please call us when you are in town. We’d love to meet you!
The mural numbers below correspond to numbers on the map in our photo gallery. To view the gallery, click here.
Mural #1: Bill and Frances Keys. The Keys were pioneer homesteaders who settled at the Desert Queen Ranch in what is now Joshua Tree National Park. Bill Keys, born George Barth in Russia in 1879, came to Twentynine Palms in 1910. He was a cattleman, gold prospector, assayer, and an ingenious homesteader who could find a use for just about anything. Visitors who take a Park Service tour of the historic Desert Queen Ranch can see that resourcefulness today. This 14-foot by 80-foot mural was painted by Dan and Peter Sawatzky of Chemainus, B.C. 73365 29 Palms Hwy. at Pine Street (Plaza Furniture). Dedicated: November 19, 1994.
Mural #2: Early Life at the Oasis of Mara. The life-giving springs of the Oasis of Mara supported Native Americans and early settlers, and its famous fan palms were the source of Twentynine Palms’ name. In this 17- by 80-foot rendering, Cahuilla Indians gather and work in and near the water, a Cahuilla woman offers the exquisite baskets for which the tribe was known, and first surveyor Col. Henry Washington and his assistant conduct a desert survey in 1855. This mural was painted by Ron Croci of Honolulu and Robert Caughlan III of San Francisco. 73777 29 Palms Hwy. at National Park Dr. (29 Palms Liquors). Dedicated: March 25, 1995.
Mural #3: Dr. James B. Luckie, “The Father of Twentynine Palms.” Credited with populating this community during the years after World War I by sending veterans here for the pure dry air, to heal their tuberculosis and mustard-gas poisoned lungs, the Pasadena doctor became one of our most prominent citizens and founding fathers. This 17- by 50-foot tribute features Dr. Luckie flanked by vignettes of WWI soldiers on the battlefield, and was painted by Don Gray of Flagstaff, AZ (now Murrieta, CA). 6175 Adobe Road (29 Palms Eye Care Clinic). Dedicated: May 6, 1995.
Mural #4 (now #21): Our Neighbors in Nature II. The original nature mural painted on this wall in 1995 became a community favorite, but the harsh desert sun faded the colors over the years beyond repair. So in 2006, nature artists Larry and Nancy Cherry Eifert of Port Townsend, WA, returned to paint a new ecology lesson of Mojave Desert flora and fauna on the 13-by-86-foot wall. This time, they featured the wildlife of the beautiful 49 Palms Oasis, located in Joshua Tree National Park a short hike from the Twentynine Palms city limits. 73484 29 Palms Hwy. at Desert Queen. Dedicated April 22, 2006.
Mural #5: Desert Storm Homecoming & Victory Parade. The Marines first came to Twentynine Palms in 1952. Since then, the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center has trained thousands of proud Marines, many of whom were deployed during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. When the troops came home from the Persian Gulf in 1991, more than 40,000 people crowded into the city for “The Mother of All Victory Parades.” This 18- by 101-foot work is by artist Chuck Caplinger of Twentynine Palms. 6177 Adobe Road (Napa Auto Parts). Dedicated: October 15, 1995.
Mural #6: “The Flying Constable” Jack Cones. Twentynine Palms’ most beloved lawman, Jack Cones, will be forever airborne in this 16- by 60-foot tribute. Elected in 1932, he was the law here until his death in 1960. He earned his lofty nickname by patrolling his 2,800-square-mile jurisdiction in a Piper J-3 Cub. Mural artist Tim O’Connor of Twentynine Palms came to admire the constable after hearing stories of Cones’ exploits while taking flying lessons at nearby Cones Field in the early 1970s. 6308 Adobe Road (Crossroads Christian Bookstore). Dedicated: January 27, 1996.
Mural #7: The Dirty Sock Camp. Gold fever brought prospectors to the desert in the late 1800s. Men sought their fortunes in the hills near Twentynine Palms and the area that is now Joshua Tree National Park, setting up camp where water was plentiful. One settlement was the Dirty Sock Camp, named for the method miners used to separate gold from mercury. They used chamois leather, but legend has it that if it wasn’t available, someone would sacrifice a sock for the cause. This 14-foot by 40-foot mural was painted by artist John Whytock of Sugarloaf, CA (now Joshua Tree, CA). 73911 29 Palms Hwy. (29 Palms Thrift). Dedicated: March 23, 1996.
