George Swain (walker)
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George Wood Swain (1919–2000) was a local legend from Boron, California. His nickname was "Walking George."
He had penchant for walking that made him a legend among locals, in the Los Angeles Times, and even on national television. George earned his name as "Walking George" because he never owned a car, or home, and walked to and from work — from his home, which was always rumored to be just a hole in the desert. He supposedly kept himself warm at night with a covering of newspapers. His wardrobe was always the same, wrinkled shirt and pants, well-worn boots. He died on April 25, 2000.[1]
George Swain's life began on October 22, 1919, in Los Angeles, California and spent his early years in Santa Monica and Glendale. His father was a retired Marine Corps captain, and his mother, who was a lover of music, taught George organ and piano. They later moved to Northern California. The family lived first in Santa Cruz and later in San Jose.[2][3] As a child he attended schools in the San Jose area. George joined the Army in 1940, serving in World War II in the 87th Infantry. After the war, he took a three-month course in chemical analysis at Stanford University and then was hired by U.S. Borax.
Boron
George used to say that he arrived in Boron, California, to work at U.S. Borax, by train at 4 a.m. on the fourth day of the fourth month in 1944 (4/4/44). He worked his entire life at the Borax plant, never marrying.[4] He planned on retiring on August 8, 1988 (8/8/88), but instead retired in 1986.[3][5] Before retiring he could always quote the exact number of days he had been on the job and the number of days planned until retirement. George retired from U.S. Borax as #3 Mule (meaning third in seniority) a position he held for the three years prior to his retirement.
During his years in Boron George never seemed to have a home. It was rumored that he lived in the desert, sleeping outside or in a ramshackle hut of boxes, but according to the Los Angeles Daily News he lived in free workers' cabins until 1961. He continued to quietly stay in the abandoned Borax cabins, or in colder weather at the Boron Motel until 1993, which was seven years after his retirement. After 1993 he stayed at the motel or house-sat for friends.[6][7] He regularly ate at the Borax mine cafeteria or the local cafes, often eating two entire meals at a sitting. He showered at the mine. George was usually clean-shaven, but often had long hairs around his neck.
