Chris H. Matson -- Yellow Aster Saloon The first mention of Chris Matson in Randsburg is found in an April 1896 edition of the Bakersfield Daily Californian which stated that G. W. Ham was in charge of designing and constructing a building for C. Matson which was to be used as a short order restaurant and saloon. On May 4, 1896 Kern County issued C. Matson a liquor license for a saloon in Randsburg. In December of 1896 it was reported that the post office was being moved into Chris Matsons building. It is believed that Mr. Matson had a saloon in “Pioneer Camp” and was probably one of the three saloons that were listed in a June report on the town to the Daily Californian A photograph in the collection of the Rand Desert Museum shows the Yellow Aster short order as being next to the post office on Rand St. Based on these facts the author believes that the name of Mr. Matsons saloon was the Yellow Aster. At this time The Yellow Aster Mining and Milling Co. had not been founded, although one of the original claims of the group was called the Yellow Aster. The company originally was known as the Rand Mining Company. After settling their legal disputes in November of 1897 they changed the name, as other companies were using the name Rand. They stated in the Daily Californian, that: Of necessity we have had to change the original name of Rand Mining Company, the one selected by us in 1895, because of the appropriation and repeated use by several incorporations in the district, and because of their standing in the market. Shares in these corporations have sold and are now being offered at the price of one cent per share. Hence that no bad results or disastrous complications may arise in the future, we have to give up the name we originated and find another. Chris Matson was 30 years old when he came to Randsburg in 1896. A native of Denmark, he became a naturalized citizen in 1893 in Kern County Ca. Chris stayed in business in Randsburg until around 1902. 3 The C. Matson piece shown below is a brass piece measuring 21mm in diameter. It is blank on the reverse. The author has only seem two of these pieces one which he acquired from Rom and Jan Austin of Austin’s Antiques in Randsburg, and the other which was found by Wayne Threckeld of Bakersfield, while metal detecting in the vicinity of the old jail in Randsburg. This is believed to be the oldest of the Randsburg tokens.
Posted on: Sun, 16 Nov 2014 03:36:27 +0000