Mural #8: William & Elizabeth Campbell. The Campbells came to the desert in 1924 for WWI veteran Bill’s health, pitching a tent at the Oasis of Mara before homesteading 160 acres. Bill and his wife, Elizabeth Crozier Campbell, built an exquisite home of native stone at Campbell Ranch (now Roughley Manor). Aligned with the Southwest Museum of Los Angeles, the couple logged thousands of archaeological finds including the 7500-year-old Pinto Basin site in what is now Joshua Tree National Park. They also donated land for the first schoolhouse and Luckie Park. This 14-foot by 80-foot mural was painted by Los Angeles artist Richard Wyatt. 74017 29 Palms Hwy. Dedicated: November 23, 1996.
Mural #9: Johnnie Hastie & The 29 Palms Stage. Starting in 1938, Johnnie Hastie provided public transportation from the desert to “down below.” He built his first bus from a used 1928 Chevrolet truck, adding a wooden body, seats for 12 passengers and a sturdy roof to haul cargo. During winter a stove onboard provided warmth from wood that his passengers had gathered. When tires and gas were rationed during WW II, Johnnie filled endless shopping requests in Banning, hauling ladies dresses, restaurant and mining supplies, even live chickens. This 13-foot by 32-foot mural was painted by Tim O’Connor of Twentynine Palms. 73339 29 Palms Hwy. (Superior Automotive). Dedicated: February 15, 1997.
Mural #10: Frank & Helen Bagley and The Bagley Store. Homesteaders Frank and Helen Bagley arrived with their three sons on Thanksgiving Day 1927. They had filed on a 160-acre homestead, setting up house in an 18- by 18-foot garage, which soon became the town’s first general store when local miners and homesteaders began asking them to lend out or pick up supplies. The Plaza, which grew up around Bagley’s Market, soon became the social center of the community--offering food and sundries, gas station, post office, notary service, library, and the first telephone switchboard. This 12- by 100-foot mural was painted by Dan and Janis Sawatzky of Chemainus, B.C. 5653 Historic Plaza. Dedicated: April 26, 1997.
Mural #11: Bill & Prudie Underhill and The Desert Trail. After serving in WWI, the urge to homestead brought Bill Underhill to Twentynine Palms in 1928. He helped build roads and the first public swimming pool, and was active in the first American Legion Post 729. Establishing a weekly newspaper, The Desert Trial, he published its 4-page inaugural issue on April 18, 1935, proclaiming “Watch Twentynine Palms Grow!” In 1941, Bill married Prudence Mason of Pasadena, who helped with the newspaper. Together they built the first indoor movie theater, drive-in theater and roller rink. This 10-foot by 40-foot mural was painted by Susan Smith Evans of Palm Desert, CA. The Desert Trail, 6396 Adobe Road. Dedicated: November 15, 1997.
Mural #12: Desert Gold Mining Days. Prospectors Oran Booth and Bill Keys were an active part of desert gold mining in the 1900s. Oran Booth arrived in 1928 and filed a claim on the site that became the Wall Street Mill, prospected in Gold Park, and later worked the Paymaster Mine, a gift from his friend Keys. In 1933, he filed on the 80-acre homestead pictured in this mural. Bill Keys, who arrived in 1910, established more than 30 mining claims in the area that is now Joshua Tree National Park. This 8-foot by 30-foot, three-dimensional mural was created by Terry Waite of Twentynine Palms and John Whytock of Sugarloaf, CA (now Joshua Tree, CA). 6455 Mesquite Avenue. Dedicated: February 21, 1998.
Mural #13: Flash Flood. Before construction of the flood control channel in 1969 by the County of San Bernardino, with the assistance of local engineer Bill Hatch, raging flash floods used to flow down from 49 Palms Canyon in what is now Joshua Tree National Park. The water would wash out the main road (now 29 Palms Highway), rushing east around Donnell Hill and into the center of town. While business owners lamented this deluge ruining their stores, local children would joyously ride the waves in their inner-tubes and handmade boats. This 18- by 40-foot mural portrays the famous flash floods of the 1940s. Painted by artist Art Mortimer of Santa Monica, CA. 6248 Adobe Road (Peking Inn). Dedicated: June 13, 1998.
Mural #14: Desert Wildlife. Our resident fauna are honored in this Desert Wildlife mural, which features giant portraits of coyotes, roadrunners, ravens, big-horn sheep, a family of quail, a larger-than-life owl, jack rabbit, ground squirrel, lizard, scorpion, snake, and desert tortoise. The mural is a tribute to the desert critters that inhabit the valley and neighboring Joshua Tree National Park, which encompasses 800,000 acres and many species of wildlife within its protective boundaries. This 15-foot by 60-foot mural was created by artist Chuck Caplinger of Twentynine Palms. 72252 29 Palms Hwy. (Treasure Chest). Dedicated: October 23, 1999.
