It was April of 1912 when the two oldest of five Achabal brothers, Segundo and Fermin, came from Viscaya, Spain and settled on a ranch In Malheur County Oregon, 15 miles north of McDermitt, Nevada. Eventually it was up to the two only surviving brothers, Ygnacio and Cleto, to operate the family ranch. The Achabal Bros Ranch, today known as the Etchart Ranch, has now been in the same family for 102 years.
Maria Dolores Bilbao, whose mother had died when she was three, came from Gavica, Spain to join her father, already working for Achabal Brothers Ranch, and eventually married Ygnacio Achabal. They had three children that they raised on the ranch-the oldest was Adolfa (AJ) who owned the Boise Winnemucca Stages that until a few years ago made two trips a day from Boise to Winnemucca. Although the Winnemucca route no longer exists, the bus line is still owned and operated by Cleto Achabal with headquarters in Spokane, Washington. The youngest of the three children was Jesusa (Jupie) of Winnemucca. Their middle child was Avelina (Avie), the mother of McDermitt Combined School Alumni-sisters-Darlene Albisu and Amorita Maher.
Darlene and Amorita's dad, David Etchart, was born on a ranch in Golconda, Nevada to John and Gracianne Etchart, along with six siblings-John, Mary, George, Grace, and Bennie, all older than David, and his younger sister, Yvonne. David's family originated on the other side of the Pyrenees from the Achabal's, in the provinces known as the French Basque. They later owned Etchart Machinery in Winnemucca.
David met Avie when she and his sister, Yvonne, became good friends and they were married in 1946. In 1947 they moved to the Achabal Bros Ranch where David worked for Ygnacio and Cleto. Their first child, David Etchart Jr. (MHS 1964) (Humboldt Sun Spotlight-September 2007) was a year old, and Darlene joined the family in 1948.
Darlene was homeschooled along with her brother until he was in the 6th and she a 5th grader. At that time David and Avie moved into McDermitt, leased a building on the Oregon/Nevada border; opened the original Ideal Market; and enrolled their two oldest children in the McDermitt Combined School. Amorita, born in 1953, was only three at that time.
Darlene believes that she had excellent teachers during her school days. She attended junior high in what is now the McDermitt Library and in high school she was a cheerleader and says that she was "Inspired" by her government/social studies teacher Frank Oxborrow. At that time the high school library was in a room off of the 'old gym' and it was there she heard the announcement that President John F Kennedy had been assassinated. She remembers that Humboldt County School nurse Mary Lou Minor also had an office that opened out of the old gym, and that her Home EC teacher was Joyce Burr.
Amorita attended McDermitt Combined School all of her 12 years of school. She recalls that for some reason her 3rd grade class was bussed to the old grade school on the Oregon side of McDermitt and she thought that was fun. In high school she was also a cheerleader and as women's sports were just starting, the girls played intramural volleyball. She had Mr. Nish for math and business; Liz Landis for Home EC; and Cheryl Lawrence for poetry and drama. Amorita confesses that she was a worry to her parents because she was a whole lot less serious about school than her older siblings!
Darlene graduated in 1965 as Valedictorian in a class of 12 and followed her older brother to Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon at only 16 years of age! Terribly home sick to start with, Darlene graduated from the University in education-majoring in History with a minor in English. Returning to McDermitt from OSU, Darlene taught History, P.E. and junior high classes in 69-70, and began dating Frank Albisu (MHS 1963). She had a particular interest in one of her students-younger sister Amorita! Amorita says, "At noon we often had 'sister' lunch, at the State Line Café". One day Amorita began to study during their meal for a history test that she had to take that afternoon. Darlene informed her 'student' that that it was too late to 'cram' for a test, in her class, at that late date!
Serious student or not, Amorita graduated as Salutatorian in 1971, and enrolled that fall at Treasure Valley Community College. After two years she transferred to her siblings Alma Mater-OSU-where she earned an education degree with English as a major and a business minor. Amorita had met Steve Maher from Jordan Valley, Oregon when she was a junior in high school. They began dating in 1971 and were married in 1975 after she finished college. They lived on the site of the old Sheaville store and post office while Steve worked with his dad, Charlie Maher, at their ranch on Succor Creek just north of Jordan Valley. They were there 3 years and when Charlie sold the ranch they moved to Bruneau, Idaho for 2 years to a farm they leased, before rejoining Charlie in Emmett, Idaho where they helped him run the Emmett Valley Livestock Sale Yard the next three years.
