George Swain
Encyclopedia
George Swain was a local legend from Boron
. His knickname was "Walking George."
He had penchant for walking that made him a legend among locals, in the Los Angeles Times
, and even on national television. George earned his name as "Walking George" because he never owned a car, or home, and walked to and from work — from his home, which was always rumored to be just a hole in the desert. He supposedly kept himself warm at night with a covering of newspapers. His wardrobe was always the same, wrinkled shirt and pants, well-worn boots. He died on April 25, 2000.
and spent his early years in Santa Monica
and Glendale
. His father was a retired Marine Corps
captain, and his mother, who was a lover of music, taught George organ and piano. They later moved to Northern California
. The family lived first in Santa Cruz
and later in San Jose
. As a child he attended schools in the San Jose area. George joined the Army
in 1940, serving in World War II
in the 87th Infantry. He took a three month course in chemical analysis after the war at Stanford University
and then was hired by U.S. Borax.
, to work at U.S. Borax
, by train at 4 a.m. on the fourth day of the fourth month in 1944 (4/4/44). He worked his entire life at the Borax plant, never marrying. He planned on retiring on August 8, 1988 (8/8/88), but instead retired in 1986. Before retiring he could always quote the exact number of days he had been on the job and the number of days planned until retirement. George retired from U.S. Borax as #3 Mule (meaning third in seniority) a position he held for the three years prior to his retirement.
During his years in Boron George never seemed to have a home. It was rumored that he lived in the desert, sleeping outside or in a ramshackle hut of boxes, but according to the Los Angeles Daily News he lived in free workers' cabins until 1961. He continued to quietly stay in the abandoned Borax cabins, or in colder weather at the Boron Motel until 1993, which was seven years after his retirement. After 1993 he stayed at the motel or house-sat for friends. He regularly ate at the Borax mine cafeteria or the local cafes, often eating two entire meals at a sitting. He showered at the mine. George was usually clean-shaven, but often had long hairs around his neck.
the "savior of the nation," yet also called Oliver North
a personal hero.
George had three passions: John Muir
, conservation
, and classical music
, especially opera
s and Richard Wagner
. One year he personally financed the Seattle Opera Company
which was almost forced to close for the season. He had on one occasion toured the operas of Europe
. George was also very generous to whomever he was with and often helped the helpless and hopeless. He hated wastefulness in all its forms. He was often seen picking up trash and recyclable materials, and was a supporter of many environmental causes.
At first he was considered an eccentric, but after he started playing music for local churches he became more accepted in the community. He was considered a genius in such diverse areas as math, chemistry, and music. In his home town he was recognized as their home town hero after appearing on the TV show Real People
. He became a part of the First Baptist Church (Boron, California)
congregation after meeting Rev. Norvall Pickett one evening outside his parsonage while Norvall and his son were looking at the stars through a telescope. After learning of his talent George was invited to stop by the church and practice whenever it was open. George continued to be a pianist and organist for the church until his death. He also played at the St. Joseph's Catholic Church. He called himself a "church-going atheist."
He seemed to have a photographic memory. He attended local events and often would play the piano for entertainment whenever he could "borrow" a piano. He could attend a concert or opera in Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Seattle, always traveling by bus or train, then return to Boron and repeat the concert on the piano by memory. He used his musical talent to teach children in the community.
In 1989 George met Pat and Ben Mosley who asked him to volunteer at the LeConte Memorial Lodge
for the Sierra Club
in Yosemite National Park
, where Pat was curator for eight years. Pat reintroduced George to Carl Sharsmith
, with whom 50 years previously George had taken his first saunter. Together they played opera selections at the Tuolumne Meadows
Lodge and the Tioga Pass
Resort. George was a member of the John Muir Memorial Association where for 25 years he never missed an annual dinner. George was given a lifetime membership to the John Muir Memorial Association only a week before his death.
He was always a one man entry in the local "Twenty Mule Team Days", greeting fellow residents as we walked the parade route. He loved train travel, often reminiscing of taking passage on famous train routes worldwide. George knew the night sky like the back of his hand, able to name every constellation
, the names of the stars in each, and their movements.
. By May 1979 he was featured on the TV show Real People
and returned in the following November for a reunion.
He walked almost everywhere, unless he was heading to "the city", which then entailed a 30 mile walk to Mojave
to catch the bus. He would walk into town for church services where he added his musical talents, or to local town meetings. He would walk to the (now former) Boron Federal Prison, located at the old 750th Radar Squadron site 5 miles out of town (12 miles by road) to visit with the Prison Administrator for an afternoon chat. He would walk to Death Valley
for the weekend (at least 100 miles each way). A pair of George's size 14EEE hiking boots now reside in Boron's Twenty Mule Team Museum.
