Forgotten Destinations

Thursday, September 8, 2016

Town of Newberry Springs

abandoned house

Article and pictures by Natasha Petrosova

The History of Newberry Springs can be dated back to 20, 000yerars. Digs at the Early Man site found tools here dating prior to 20, 000 BC. Back in a day , most of this land was covered by the prehistoric Lake Manix. then, around 18, 000 BC , a massive earthquake caused the lake to be drained through what is now known as Afton Canyon , also known as a Grand Canyon of the Mojave. Early humans are thought to lived and hunted here where the swamps and marshes remained. Because of a lot of water and food the region was inhabited throughout the centuries by various indigenous peoples . Modern man now enjoys the underground water source for both agriculture and recreation .

First settlers discovered the oasis following old Indian trails. It was in 1885, shortly after Santa Fe railroad laid tracks here, that the site began to supply potable water for arid points east, filling the tanks at section houses used by the steam locomotives. at that time the town was called Water. The completion of Route 66 further helped the area to grow. The town by then was called Newberry. Its water supply was a welcome respite for travelers on Route 66. 1950s were Newberry's hey-days and the town had five gas stations, four motels , five cafes, three bars, one grocery store, a general store and even a public swimming pool. During this period , Walter Knott, of Knott's Berry Farm , contracted with local farmers here to supply the chickens for his famous restaurant in Buena Park. In 1967 The town's name was changed from Newberry to Newberry Springs because the original name was causing confusion with mail often ending up in Newberry Park, California.

After Interstate 40 was completed it was a deathblow to Newberry Springs as well as many small towns along Route 66. Today Newberry Springs serves local and adventurous people who wander off the Interstate. It is a nice stop for rest and refreshments. Newberry Springs is also famous for its Bagdad Cafe from 1988 movie of the same name and serves as one of the road site attractions.

abandoned houses

It seems that someone was building this house and then juts stopped

this dog from near by house was following us , i fell in love with him and wanted to take him home.

would of been nice kitchen

living room

Bagdad cafe from the movie "Bagdad Cafe"

abandoned motel from the movie "Bagdad Cafe "

pitbull behind the fence on a metal chain seemed dangerous

abandoned gas station

abandoned house

interior

bedroom , we had a feeling that someone started living here

kitchen?

outside shower

fire place on a patio was a nice touch

front patio

Monday, September 5, 2016

Off the Map: Ghost Town Bagdad Story

Off the Map : Bagdad Ghost Town Story
Article and Photography by Natasha Petrosova

Bagdad is a ghost town along the Historic Route 66. The town got its name in 1883 when the Southern Pacific Railroad named the station after Baghdad, Iraq (sans the "h") because of its similar inhospitable climate. The post office in this town was opened in 1889 and during those times the town was bustled with activity. It had a telegraph office, hotels, school , library and a Harvey House restaurant.

Bagdad became an important stop along the train route . Water was brought from near by Newberry Springs daily in 20-car trains. The Bagdad stop also provided coal and fuel oil . During mining boom 1900-1910 Bagdad was a station used to ship out product from the Orange Blossom and War Eagle mines. At the time of its boom, Bagdad had about 600 residents .

When the mining in the area played out, Bagdad started to decline. A fire of 1918 destroyed some wooden buildings. In 1923 the post office was closed and in 1937 the library closed. Former Bagdad's residents still remember the town's hey- days when Bagdad Cafe was the only place for miles around to get a drink and a dance floor. It was known as a lively place back in a day.

Since Iraq invaded Kuwait, many photographers, explorers and curious motorists passing through the Mojave Desert stop to ask the way to Bagdad, California , the little ghost town that was named after the Middle Eastern capital. There is a mark on a map that shows the location of the city , but no one can find it. So where is it? Well, Bagdad is no longer . The town completely faded into history. The last buildings were demolished in 1991. All that is left of this town is the memories. I guess the mark on a map is for acknowledgement and historical significance , just to say, yes, once there was a town named Bagdad.

Bagdad Cafe was an inspiration for 1988 movie of the same name. However, the film was shot at the Spiderwinder Cafe in Newberry Springs , that later changed its name to Bagdad Cafe.

Bagdad Cafe from the movie is still functioning and it serves as a lovely stop for tourists and visitors. It's a great place to stop for refreshments. The motel from the movie still stands but it is abandoned .

One interesting fact about Bagdad that it stands true to its name and reputation being inhospitable . From October 3, 1912 to November 8, 1914 the town Bagdad was known as the driest place ever in the United States - 767 days without a drop of rain.

the motel from the movie "Bagdad Cafe", Newberry Springs

motel interior

Root 66

Thursday, September 1, 2016

Ghost Town Garlock

The town of Garlock had several names throughout its history. It had been named El Paso and Cow Wells back in 1889s. The Californian began calling the town Eugeneville in 1896 , and Los Angeles Daily Times article call the town Garlock in 1898. Both Eugeneville and Garlock are named after the Tehachapi businessman Eugene Garlock who put an eight-stamp mill at the location in 1895.

