Who'd Buy a Town?	< 1973-1974 . 1974-1980 . 1980-1987 >
1974 to 1980 - Dave & Barbara Moss / Kenny & Judy Porter

Dave Moss was always on the lookout for interesting investments. Tortilla Flat caught his eye when the Mungers put the town up for sale. It wasn't long before Dave, his wife Barbara (now Schultz), and Barbara's brother and sister-in-law, Kenny and Judy Porter, were the new, proud owners.

The Mosses and Porters were the first to bring in antiques and give the town an Old West appearance. They had a feeling an Old West air would appeal to tourists, and put up facades of old barn planks to create a Western look. Since the Forest Service owns the land, there are regulations to follow concerning what can be done with the buildings. At the start, the Forest Service officials wanted the Western facades taken down and the stucco facades restored. But the officials took the time to talk with the Mosses and Porters, and also with the tourists, and eventually became convinced an Old West atmosphere would be good for the tourist trade. The look was there to stay.

Barbara and Judy appreciated the simple pleasures life afforded at Tortilla Flat. After the restaurant and store were closed for the day there was still time to sit on the porch and enjoy quiet, peaceful evenings. No need to worry about the next day until it came. Barbara especially relished having no phone.

Before the buildings were remodeled in the Old West style, they weren't weather-tight in some places. Occasionally, more than weather got inside. One particular Sunday the restaurant was packed, as usual. The Mosses and Porters were up to their eyeballs in orders and dinner plates. A women caught Barbara's attention and called Barbara over to her table. The women, unruffled and pleasant, calmly said, "Y ou might want to get the snake out of that chair." She pointed to a chair at a neighboring table. A split second after another customer had vacated the chair, a snake had fallen --plop-- from the rafters above. Fortunately, patrons no longer get "drop in" guests at their tables.

Another busy summer day, Judy was running the register.

A line of people were waiting to pay their checks or purchase gifts. Judy noticed a strange-looking fellow in line. When he reached the counter, she saw he wasn't wearing a shirt and kept one hand in his pants' pocket. The man looked at her for a moment, then said, "Gimme a six-pack and all your money. I have a gun." Judy, impatient at the delay in waiting on her customers, thought, I have no time for this, and angrily replied, "You have no gun, no shirt, so get out!" The man, stunned at her bold response, left without incident. Aside from rare episodes as the one just mentioned, the Mosses and Porters truly enjoyed the variety of visitors who came to their little town. Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken, dressed in pin striped suit and his trademark string tie, dropped by with his wife. They bought lots of things in the gift shop. Dave Moss rang the bells that hung above the register to announce 'The Colonel's here,' but the Colonel shushed Dave, as though he thought he could go around without anyone recognizing him.

People from back East would come and be astounded at the scenery, and how dark it would get at night. A man from New Jersey stopped in one day close to closing and rented a room. He'd lived in the city all his life and couldn't get over how dark the night was. He said he hadn't seen anything like it. Apparently he liked it well enough, because he came back on regular visits.

As with every owner in Tortilla Flat's colorful history, the Mosses and Porters had their share of prospectors and hopefuls come through on their way to find the Lost Dutchman mine. Frank Campbell was one of these. He'd come out from Idaho every year, rent a room in town, and spend weeks searching for the mine. Frank said he'd once found the Lost Dutchman mine when he was a young man, but could never find it again. Those of you who might have an itch to try your hand at finding the famed mine, keep in mind the stories every owner, to date, has told. The Lost Dutchman mine seems determined to stay lost.

Without meaning to, American author John Steinbeck boosted Tortilla Flat's fame when he wrote his book, "Tortilla Flat." The Mosses and Porters kept the novel on hand in the gift shop. Even though they informed customers Tortilla Flat, Arizona wasn't the same Tortilla Flat of Steinbeck's book, they literally sold the book by cases and had a hard time keeping it in stock.

Even New Woman magazine added to Tortilla Flat's renown. One if their premier issues featured an article about Barbara Moss as mayor and Judy Porter as sheriff of Tortilla Flat.

Dave, Barbara, Kenny, and Judy agree their lives were enriched by their time in Tortilla Flat. It was a good experience for them plus a fun place to live. Even so, the time came when they wanted to move on to other adventures and challenges. The Mosses and Porters sold Tortilla Flat to the next owners in 1980.