Crutts

About the time Goldstone sprang into prominence, another dot appeared on the map a few miles southwest, named Crutts. There never was a town of Crutts, although a post office with that name was established in April, 1916. Mr. D. K. Crutts settled in the Superior Valley at least by 1915, built a ranch, drilled a well, and took up farming, and as a sideline, well-drilling. Soon there were settlers' cabins scattered throughout the valley, with ambitious farmers trying to make a living, trucking their produce to market via the bumpy dirt road to Barstow. Most of the wells in the valley for these farmers were drilled by Mr. Crutts. In April, 1917, the Barstow Printer reported “Three years ago there was hardly a house in the valley, now it is dotted with homes . . . Superior Valley is on the map to stay.”294

It is not known why they left, perhaps there never was quite enough water, but by January, 1920, almost all the wells were pulled up, or were not working. Only Crutt's well was still working , but even he was not home. Two years later, on August 31, 1922, the post office, which was housed in one of the ranch houses, closed and the mail henceforth only came as far as Barstow. 296