The first mill in Garlock opened in 1896 and with enough demand , there were 5 additional mills that were built. During this time Randsburg was growing strong but there wasn't a mill in Randsburg, so the ore from Randsburg was shipped to Garlock for processing.

Garlock experienced its hey-days in 1899 and Garlock's population grew up to several hundred residents. There were never many buildings in Garlock but they had a school-house also serving as a church, and meeting place for social groups. The post office operated in Garlock from 1896-1904, and again from 1923-1936.

By the end of 1903 Garlock was coming to the end. The residents had packed and moved and the town was deserted. The mills at Garlock still possessed a small amount of ore until 1907. However, the addition of the mill at the Yellow Aster Mine in Randsburg was ultimately the cause of death for Garlock.

Today some of the buildings in Garlock stand on a private property and have been fenced to keep the vandals out. A few others are free to be visited and explored. The ruins of Garlock can be found on Garlock's road , accessible either from hwy 395 or hwy 14. the town of Garlock is California Landmark #671 and a site of Garlock is marked by the plaque that reads " In 1896, Eugene Garlock constructed a stamp mill near this spot to crush gold ore from the Yellow Aster Mine on Rand Mountain. Known originally as Cow Wells by prospectors and freighters during the 1880s and early 1890s, the town of Garlock continued to thrive until 1898, when water was piped from here to Randsburg and the Kramer-Randsburg rail line was completed".

Perhaps one on the notorious facts about Garlock is "Burro" Schmidt tunnel. Starting in 1902, William H. Schmidt , also known as "Burro" Schmidt, spent 32 years
digging a half-mile-long tunnel through a desert hill for no apparent reason . William Henry Schmidt was born in Woonsocket Rhode Island in 1871. He came to California in 1894 and prospected around Kern County . He finally established several claims in the el Paso Mountains near Last Chance Canyon. There was no convenient way to get his ore to transportation center at Mojave or to the mills in Randsburg or Garlock. So in 1906 he began digging a tunnel thru Copper Mountain to provide access to the Garlock Mills. At some point during the first few yeas of digging the mission became less goal oriented and more of an obsession. In 1920 a road was completed from Last Chance Canyon to Mojave. But Schmidt could not stop digging due to his obsession, he continued to dig until 1938 when the daylight was finally observed at the far end of a more than 200-foot tunnel. By this time Schmidt had moved manually 5800 tons of rock to complete his work. He never used this tunnel to move his ore. He died in January 1954 in Ridgecrest, CA.

In 1940 Schmidt's efforts were recorded . They wrote, "Wm.
H. Schmidt spent 32 years boring thru a mountain. The greatest one man achievement in history".

The tunnel is about a mile long and offers a nice , cool temperature on the hot summer days.

References:
He conquered the mountain with pick and shovel, by Roger Vargo: http://explorehistoricalif.com/ehc_legacy/may2014.html

Garlock Ghost Town: http://digital-desert.com/garlock/

W. H. Schmidt in his later years: photo courtesy http://explorehistoricalif.com/ehc_legacy/may2014.html

Entrance to Burro Schmit tunnel

Ruins of Garlock

Abandoned Cabin

Interior

a cabin with a flag pole , but no flag

Garlock's plaque

Monday, August 29, 2016

Randsburg mining district: Part III: Ransdburg - A Living Ghost Town

Article and Photography by Natasha Petrosova

Today , Randsburg is a living Ghost Town where people are nice and antiques are cheap. It accounts for about 200 Residents. Near by towns Johannesburg and Red Mountain also have full-time residents, 50 and 100 respectively. The whole area really comes to live once a year on the third Saturday of September when Ransburg holds its annual "Old West Days" event. Hundreds of people attend the event each year and this sleepy town in Mojave desert comes to live full of fun and enjoyment . It was our second time visiting Randsburg. The first time we came here about a week prior to the event. We walked empty streets , took pictures and did not meet any residents. Businesses were close and it seemed that the town was deserted. This time , we came back for an event. The town was full of people and businesses were open. We enjoyed live music , classic car shows , watching square dancers and last but not least old west gun show demonstrations. This event is a lot of fun for a whole family. It is free to attend and even parking is free. We met a few locals. Most of Randsburg residents are seniors. The owner of a Photo Studio , Tom O' Donell, told us stories about working in the mines. We asked him about life in Randsburg. Tom told us that in order to live here , so far from everything, one must be able to do everything on his/her own. There is no service to call to come and fix the problem. Electric problems, plumbing etc, has to be fixed by residents. Of course, he added, for a few beers the neighbors would come and help, but you can not always depend on neighbors, you have to be self-sufficient. Tom makes everything he can by himself , he even prepares his own batter.

Randsburg serves as a stop for numerous explorers, photographers , and tourists. Randsburg is definitely a place to see and visit . It is impressive how this area still goes on . What i like the best about Randsburg is that the residents did a great job keeping a town exactly how it was a century ago. It's a good feeling to walk around a town while feeling a local pride and that you are welcome here. Randsburg residents take a pride in sharing their colorful past with visitors, living in the houses as electrical as they are. The gold petered, so did the population but the town's spirit continues to live on.