Joshua Tree National Park in San Bernardino County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Worth Bagley Stone
Worth Bagley Bit the Dust
| | A Marker for a Missing Marker | |
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, January 25, 2019
1. Worth Bagley Bit the Dust Marker
What is it?
William F. Keys carved and erected the stone to mark the site of a deadly shoot-out. After the May 11, 1943 gunfight, described by Keys as an ambush, Worth Bagley lay dead and the dispute between the two over access to water was ended.
Keys was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to nine years at San Quentin State Prison. After being released in 1948, he returned to his house at nearby Desert Queen Ranch (Keys Ranch) and erected the marker.
Where is it?
Visitors notified the park in January of 2014 to report the stone as broken off at the base. The stone had been previously vandalized (painted) and recently repaired. Park staff removed the stone for safe-keeping until a permanent solution to ensure the stone's safety is developed.
Inscription reads:
Here is where Worth Bagley bit the dust at the hand of W.F. Keys, May 11 1943.
Erected by National Park Service.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Law Enforcement. A significant historical date for this entry is May 11, 1943.
Location. 34° 2.041′ N, 116° 7.977′ W. Marker is in Joshua Tree National Park, California, in San Bernardino County. It can be reached from Queen Valley Road near Barker Dam
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Los Angeles, in the Coachella Valley, in the Peninsular Ranges, and specifically in the Transverse Ranges. It is also in the American Southwest. Globally, it is in North America, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexicos Alta California.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Wall Street Mill (approx. 0.8 miles away); Barker Dam (approx. 0.8 miles away); Linked to the Land: Keys Ranch (approx. 2 miles away); Classic Lines (approx. 2½ miles away); Ryan Ranch (approx. 3.4 miles away); Desert Queen Mine (approx. 3.6 miles away); Welcome to the Indian Cove Trail (approx. 4.7 miles away); Hardships and Forced Transitions (approx. 4.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Joshua Tree National Park.
More about this marker. This marker is located in Joshua Tree National Park, on the Wall Street Mill Trail about 0.3 miles from the trailhead.
Also see . . . Keys Desert Queen Ranch. During a dispute over the Wall Street Mill, Keys shot and killed Worth Bagley. Keys was convicted of murder and went to San Quentin Prison, where Keys educated himself in the library. Keys was paroled in 1950 and was pardoned in 1956 through the efforts of Erle Stanley Gardner, author of the Perry Mason novels. (Submitted on February 2, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, January 25, 2019
2. Worth Bagley Bit the Dust Marker
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, January 25, 2019
3. Marker Detail
4. William F. Keys
courtesy Cali49.com, 2019
5. Steel Replica installed in 2019
Credits. This page was last revised on December 27, 2024. It was originally submitted on February 2, 2019. This page has been viewed 4,564 times since then and 236 times this year. Last updated on June 3, 2020, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on February 2, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. 5. submitted on May 22, 2020, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
