Hastie Bus Restoration Project
The
restoration of a 1928 Chevrolet bus promises to bring back the colorful stories and history of the
Morongo Basin's first public transportation service-the 29 Palms Stage and Express. It was in the depths
of the Depression and the mid-thirities when Johnnie Hastie first drove into Twentynine Palms. His
vehicle was the soon-to-become familiar, 1928 twelve passenger bus complete with wood-burning
stove-lovingly called Old Betsy.
At the time there were only 150
people in the entire Morongo Basin. The population was composed of miners, ranchers, World War I
veterans, homesteaders, and a scattering of children. The Stage ran daily from Twentynine Palms to
Banning, making stops in Joshua Tree, Yucca Valley, and Morongo Valley along the way. To sustain himself
and his business, Johnnie offered to deliver anything under ten pounds for ten cents. A bale of hay would
be fifty cents over the cost of the hay. Johnnie rode a saddle horse around Twentynine Palms, picking up
orders for his daily trips. In Joshua Tree, orders were tied on to an old iron ring that had been
hammered into a Joshua tree. In Yucca Valley the orders were left at Hardesty's Market and Post Office.
For years and years he drove down to Banning and back, seven days a week. One round trip per day, and he
was loaded with passengers, orders, and money to pay for them, shopping lists, and banking transactions,
as there were no banks on the desert.
To preserve this historic precursor to our
current Morongo Basin Transit Authority (MBTA), the 29 Palms Historical Society has acquired the remains
of this bus, and established a committee to restore it. This bus will again drive the streets of the
Morongo Basin-this time only for parades-to remind us all of early life on the desert. Plans include
storing the bus in a "bus-stop" diorama, depicting its service to our earliest residents.
MBTA Bus - Betsy II
From left, Dick Moran, president of the Twentynine Palms Historical Society,
Alan Rasmussen, Morongo Basin Transit Authority director, Liz Meyer, Hastie
Bus renovation project chair and Joe Meer, MBTA general manager, show off a
new bus honoring the Basin's first public transportation, Johhnie Hastie's
Betsy. Over the years, Hastie's busses were also known as the Banning Bullet
and Blue Goose, names MBTA also intends to incorporate into their fleet.
Photo & caption courtesy of Hi-Desert Publishing.
RESTORATION
The project of restoring "Old Betsy" can only happen with volunteer work and donations.
Carpenters have volunteered to re-build the wooden frame,
which is now completed.
The Chassis has been cleaned of rust and painted, the engine (running and ready) has been installed, and the
restored wooden-spoked wheels with new tires are installed. The frame is nearly ready to be mounted on the
chassis. Wiring, windows, and the metal molding around the frame come next. Kenny Duke has been retained
to put it all together and all parts have been moved to his shop.
On Wednesday, 28 January our President and Treasurer, Dick Moran and Nolan Lockwood, visited
Kenny Duke at his shop to get a first hand look. Both were quite pleased with the progress. Dick took these photos
so the rest of us could see what's happening.
The restoration committee is in need of antique car builders and donations of money to purchase
the parts still needed, including windows, sheet metal, and electrical components.
Johnnie Hastie assists a passenger board original bus.
Pioneer Days Parade 29 Palms, 1957
