Cal City Pioneers
Cal City's 1st Police Chief
California City's first patrolman and "Chief of Police" Milton R. "Pappy" Bickell died as a result of a heart attack on October 20, 1961, reported the "California City Sun" newspaper in its' November 15, 1961 edition. He came to California City shortly after it was founded in 1958, with his wife Angie, and two sons, Muril and Murvin.
Born in Topeka, Kansas, he brought his family to Los Angeles in 1911. He served in the U.S. Army and National Guard for 17 years. In 1945, he joined the San Luis Obispo Police Department, of which he was a member until 1948, when he formed his own patrol agency.
"Pappy" Bickell was still active as the City's principal law enforcement officer up until the time of his death.
Unhassobiscay Family
Unhassobiscay Family (1965 article in the “California City Sun” newspaper)
It was November 1958 when the Unhassobiscay Family moved to California City. In those days, California City had barely scratched a mark on the face of the North Antelope Valley. Sarah and Fabian Unhassobiscay were the fourth family to move into the newborn city. The population was 14, and as Sarah says, “You really had to holler to attract your neighbor’s attention. The area was so new we didn’t even have a paved road in front of our house. Our heaters weren’t working, and we used a Coleman lantern for light. As I look back on it now, though, it was really a lot of fun being pioneers, and we loved every minute of it.”
Sarah, who was born in Bakersfield and raised in Cantil just north of California City, says she never dreamed that the great cotton fields and alfalfa fields she used to pass on her way to school in Mojave would one day become her home. Fabian, a Basque, was born in Behorleguy, France, and moved to the United States when he was 18 years old. He came to Bakersfield to work on the huge sheep ranches in the area. After working for the Ansolebehere Brothers and the famous M & R Ranch as a sheepherder, Fabian became interested in California City.
“I used to drive sheep through this gentle valley,” smiles Fabian nostalgically, “and I always loved it here. It seemed so quiet, so peaceful, and the weather was good year round. When I first came to California City, I got a job working as a carpenter and laborer on the many construction projects which were underway. It makes me proud now to look as our shopping center and know that I had a big part in helping to build it. We were working on our first restaurant and motel too, in those days. Sarah continued working in the Tehachapi Valley Hospital, where she had already been employed for several years, and we were perfectly happy here.”
It wasn’t very long before the Unhassobiscay family became three. Their first child was a boy, Bernard, who was also the first boy ever born in California City, a distinction of which the family is very proud. Along with Bernard, the Unhassobiscay’s have two other children, Gracianne and John.
In the last seven years, Fabian has worked his way up through the company’s Landscaping Department. He now acts as Supervisor for landscaping crews in California City. In this capacity, he is responsible for much of the beautiful landscaping, trees, flowers, and shrubs that abound in California City.
As they look back over the good old days, Sarah and Fabian fondly reminisce about the opening of the Community Church and the Community Club. “It was really a small close-knit community. We had pot luck dinners once a month and everyone would attend. We are still a close-knit City and we have made many wonderful friends through the years. But our minds still drift back to those happy beginnings. The City is getting big almost 1,000, but we love it here even more now.” Asked why they loved living in California City so, Sarah quickly replied, “Why this is where our hearts are rooted. This is our home.”
It was November 1958 when the Unhassobiscay Family moved to California City. In those days, California City had barely scratched a mark on the face of the North Antelope Valley. Sarah and Fabian Unhassobiscay were the fourth family to move into the newborn city. The population was 14, and as Sarah says, “You really had to holler to attract your neighbor’s attention. The area was so new we didn’t even have a paved road in front of our house. Our heaters weren’t working, and we used a Coleman lantern for light. As I look back on it now, though, it was really a lot of fun being pioneers, and we loved every minute of it.”
Sarah, who was born in Bakersfield and raised in Cantil just north of California City, says she never dreamed that the great cotton fields and alfalfa fields she used to pass on her way to school in Mojave would one day become her home. Fabian, a Basque, was born in Behorleguy, France, and moved to the United States when he was 18 years old. He came to Bakersfield to work on the huge sheep ranches in the area. After working for the Ansolebehere Brothers and the famous M & R Ranch as a sheepherder, Fabian became interested in California City.
“I used to drive sheep through this gentle valley,” smiles Fabian nostalgically, “and I always loved it here. It seemed so quiet, so peaceful, and the weather was good year round. When I first came to California City, I got a job working as a carpenter and laborer on the many construction projects which were underway. It makes me proud now to look as our shopping center and know that I had a big part in helping to build it. We were working on our first restaurant and motel too, in those days. Sarah continued working in the Tehachapi Valley Hospital, where she had already been employed for several years, and we were perfectly happy here.”
It wasn’t very long before the Unhassobiscay family became three. Their first child was a boy, Bernard, who was also the first boy ever born in California City, a distinction of which the family is very proud. Along with Bernard, the Unhassobiscay’s have two other children, Gracianne and John.
In the last seven years, Fabian has worked his way up through the company’s Landscaping Department. He now acts as Supervisor for landscaping crews in California City. In this capacity, he is responsible for much of the beautiful landscaping, trees, flowers, and shrubs that abound in California City.
As they look back over the good old days, Sarah and Fabian fondly reminisce about the opening of the Community Church and the Community Club. “It was really a small close-knit community. We had pot luck dinners once a month and everyone would attend. We are still a close-knit City and we have made many wonderful friends through the years. But our minds still drift back to those happy beginnings. The City is getting big almost 1,000, but we love it here even more now.” Asked why they loved living in California City so, Sarah quickly replied, “Why this is where our hearts are rooted. This is our home.”