George Swain died at the age of 80. He was found dead on a porch of a house he was house-sitting by a neighbor on April 25, 2000. His death was caused by an irregular heartbeat according to Kern County coroner officials.
Boron, California
Boron is a census-designated place in Kern County, California, United States. Boron is located east-southeast of Castle Butte, at an elevation of 2467 feet . The population was 2,253 at the 2010 census, up from 2,025 at the 2000 census...
. His knickname was "Walking George."
He had penchant for walking that made him a legend among locals, in the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, and even on national television. George earned his name as "Walking George" because he never owned a car, or home, and walked to and from work — from his home, which was always rumored to be just a hole in the desert. He supposedly kept himself warm at night with a covering of newspapers. His wardrobe was always the same, wrinkled shirt and pants, well-worn boots. He died on April 25, 2000.
Biography
George Swain's life began on October 22, 1919 in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
and spent his early years in Santa Monica
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
and Glendale
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
. His father was a retired Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
captain, and his mother, who was a lover of music, taught George organ and piano. They later moved to Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
. The family lived first in Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...
and later in San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
. As a child he attended schools in the San Jose area. George joined the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
in 1940, serving in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in the 87th Infantry. He took a three month course in chemical analysis after the war at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
and then was hired by U.S. Borax.
Boron
George used to say that he arrived in Boron, CaliforniaBoron, California
Boron is a census-designated place in Kern County, California, United States. Boron is located east-southeast of Castle Butte, at an elevation of 2467 feet . The population was 2,253 at the 2010 census, up from 2,025 at the 2000 census...
, to work at U.S. Borax
Pacific Coast Borax Company
The Pacific Coast Borax Company was a United States mining company founded in 1890 by the American borax magnate Francis "Borax" Smith, the "Borax King".-History:...
, by train at 4 a.m. on the fourth day of the fourth month in 1944 (4/4/44). He worked his entire life at the Borax plant, never marrying. He planned on retiring on August 8, 1988 (8/8/88), but instead retired in 1986. Before retiring he could always quote the exact number of days he had been on the job and the number of days planned until retirement. George retired from U.S. Borax as #3 Mule (meaning third in seniority) a position he held for the three years prior to his retirement.
During his years in Boron George never seemed to have a home. It was rumored that he lived in the desert, sleeping outside or in a ramshackle hut of boxes, but according to the Los Angeles Daily News he lived in free workers' cabins until 1961. He continued to quietly stay in the abandoned Borax cabins, or in colder weather at the Boron Motel until 1993, which was seven years after his retirement. After 1993 he stayed at the motel or house-sat for friends. He regularly ate at the Borax mine cafeteria or the local cafes, often eating two entire meals at a sitting. He showered at the mine. George was usually clean-shaven, but often had long hairs around his neck.
Personality and interests
George was outspoken in his beliefs, eloquently stating his positions. He had diverse and occasionally seemingly contradictory interests once calling Franklin D. RooseveltFranklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
the "savior of the nation," yet also called Oliver North
Oliver North
Oliver Laurence North is a retired U.S. Marine Corps officer, political commentator, host of War Stories with Oliver North on Fox News Channel, a military historian, and a New York Times best-selling author....
a personal hero.
George had three passions: John Muir
John Muir
John Muir was a Scottish-born American naturalist, author, and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States. His letters, essays, and books telling of his adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, have been read by millions...
, conservation
Conservation ethic
Conservation is an ethic of resource use, allocation, and protection. Its primary focus is upon maintaining the health of the natural world: its, fisheries, habitats, and biological diversity. Secondary focus is on materials conservation and energy conservation, which are seen as important to...
, and classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
, especially opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
s and Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
. One year he personally financed the Seattle Opera Company
Seattle Opera
The Seattle Opera is an opera company located in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1963 by Glynn Ross, who served as the company's first general director through 1983, Seattle Opera's season runs from August to late May, with five or six operas offered and with eight to ten performances each, often...
which was almost forced to close for the season. He had on one occasion toured the operas of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. George was also very generous to whomever he was with and often helped the helpless and hopeless. He hated wastefulness in all its forms. He was often seen picking up trash and recyclable materials, and was a supporter of many environmental causes.
