A closer look at Desert Center & vicinity

[TPC]

We all drive by this and there is more out there than you might think.
Interesting video:

 

[boatnam2]

pretty cool.

 

[franky]

Thanks, that was a great video, I had no idea...

 

[havasu5150]

I think a major fuel stop/restaurant would make a killing

 

[charlyox]

Cool video. Nice editing .hanks for sharing.

 

[outboardrick]

When I was a kid, my uncle and his family lived and worked at Eagle Mountain which is the Kaiser mine next to Desert Center. We visited a few times and it was a fairly nice community.
My uncle always had a dream of owning a gas station and when he retired from the mine he opened or bought a station in Desert Center. Not long after, a couple of punks came in at night and stole some stuff and he chased them out into the desert and they killed him.

 

[TPC]

I think a major fuel stop/restaurant would make a killing

I had heard the guy who owns Chiriaco Summit bought it all and was going to do that but that tale is at least 5 years old now.

 

[TPC]

Cool video. Nice editing .hanks for sharing.

The old Jasper Russ makes these videos.
If you mention something in the Southwest you'd like to see him check out he usually will, and within a week or so.
His recommendations are always spot on point.

 

[Riverbound]

I think a major fuel stop/restaurant would make a killing

Now that cars can make the entire trek without stopping for gas I don’t think it would be as popular. As a kid I remember stopping stand getting gas at Desert center every trip. And if we were good we would get a treat from the restaurant across the street.

Mc Good was also a popular stop and used to be everyone would stop there. On Friday night, it was a huge party then would all caravan out once they closed. Those days are gone though.


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[Rondog4405]

We all drive by this and there is more out there than you might think.
Interesting video:

You are a fan of Russ's videos too.. Watched this last night. He puts out some good vids.

 

[Rondog4405]

Now that cars can make the entire trek without stopping for gas I don’t think it would be as popular. As a kid I remember stopping stand getting gas at Desert center every trip. And if we were good we would get a treat from the restaurant across the street.

Mc Good was also a popular stop and used to be everyone would stop there. On Friday night, it was a huge party then would all caravan out once they closed. Those days are gone though.


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Same here.. I always remember waking up as a kid when we got to desert center. Mcgoos was always a nice stop for the kids. Ice cream and a few snacks ..then finish the trek to the river.

 

[Ol Man]

I think a bunch of years back LA wanted to train all their trash and fill up the mine. Anyone else remember that?

Here is Tamarisk. Interesting.

https://laketamariskdesertresort.com/

 

[Mandelon]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eagle_Mountain,_California

 

[mobldj]

I think a major fuel stop/restaurant would make a killing

agreed.a am/pm would be busy as hell.probably put chiroco summit out of business.

 

[mobldj]

lol.i swear that was made wensday,i remember that tiny house sitting by the onramp.

 

[Tank]

Wow, that is super bitchen. I love old ghost town abandoned stuff. I had no idea this was out there. Very cool.

 

[monkeyswrench]

I knew the mine was out there, but I had no idea there was so much housing. All the infrastructure is there, seems like it could be used for filming. With the prepper craze, you would think someone with some coin could put together a zombie apocalypse survival ranch.

I want the diner sign and a gas pump!

 

[outboardrick]

The Eagle Mountain community is not shown, it is up in the hills next to the mine. Now I want to get on Google and see if it's all still there!

Yep, still there.....Or what's left of it. Strange to see a whole community like that just rotted away.

 

[Dana757]

There is a train inside the building connected to the gas station. Tracks going in the building are long gone.

 

[HNL2LHC]

Great video!!! I have driven through there a couple of times without even looking. Might have to stop the next time

 

[Chili Palmer]

I stopped in Desert Center a few years ago to take a pee before I hit the 10 and decided to cruise the main drag. It’s weird that the places aren’t thrashed. The cafe still has tables and chairs set up like they’ll be open tomorrow.

Maybe if they put in a Starbucks and a decent burger joint it may actually do decent business.

 

[Jonas Grumby]

I know the Dairy Queen in ludlow is always packed, I don’t know why something wouldn’t work here.

 

[coolchange]

Desert center. Holds record for the world's filthiest bathroom.

 

[F.U.IRS]

Thanks for posting. I've always wanted to detour thru Lake Tamarisk to check it out. Now I've seen it

 

[Bigbore500r]

Desert center. Holds record for the world's filthiest bathroom.

Only because Ludlow DQ is closed right now....

 

[rivergames]

When I was a kid, my pops and grandpa would always stop and get some burgers. Good memories!

 

[brgrcru]

Fascinating to me . liked the video.

Did not know they had a entire town, supporting the mine.
I knew about the little lake and Rv park. always wanted to check it out . but now I don't have too.

 

[monkeyswrench]

There is a train inside the building connected to the gas station. Tracks going in the building are long gone.

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Me being an old car dork, that likes antiques and old tools, I would love to go dig through that stuff! There is also an old wrecking yard out there I'd like to wander through, but never anyone around.

 

[lbhsbz]

I remember eating at the cafe once, we’d stop at the snack shack fore ice cream when we were early enough, and had at the Stanco a few times. There is a shitload of history out there.

Fun Fact....desert Center is the birthplace of modern medical insurance, during the construction of the aqueduct...

 

[stephenkatsea]

Once read the founder of Desert Center planted all those palm trees to attract aliens. True story. Well, it seems to be working. But, they’re not from outer space.

