Cabot's Pueblo Museum...

Before the desert winds roared in, and we had to leave our oasis two days early, we visited Cabot's Pueblo Museum. A place I have wanted to tour for years and am so happy it finally came together for us!

"This museum was built by Cabot Yerxa from 1941 to 1949, during his second adventure in the desert (made with found materials). This site sits only one mile north of his original homestead building. Cabot arrived in present-day Desert Hot Springs in October of 1913, to homestead 160 acres of land for $10. He successfully found the first hot water aquifer on the property - the first person in modern times to do so. In early 1918, he left the desert (for WWI) and would not return to be a permanent resident until 1937. By taking the museum tour, guests can gain an understanding of Cabot, his life, and ideals." We knew absolutely nothing about this amazing man. Wow. What a life!
Cabot was an active artist and art collector. He built the Pueblo as a museum with the intention of displaying his impressive collection of Native American art and artifacts as well as souvenirs of his travels and his own works of art. Cabot is one of the three men who are credited with the founding of the city of Desert Hot Springs. He saw the area’s potential upon his arrival and worked with other businessmen and entrepreneurs to develop the city. He was often referred to as “Mr. Desert Hot Springs.”

We began our tour in the Water Gallery. This room was Cabot’s original trading post and this is where people would have purchased a ticket to enter his Pueblo Museum. It was here where we learned all about the man and boy were we impressed!
I loved this photo of Cabot in Nome, Alaska where he lived from 1900-1901. He had a cigar store, which was a tent, that he shared with a barber and newspaper reporter. To make ends meet, he helped run a mercantile store. He stayed in Nome, during the winter, where he assisted to run a stage line. 

He spent time with the Iñupiat people, learning their language and customs. He recorded nine pages of their vocabulary, which he sold seven years later to the Smithsonian Institute for $20. This is a page of the vocabulary list. How crazy is that?

His wife, Mamie, and son, Rodney, lived on Cabot's original homesteaded property. Once he completed the requirements of the homestead and received the land deed to the 160 acres, Cabot was free to join the U.S. Army during World War I. The armistice was signed before he was deployed. And the only casualty that he suffered was the breakdown of his marriage (probably because he left his family in the middle of the desert, alone). His first commanding officer was Lieutenant Colonel Dwight D. Eisenhower. 
It was interesting to read the inauguration invitation of President Eisenhower, sent in 1957. Cabot must have made a very big impression.
In 1925, Cabot set-off a yearly adventure traveling via Panama Canal, South American, Ireland, England, and Europe. His trip included studying art, particularly portraiture, for three months at Académie Julian where Pierre Renoir, Henry Matisse, and Diego Rivera also attended. This guy lived!

What surprised us both was the fact that Cabot didn't start to build the pueblo until the age of 58.
When Cabot died in 1965, the Pueblo was abandoned. It is incredible that no one rifled through it, stealing the treasures within. This is a museum now because of that fortunate happenstance, and we're thankful for it. What a treasure this place is.


How about this cute couple?! After his first marriage ended in divorce, Cabot remained on his own for some 20-plus years before wedding again at the age of 62. Cabot then met Portia in Palm Springs. It was love at first sight. Can you imagine Cabot meeting a kindred spirit to converse about various subjects? Both of them shared an interest in alternative spiritual movements and societies that were broadly influenced by ancient traditions. And both were avid readers.
On August 8, 1945, Cabot Yerxa married Portia Fearis, his second wife, and her third husband. Portia's apartment was a delightful way to meet a seemingly sweet, dear, and lovely woman and an extremely intelligent one. This was Portia's personal space for privacy from guests visiting the pueblo. She has her own kitchenette, bathroom, sitting room, and bedroom.
Portia was always elegantly dressed and her bathroom was fit for a woman of her elegance. It boasts a bathtub, shower, vanity, and toilet and it has vast space and is adorned with Cabot's paintings. The bathtub is one of the few items that Cabot purchased and in blue--as it was Portia's favorite color.
Tucked in a closet, we discovered this Gabrieleen Tepidaire Permanent Hair Wave Machine. The contraption has a front on/off switch, six poles for heating, thirty clamps and a long black plug with a rubber cord. It measures 16" x 8" x 8." The plate on the front reads, "115 volts, 10 amps, use on alternating current only, Serial No. 1802, Model 100. Gibbs & Co. Distributor, ‘World’s Largest Mfgrs. & Distributor Beauty Shop Supplies & Equipment.’" Oh the price for beauty! What an odd luxury found in this remote place.



This was one of Cabot's favorite rooms, the Earthen room. This is where Cabot welcomed friends or spend a quiet evening with Portia. Architecturally, this is a beautifully designed room using boulders to construct an artistic fireplace.

Surprisingly, the floor is not finished. We were asked to take a look at the dirt and think of it as the desert or as earth. Most Native American creation stories have one thing in common: spirits come from the earth and go back to the earth. He felt it the best way to welcome Native American friends.
The photo, found on the wicker sofa, below, depicts life in the Earthen Room. Notice the wall textile and the pinecones in the photograph and in the background. So dang cool.

This sculpture, made by Semu Haute (photo below), a Chumash tribal healer, and elder, was located by the front door. It is named Ah-ah-ota, or two-faced white man. Interesting.

On the kitchen table, we ogled the local newspaper, The Sentinel, dated Thursday, October 11, 1951, in which Cabot had a column, On the Desert Since 1913. A prolific writer, Cabot shared 280 articles of early homesteading in the Coachella Valley. I'd love to find that collection.
Shouldn't every home have an armadillo? What an interesting peek into the life well lived. Wow.
After an hour meandering in the home and peeking in every nook and cranny, we ventured outdoors.
We could have explored the grounds for hours. What an eclectic collection of one man's vision.




Cabot’s Hopi-inspired pueblo features 35 rooms, 150 windows, 65 doors and is four stories high. Since Cabot recycled materials from many places, all the doors and windows are different from one another, and unique in size and design to the structure. So very, very cool.

Cabot knew the value of small items while managing trading posts. This is why he painted postcards. These little snapshots of desert life are amazing. A man after my own heart! We loved this place.

Cabot said of homesteading, “The work was hard and the indignities many, but I always kept up my courage thinking of the desert and the joy of freedom.” What a monument to his perseverance!

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1 comments:

Four Points Bulletin said...

Wow. What an incredible museum I knew nothing about! And we love the desert! Hmmm. We will have to check it out. I love Cabot's outfit when he is sitting on the wicker sofa. So stylish!

March 11, 2023 at 5:38 AM

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