The King of Quacks

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The King of Quacks

• A Brief History of Zzyzx

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Zzyzx?!?

• Name
• Invented by Springer
• Approved in 1984
• Other uses
• Stone Sour song
• Sci-fi authors
• A 2006 movie - Zzyzx

www.gdlalliance.com/GDL_Rocks/zzyzx_road1.jpg
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Curtis Howe Springer

• Boxing instructor
• Head of Florida health academy
• Married Mary Louise Berkebile
• Founded Haven of Rest in Maple Glen, PA

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• September 1944 mining claims at Soda Springs
• 12,800 acres
• Springer described as a mosquito swamp
• Renamed it Zzyzx Mineral Springs and Health Resort

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Construction

• Built over 10 years
• 60-room hotel
• Church
• Cross-shaped health spa with mineral baths
• Radio station
• Castle
• Private airstrip
• -the Zyport

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Lake Tundae

• 1955
• 125 ft wide by 500 ft long
• Boulevard of Dreams to oasis on the lake

• Evaporative loss of 410,000 cubic feet per year
• Connected to Soda Lake aquifer
• Dredged every 10 years
• Stocked with Mojave Chub

http//www.smugmug.com/community/Desert/keyword/oa
sis4859641
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Media Outreach

• Published a newsletter
• Broadcast a daily radio show

-Folksy religious and health philosophies -At
its peak, carried by 221 US stations and 102 in
other countries
http//www.consumerreports.org/cro/resources/image
s/aboutus/mission/viewpoint/fightingforastrongorga
niclabel0602/0602vie001.jpg
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Miraculous Cures?

• Urged listeners to send donations for miraculous
  healings
• Minor and major ailments
• Potions to all 50 states and overseas
• Bread, cereal, tea, and bath salts
• Hollywood Pep Tonic
• Antediluvian Desert Herb Tea

• 1969 American Medical Association gave Springer
  the title King of Quacks

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Guests

• Short-term visitors
• Retirees
• Donors of large sums of money allowed to build
  homes

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Signs of Trouble

• Complaints about products
• Seriously ill people far from medical care
• Los Angeles Times raised awareness
• Convicted of false advertising
• 49 days in jail
• Charged with tax evasion
• by IRS

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Eviction

• Land not used for mining

• April 1974 BLM gave Springer and his wife 36
  hours to vacate the property
• Springer offered 34,187 in back rent - refused
• Springer spent a few months in jail
• Retired to Las Vegas and died there 1985 at age
  88

http//www.milkclub.org/eviction.gif
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Into the Present. . .

• 1976 Desert Studies Center founded
• California State University system granted
  renewable lease to run as research and education
  facility
• Buildings nominated for the National Register of
  Historic Places
• 6,000 students and researchers annually

http//biology.fullerton.edu/facilities/dsc/images
/zz_dscpond.jpg
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Resources

• http//digital-desert.com/zzyzx/
• http//www.wordways.com/zzyzx.htm
• http//www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/moja/ad
  hi2b.htm
• http//www.answers.com/topic/curtis-howe-springer
• http//catlin.casinocitytimes.com/articles/14271.h
  tml
• http//www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id114841
  1
• http//hegel.lewiscenter.org/users/mhuffine/subpro
  jects/Student20Led20Research/chubworld/currentre
  fugia.htm
• http//www.calstate.edu/pa/clips2007/january/3jan/
  desert.shtml