The town of Oro Grande, dates back to 1852 with the founding of a trading post along the Mojave River. Gold mining operations began shortly after. First known as “Upper Crossing,” and then “Halleck,” Oro Grande was later named after the first mine found nearby. The name literally means “big gold” in Spanish. The history …
If you sometimes find yourself driving on California State Highway 62, in Morongo Valley, between Palm Springs and Parker, Arizona, then you’ve been by Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, and maybe didn’t even know it was there. Once considered a secret hideaway by Native Americans and later settlers alike, the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve is a…
Dateline: March 10, 2012… The Associated Press–“Dr. Robert Schuller and his wife Arvella announced “with great sadness” Saturday that they resigned from the board of directors of the Crystal Cathedral, the televangelist ministry he founded four decades ago in Garden Grove, California, and made famous through his “Hour of Power” television program. Their resignation was…
Harper Dry Lake bed in the Mojave Desert was the site of secret flight test programs conducted by the Hughes & Northrop aircraft companies during the 1940s, including the first flight by an American rocket-propelled aircraft. Howard Hughes tested aircraft and built a hangar here. Years later, it was decided Harper Dry Lake was the best place to launch the space shuttle’s heir apparent, the Lockheed Martin Venture Star…
The quaint village of Joshua Tree has more to offer than just its magnificent National Park. That’s quite the tall order, you say? Meet 20 ft tall Big Josh, formerly known as The Mecca Cowboy who stood in front of Poor Richard’s Pawn Shop and Mini Mart since 1965. He now lives at The Station,…
Learning about the desert is essential, not only for your enjoyment but your safety too. We offer advice about interesting places to explore, including history and tips to make your trip fun. Please remember the desert is not your friend. It could have deadly consequences. A little planning ahead goes a long way.
Remember, some of the graves are hard to see until you get almost right on top of them. Never drive your vehicle where graves may be present. Please do not walk on top of graves. Some have soft earth on them and the unforgiving desert may want to swallow you up…
At the northwest corner of Waalew Road and Dale Evans Parkway in Apple Valley, just across the road from the Los Ranchos Mobile Home Park, is a vacant piece of desert with a few cement foundations and a smattering of trees near Bell Mountain. Next time you drive by there you might want to know…
Note: We gave a presentation about this subject on September 14, 2023, to the Big Bear Historical Society. This article is the culmination of a month’s long research project. We also debuted a video, which we plan to upload to our YouTube channel. Our warmest thanks goes to historians Anne Roark, Jonni Vindiola, Mark Durban,…
We were lucky enough to follow along some of Union Pacific steam locomotive Big Boy 4014’s historic journey as it passed through the Mojave Desert from Colton, California to Cheyenne, Wyoming for restoration. Much to the delight of railfans like us, Big Boy’s first scheduled stop was at scenic Mormon Rocks in the Cajon Pass.
Big Boy’s next stop was The Harvey House Railroad Depot in Barstow, originally known as the Casa del Desierto. It was Big Boy’s first visit in 50 years. Would the bittersweet reunion be its last?