Mural #15: Desert Wildflowers. This third nature mural portrays beautiful Mojave Desert flora and wildflowers in full-color portraits of reds, yellows, whites, blues, and purples. Each spring the desert valley comes into bloom, with desert primroses, desert lilies, lupine, encelia, verbena, blooming cacti, yuccas and Joshua trees. Some years produce more prolific blooms than others, depending upon the amount of rainfall in the preceding winter season. The background for this 12-foot by 60-foot mural are the rocks of Joshua Tree National Park. Created by Dan Kelly of Yucca Valley, CA. 73617 29 Palms Hwy. (Hart’s Furniture). Dedicated: May 20, 2000.
Mural #16: “Valentine’s Day”. This trompe l’oeil mural tells a story about an artist who fell asleep while painting a mural. Manifested from the artist dreaming about Cattle Days in Hidden Valley, a rodeo bull named Valentine is metamorphosed into reality next to the scaffolding. Named for the white heart shape on his head, Valentine also bears the McHaney gang brand, as if he traveled out of the historical scene in the mural. Waiting for the artist to awake, along with a patient vulture, Valentine will soon have his day. Created by art illusionist John Pugh of Los Gatos, CA. 6219 Adobe Road (Crossroads Christian Bookstore). Dedicated: Oc6tober 25, 2000.
Mural #17: The Sun Rises Mural. This stunning desert landscape, featuring a colorfully illuminated pre-dawn sky, is a glorious scene depicting a panorama of three stages of sunrise at three historical Easter sunrise services from 1930 to present in Twentynine Palms, CA. The 14-foot by 140-foot mural wall was painted by artist Richard Wyatt of Los Angeles, CA. 6079 Adobe Road (Little Church of the Desert). Dedicated: April 7, 2001.
Mural #18: 29 Palms Boys Basketball Tournament. For more than 40 years, the annual “29 Palms Boys Basketball Tournament,” hosted by the city’s Recreation Dept., has attracted hundreds of competitive youngsters from all over California, Nevada, and Arizona, during the last weekend of March. A first Mural-in-a-Day project was created to celebrate the 44th tournament in 2002. Created by artist Art Mortimer of Santa Monica, CA, the mural was painted by a team of 21 local artists in one day on the 22-foot by 44-foot east wall of the handball courts in Luckie Park. Joe Davis Drive off Utah Trail. Dedicated: March 23, 2002.
Mural #19: Good Times at Smith’s Ranch. Bill Smith, who arrived in 1923 in his Model-T Ford, developed the haven known as Smith’s Ranch. Bill and his brother, Harry, drilled a well and provided water to early homesteaders, and Bill’s shower and swimming pool were a welcome place to cool off on hot summer days. Bill married Thelma Mead in 1930, and the ambitious pioneer couple built an ice house, a dairy, an ice cream parlor, an outdoor theater, a recreational hall, and a trailer park. They had six children and were acclaimed as the first homesteaders to have children born in Twentynine Palms. Painted by Tim O’Connor of Twentynine Palms. 6298 Adobe Road. Dedicated: October 19, 2002.
Mural #20: Operation Iraqi Freedom. On March 21, 2003, the First Marine Division crossed from Kuwait and began Operation Iraqi Freedom. This mural is dedicated to the men and women of the Armed Forces, especially the Marines and Sailors from Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms. Marines from MCAGCC are depicted in this 100-foot mural in scenes taken from actual photographs, including the historic toppling of the 40-foot bronze statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad by 1st Tanks Battalion and the rescue of Shoshana Johnson and the seven POWs by 3rd L.A.R. Painted by Don Gray of Murietta, CA. 6464 Adobe Road (CCI Computers). Dedicated: January 31, 2004.
Sculpture #1: SkyClimbers. Joshua Tree National Park, bordering Twentynine Palms to the south, is one of the most popular rock climbing areas in the world. More than 4,500 established climbs, offering a wide range of difficulty, are located within the park’s 794,993 acres. “Sky Climbers” was created as a tribute to those rock climbers who have long maintained an intimate relationship with the Park’s topography and the hundreds of giant monzonite monoliths found within its boundaries. The three-panel freestanding sculpture installation, with 11-foot high by 5-foot wide copper and steel panels, was created by artist Steve Rieman of Yucca Valley, CA. Old Schoolhouse Museum, 6760 National Park Drive. Dedicated: May 2, 1999.