At first he was considered an eccentric, but after he started playing music for local churches he became more accepted in the community. He was considered a genius in such diverse areas as math, chemistry, and music. In his home town he was recognized as their home town hero after appearing on the TV show Real People
Real People
Real People is an NBC reality television series that aired from 1979 to 1984, on Wednesday and then Sunday nights. Its initial episodes aired live in the Eastern and Central Time Zones.-Synopsis:...
. He became a part of the First Baptist Church (Boron, California)
First Baptist Church (Boron, California)
The First Baptist Church of Boron was founded over 70 years ago in 1938, as the First Baptist Church of Amargo , the first organized church in the community now known as Boron, California, then renamed the Community Baptist Church of Boron, then finally the First Baptist Church of Boron in 1955...
congregation after meeting Rev. Norvall Pickett one evening outside his parsonage while Norvall and his son were looking at the stars through a telescope. After learning of his talent George was invited to stop by the church and practice whenever it was open. George continued to be a pianist and organist for the church until his death. He also played at the St. Joseph's Catholic Church. He called himself a "church-going atheist."
He seemed to have a photographic memory. He attended local events and often would play the piano for entertainment whenever he could "borrow" a piano. He could attend a concert or opera in Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Seattle, always traveling by bus or train, then return to Boron and repeat the concert on the piano by memory. He used his musical talent to teach children in the community.
In 1989 George met Pat and Ben Mosley who asked him to volunteer at the LeConte Memorial Lodge
LeConte Memorial Lodge
The LeConte Memorial Lodge is a structure in Yosemite National Park in California, United States. LeConte is spelled variously as Le Conte or as Leconte. The lodge was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987.-History:...
for the Sierra Club
Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the conservationist and preservationist John Muir, who became its first president...
in Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...
, where Pat was curator for eight years. Pat reintroduced George to Carl Sharsmith
Carl Sharsmith
Carl W. Sharsmith was an American naturalist and Yosemite park ranger, notable for his knowledge and interpretation of the natural history of the Sierra Nevada. He taught botany at various universities, and discovered a species of flower in the Sierra.-Biography:Born Karl Wilhelm Schaarschmidt II...
, with whom 50 years previously George had taken his first saunter. Together they played opera selections at the Tuolumne Meadows
Tuolumne Meadows
Tuolumne Meadows is a gentle, dome-studded sub-alpine meadowy section of the Tuolumne River, in the eastern section of Yosemite National Park. Its approximate location is . Its approximate elevation is 8619 feet .-Natural History:...
Lodge and the Tioga Pass
Tioga Pass
Tioga Pass is a mountain pass in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. State Route 120 runs through it, and serves as the eastern entry point for Yosemite National Park. It is the highest highway pass in California and in the Sierra Nevada. Mount Dana is to the east of the pass...
Resort. George was a member of the John Muir Memorial Association where for 25 years he never missed an annual dinner. George was given a lifetime membership to the John Muir Memorial Association only a week before his death.
He was always a one man entry in the local "Twenty Mule Team Days", greeting fellow residents as we walked the parade route. He loved train travel, often reminiscing of taking passage on famous train routes worldwide. George knew the night sky like the back of his hand, able to name every constellation
Constellation
In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....
, the names of the stars in each, and their movements.
Walking
His penchant for walking is what made him a legend. On his 59th birthday in 1978 an article about George came out in the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
. By May 1979 he was featured on the TV show Real People
Real People
Real People is an NBC reality television series that aired from 1979 to 1984, on Wednesday and then Sunday nights. Its initial episodes aired live in the Eastern and Central Time Zones.-Synopsis:...
and returned in the following November for a reunion.
He walked almost everywhere, unless he was heading to "the city", which then entailed a 30 mile walk to Mojave
Mojave, California
Mojave is a census-designated place in Kern County, California, United States. Mojave is located east of Bakersfield, at an elevation of 2762 feet...
to catch the bus. He would walk into town for church services where he added his musical talents, or to local town meetings. He would walk to the (now former) Boron Federal Prison, located at the old 750th Radar Squadron site 5 miles out of town (12 miles by road) to visit with the Prison Administrator for an afternoon chat. He would walk to Death Valley
Death Valley
Death Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below...
for the weekend (at least 100 miles each way). A pair of George's size 14EEE hiking boots now reside in Boron's Twenty Mule Team Museum.
George Swain died at the age of 80. He was found dead on a porch of a house he was house-sitting by a neighbor on April 25, 2000. His death was caused by an irregular heartbeat according to Kern County coroner officials.