Your opinions/experiences on Barstow, Daggett, Yermo, etc.? (Riverside, Carson: homes, construction)

[Brandon Graves]

Okay, here are some more small towns that are WAY out there in the San Bernardino County portion of the High Desert that I'd like to know about! They are... Big River, Bluewater, Cadiz, Cima, Earp, Essex, Goffs, Halloran Springs, Hodge, Kramer Junction, Nebo Center, Vidal, Vidal Junction, and Zzyzx.

These are all the small towns that I'd like to know about! What do any of you guys know about any of them? Inquiring minds would like to know...

[Brandon Graves]

By the way, according to the Wikipedia article of Halloran Springs, it says that as of the end of 2014, it seems to bear a population of only ONE!

[AFtrEFkt]

Originally Posted by Brandon Graves

Okay, here are some more small towns that are WAY out there in the San Bernardino County portion of the High Desert that I'd like to know about! They are... Big River, Bluewater, Cadiz, Cima, Earp, Essex, Goffs, Halloran Springs, Hodge, Kramer Junction, Nebo Center, Vidal, Vidal Junction, and Zzyzx.

[Brandon Graves]

Really? That's all I need to know about all of those small towns? There's got to be more background info on them... Heard of it, never seen the show.

[Maliblue]

Most of these aren't really "towns". They are census-designated places of about 1-10 people (maybe 20-30 in the metropolises on your list), which consist mainly of a truck stop or gas station, plus a road with a few trailers and ramshackle shacks on it.

Some are old mining towns for long-defunct mines (which still present opportunities to be fallen into), some were settled by Oakies during the Dust Bowl era, who quickly learned you can't farm out there (some of their grandchildren, now middle aged and on SSDI all their lives, still live there), some never had any center of commerce at all besides the gas station or truck stop.

There are more abandoned structures (often just foundations) in these towns than inhabited ones. They are far from all services like medical, fire, and police. They do not have schools or business districts. There is literally nothing to do in any of them but bake in the sun, take lots of drugs, or wait to die. You could take advantage of the terrain if you are into dirt biking or hiking, but with summer temperatures around 110 degrees, you may just elect to stay home and watch old reruns of Cops on TV. Except for the places on the outskirts of Barstow, buying groceries means a lengthy drive in most cases (30-45 minutes), a movie theater or sporting event even longer.

There are a disproportionate number of sex offenders in these places, due to the complete absence of schools and parks. Outlaw bikers, meth cooks, and other riff raff tend to favor these out-of-sight places. Unless you stay home all the time and own guns, expect to be burglarized repeatedly. Your neighbors, if you have any, will generally either hate most people and not get involved with you, or will be too willing to get involved in your life and never leave you alone. Some others will be lowest-rung undocumented immigrants.

Some are interesting places to visit if you are an urban-explorer type who specializes in run-down rural desert locations. If you like looking at ghost towns that are nothing more than foundations, or if abandoned motels and service stations interest you, they are worth a trip if you plan to visit several in one day (none is worth a visit on its own). But only very 'special' people choose to live there. Or those with no choice.

Barstow itself is the closest thing you'll find to a city among those places. And it is frequently cited as a candidate for "worst city in California"; much of what I just wrote is true about Barstow too.

[cyberfx1024]

Originally Posted by Brandon Graves

Really? That's all I need to know about all of those small towns? There's got to be more background info on them... Heard of it, never seen the show.

Go take a look because there is nothing really to look at in the towns. They are very small maybe at most a few dozen and the least 1-5 people. I have been to all of those places because of my job and I don't want to stay to long if you know what I mean.

[CrazyManCrazy]

Ok Brandon, this is what I know. Big River and Earp are small communities across the river from Parker Az. Earp was named after Wyatt Earp who lived there. When I was a kid his cabin/house was still standing sort of, for anyone to explore and look at. Cadiz is an old Railroad siding and water stop. Now I believe they grow a bunch of produce there since they discovered one of the largest ancient water aquifers in the area. Cadiz is south of Chambliss on old 66. Cima is an old Railroad siding as well and served as a General Store and Post Office for the many Cattlemen, Miners, Hunters and Homesteaders in the east Mojave. I can remember going to the general store there when I was a kid. Essex was a going concern when 66 was the route. It has been bypassed by the I-40. Goffs was another Railroad water stop with a well at 1000 feet or so. Goffs was also an early Old Trails, 66 stop for travelers and the local ranchers, miners, homesteaders and railroad workers. I believe it was bypassed when they realigned 66 in the late 1940's. There was a school there and a telephone. Hummingbird One was the number for Goffs if I remember right. Hodge is on old 66 between Lenwood and Helendale along the Mojave River. Named after the Hodge Ranch. The old silo still can be seen. There was a school which is private residence now and there was a Post Office at Hinkley Road and 66. Kramer Junction or "Four Corners" is at the 58-395. It is a stop for travelers. The Kramer Hills were at one time an important mining district. Nebo is at the Marine Base in Barstow. Zzyzx is an old health spa at the end of the Mojave at Soda Lake. Water everywhere. An old preacher, named Doc Springer built Zzyzx as a health spa. "Zzyzx" meaning the last word in health. The laws eventually took the land away from him because he had only a mining claim for the place. But...if you have ever seen Zzyzx you will understand why they took it. It is a real oasis. I took a tour of it years ago and it was incredible. Water flowing with pools, ponds and lakes, trees and an abundance of wildlife. Originally named Soda Springs it was an important area for the Natives and then the Pioneers taking the old Mojave Trail. I hope this helps. And I hope my info and memory is correct. Many of these places were either sidings or water stops for the old steam locomotives. The prime example being Kelso which still sports a very nicely restored Union Pacific Depot. With time , services, travel and technology got better, and these little stops were not needed anymore. Bypassed by either I-40 or the I-15. Trains went to diesel. Did'nt need to take on water. And of course the seizure of the east Mojave by the Feds didn't help matters either. Running out the miners, cattlemen and homesteaders. Thank you Alan Cranston and Diane Feinstein....If you would look at an old map of the area you will see all kinds of little places. Siam, Bagdad, Lavic, Klinefelter, Homer, Harvard, Mannix, Hutt, etc. Many were just Railroad sites or sidings. Many were railroad sites that grew to accommodate the travelers on the roads that followed the tracks since there was usually water available and telegraph or telephone service. You have to remember, it was tough to get across the desert back then.

[MarciaMarshaMarcia]

Good descriptions, CrazyMan. Essex was a train stop. It had a passenger station...it got restored some years back, really nice old building. Or maybe I confused that with Kelso. There are some amazing sand dunes, the Kelso dunes, nearby.

Oh, & there was Ludlow. A friend of mine worked at the gas station out there for a summer job. He had to stay out there. He wrote me a letter every day, he was so bored.

[Brandon Graves]

So, even Afton, Bannock, Basin, Beacon Station, Bush, Chubbuck, Copper City, Cox, Crucero, Danby, Elora, Fenner, Glasgow, Hart, Hayden, Hector, Ibis, Ivanpah, Joshua, Kerens, Klondike, Kramer Hills, Lanfair, Lockhart, Mars, Midland, Midway, Milligan, Minneola, Mojave Base, Old Dale, Pisgah, Ragtown, Rainbow Wells, Renoville, Rice, Saltus, Siberia, and Valjean are all either just ghost towns, railroad towns, or sidings?

I know, long list!...

[AFtrEFkt]

Wow...Saltus. Can't miss Saltus! Is it on the map right before, uh, Rice?