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Borego meaning “sheep” became the name of Borego Spring. The legendary place is well known today as Borrego Springs. Apparently, it is associated with the Spanish word borrego, which means a yearling lamb. It has long been assumed that the spring was named because of the Desert Bighorn sheep that once watered there. But, the term borrego refers to domestic, not wild sheep. Historians think it is more likely that Borrego Springs was named because of the few sheepherders who watered their flocks there in the late 19th Century. Most of the interesting historical records of how Borego got its name begin about 1870. But, for whatever reason, they miss or leave out a little known footnote of fact and folklore. It seems in May of 1871 a young black man came riding down the grade from Julian to the mining camp of Banner. In those days Banner rivaled Julian as the center of activity and township, and there was little love lost between the two camps. When this soft-spoken black fellow, named Green, arrived from San Diego looking for a job, he was told in a racial slur, “we ain’t got no work here in Julian, “Negro”, just ride on down the mountain to the ‘Greasy Skillet’, they might need a porter there”. At the mention of “Greasy Skillet”, he didn’t notice the chuckles and grins of the folks in the place. Jim Green just swallowed his pride and the insult, which was all to common, not just in the south but also across the southwest as well. He got on his horse and rode down the mountain to Banner. He spotted Jake Noah’s Saloon and stepped inside. It was early in the day so the miners were at work. The bartender was alone busying himself.
Timidly, Jim Green asked, “Is this here place called
“Greasy Skillet?” “Who in the hell told you that”, the bartender
growled? The bartender paused and said, “Boy” we don’t rightly need a porter in this here camp. But, them damn imitation miners up there in Julian, they ain’t going to call this place “Greasy Skillet!” I’ll show ‘em —Yer’ hired! Jim worked hard and soon became well liked by all the miners. Of all the many miners, he was befriended by two French Canadians, Georges Le Ponde and Louis Pindree. From these two prospectors and others he learned a lot about the rich mines and the surrounding rugged mountains. Late one night, in the early morn, the bar was about to close when a rifle shot was fired outside. Everyone rushed out and there lying on the ground was Jim Green’s friend, Louis Pindree, he had a bullet hole in his back. Jim carried the dying man to his shack and cared for him to his last breath. It seems what happened during his final hours is that Pindree, out of gratitude, shared his secrets with his black friend. He told him, not only where to find Le Ponde his partner, but where they both had found very rich gold deposits. Jim Green quit his job that same morning and said he was going to join Le Ponde. Suspicions ran high as to who killed Pindree, but his killer was never found. Angry, Le Ponde swore that any town that could shoot a man in the back would not see his money or his face again. He said, “I’d rather take my money to Yuma”. He was never seen again in Banner and it is believed he died in the desert. About a month later, Jim Green rode back in to town, a rich man. He showed his friends a bag full of gold. From now on he said, “Y’all better call me Mister Green—no more of this here ‘racist stuff”. He bought some property in Julian but no one ever knew where he kept his money or his mine. It was locally known in the early 1870’s, that he had a shack down in the desert at a place they called by a racial moniker meaning “Negro Springs.” Today, this is the charming place we call, Borrego Springs! Maybe it’s better the name never caught on—“N-word Springs Spa?’ Nah… That doesn’t lend itself to a very nice ring, does it? As for Jim’s gold dig, it was thought to be located in the mountains somewhere near Yaqui Well, but no one ever knew for sure. Why isn’t the southwest record of Mr. Jim Green better known? Well, it appears, that just as he entered the Julian scene without fanfare, so he died after a drinking spree on an Indian reservation. In any event, Jim Green and the insulting epithet for “Negro Springs” faded from our history in the same unassuming manner as they both appeared, otherwise Banner may have been called “Greasy Skillet”—now that doesn’t have a bad ring to it! Does it?
Ed Keenan © 12-05 |
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“Greasy Skillet” to
“Negro Springs”