Frank was working for Harney Electric when he and Darlene married in 1970. Darlene retired from teaching and when their son, Rich (MHS 1990 Salutatorian), was born in 1972 they moved out to the Etchart Ranch. Rich now lives on Black Canyon Road near New Plymouth, Idaho and is a trouble man for Idaho Power. The family spent the next 10 years at the ranch and their second son Blaine (MHS 1992 Salutatorian), was born in 1974. Blaine lives in New Plymouth; runs a crew for Idaho Power; and is the father of Frank and Darlene's three grandchildren. In 1980 Darlene 'unretired' to substitute teach in the junior high, later signing a contract with the Humboldt County School District to teach half days. In 1983 the Albisu's moved back into town when Frank went to work at the Amex Mine, and Darlene began full time in the English and Drama Department where she remained until retiring-leaving a legacy of grateful students who are happy for the English background they received at MHS!
Steve and Amorita were at the Etchart Ranch for eleven years, starting in the mid 80's, before deciding to buy a place of their own at Pleasant Valley, Idaho a few miles east of Jordan Valley. There was a terrible drought so a year later they leased the ranch out and Amorita began her career teaching sophomore and senior English at Lowry High School in Winnemucca while Steve worked for Leland Miller at Paradise Valley, Nevada. Their daughter, Mary, born in 1978, didn't graduate from MHS, but she married Sonny Bengoa (MHS 1992). They live in Battle Mountain on a 300 plus acre farm that they supplement with Mary as a physical therapist and Sonny working for the county road department. They are the parents of two boys. Reme, born in 1980, also married a McDermitt Alumni-Ryan Huttman (MHS 1998 Salutatorian). They too, live in Battle Mountain, where Reme will soon begin her student teaching, following in her mom and Aunt Darlene's footsteps. Ryan is a trouble shooter for Nevada Energy, and they have one son. Steve and Amorita's son, Tim (MHS 2006), born in 1988, works in Kings River, but will one day take over the operation of the family ranch.
When the Maher's moved back to the Etchart Ranch 14 years ago, it was to stay. It hasn't been easy as 13 of those years have been drought years. In the spring of 2012 a lightning strike began a range fire that took part of the late summer grazing range, and threatened the 90 year old ranch house and other dwellings, but they were saved by family, neighbors, and members of the McDermitt Fire Department. In July lightning ignited what would become the Long Draw Fire that burned about 500,000 acres. It took their spring and fall range, but the cattle were safe on Oregon Canyon. Ten days later the cattle were compromised again by the Holloway Fire which originated in the Kings River Valley. Kings River Ranch and Tree Top Ranch helped gather the cattle and drive them to safety, but most of the summer range was gone and would not be usable for at least two years. It was difficult to watch as the cattle that had always been on the ranch, were marched up the chute and on to trucks that took them to West Fall, Oregon the next spring. However, with a true rancher 'Never Give Up!' attitude they were able to keep the cattle on the ranch this spring and recently started a new farm venture near the Achabal Bros/Etchart Ranch that the family has run for over a century. Amorita says that, "The original rock buildings, that are standing tall and in good repair, bear the dreams and sweat of our Basque immigrant family", and they accept the challenge to make this small ranch work in the middle of a changing climate and an evolving industry. She looks forward to the time when their extended family and future generations will enjoy the history and reality of this ranch that is a part of who they are.
Amorita began teaching junior high language arts; ESL K-12; and high school proficiency English at McDermitt Combined School. Darlene says that teaching with her sister was 'heaven' and she nor Amorita could imagine teaching without the other-so except for their community contributions, including organizing the 101 year old Twin States Stampede Rodeo, they retired together in 2011.
Amorita says that she is glad that she was able to live elsewhere for a while and feels her 6 years of teaching at Lowry shaped and defined her as a teacher. While she believes that the years away were important, it was nice to come back to McDermitt, and she enjoyed her 12 years there. She would tell the kids at school now, "You have to want your education and take responsibility for getting it, and then enjoy the benefits!"
Darlene thoroughly enjoyed her 30 years of teaching in McDermitt-"It was a satisfying career, and many students touched my life". She would remind the MHS students today, "Taking an active role in your education, and responsibility for that incentive, is critical to you future success!"
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