 

[Chili Palmer]

The 3 circles of palm trees were in inside joke to the owner of the town. He wanted his own tree ring circus. Stupid, but he was an odd individual from what I’ve read.

 

[rivergames]

Once read the founder of Desert Center planted all those palm trees to attract aliens. True story. Well, it seems to be working. But, they’re not from outer space.

I heard his kids were already fighting over his money when he died. So instead of leaving money for the kids, he planted all the palm trees

 

[cuz_im_CR]

I went down the public road to eagle mountain a couple years ago. The school was still active and being used. There are people that still live and maintain the property hence the green grass on some of the homes.


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[jbird]

We have stopped and walked around a couple times. Cool place, love the ghost towns. Thanks for sharing the video OP.

 

[rivermobster]

I think @Hammer did a thread a couple years back where he stopped and took a ton of pics of DS.

I think that thread also had a link to a blog the covered the whole history of DS.

Lake Tamarisk is a great place to live. But I think you have to be over 80 to live there. At least that's what it seemed like when we checked it out decades ago. Maybe it's different now??

 

[outboard_256]

man he wasn't kidding about the size of that solar farm. I looked on google and it looks like its 5 times bigger than the ghost town.

 

[Bigmutha]

I went down the public road to eagle mountain a couple years ago. The school was still active and being used. There are people that still live and maintain the property hence the green grass on some of the homes.


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Yep, I was working at Eagle Mountain on a shutdown for MWD in March, the school is still active.

 

[rush1]

That train is Southern Pacific colors I wonder of its an Old Daylight engine and tender . The antique car looked like an Old Buick early 20's

 

[TrollerDave]

My dad’s best friend and his family owned the Chuckawalla Market on Rice rd just past the Main Street. I spent a week in 1987 with them when I was 13. The family had a son who just graduated high school and a daughter my age. I want to say there was about a group of 20 kids out there and at night they would just find a place to hang out and party. I think most of them went to school in Blythe. I think some lived in Lake Tamarisk and maybe out there in Eagle Mtn area. Not a whole lot for kids to do out there.

 

[Bigbore500r]

Once read the founder of Desert Center planted all those palm trees to attract aliens. True story. Well, it seems to be working. But, they’re not from outer space.

I see what you did there! Lol

 

[The Prisoner]

I knew the mine was out there, but I had no idea there was so much housing. All the infrastructure is there, seems like it could be used for filming. With the prepper craze, you would think someone with some coin could put together a zombie apocalypse survival ranch.

I want the diner sign and a gas pump!

A portion of the Eagle Mountain Railroad was used in the filming of the 1986 movie Tough Guys in a scene wherein a train is hijacked - pulled by famed locomotive Southern Pacific 4449 - and run full throttle to the Mexican border. During the filming of the exterior shots of Southern Pacific 4449, the train was stored nightly at the Eagle Mountain rail yards. The local school children from Eagle Mountain School took a field trip in early 1986 to see and tour the train on the location of the shoot along the Eagle Mountain Railroad south of Interstate 10.[12]

Also filmed on Eagle Mountain was Terminator 2:3D. The 3D film was made for a Universal Studios theme park attraction and is an action sequence based on the original Terminator 2 – Judgment Day movie. Universal Studios in Los Angeles premiered its version of the Terminator 2 3D ride in 1999. The ride is also at Universal's Orlando, Florida, location. The entire crew spent weeks at Eagle Mountain.

Other films using Eagle Mountain locations include[13]

 

[monkeyswrench]

A portion of the Eagle Mountain Railroad was used in the filming of the 1986 movie Tough Guys in a scene wherein a train is hijacked - pulled by famed locomotive Southern Pacific 4449 - and run full throttle to the Mexican border. During the filming of the exterior shots of Southern Pacific 4449, the train was stored nightly at the Eagle Mountain rail yards. The local school children from Eagle Mountain School took a field trip in early 1986 to see and tour the train on the location of the shoot along the Eagle Mountain Railroad south of Interstate 10.[12]

Also filmed on Eagle Mountain was Terminator 2:3D. The 3D film was made for a Universal Studios theme park attraction and is an action sequence based on the original Terminator 2 – Judgment Day movie. Universal Studios in Los Angeles premiered its version of the Terminator 2 3D ride in 1999. The ride is also at Universal's Orlando, Florida, location. The entire crew spent weeks at Eagle Mountain.

Other films using Eagle Mountain locations include[13]

"Tough Guys" was a pretty good movie! Pretty neat that the local kids were able to see that engine.

Now, that newer paint on the "train" inside that gas station makes sense. An engine wouldn't fit, but the props left from filming the wreck in the movie Tough Guys might....and numbers match. I'd still love to wander through and see what's laying around.

 

[SoCalDave]

I stopped in Desert Center a few years ago to take a pee before I hit the 10 and decided to cruise the main drag. It’s weird that the places aren’t thrashed. The cafe still has tables and chairs set up like they’ll be open tomorrow.

Maybe if they put in a Starbucks and a decent burger joint it may actually do decent business.

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Yeah, I'm surprised someone hasn't taken those gas pumps already among other things.

 

[HCP3]

Yeah, I'm surprised someone hasn't taken those gas pumps already among other things.

CHP likes to hang out at the USPS right there. Must have good coffee.

 

[Riverbottom]

I used to go to the tow yard owned by the Ragsdale's about once a week for work in the early 90's. Rodger Ragsdale never sold any of the impounded cars. He kept them organized by make and model. One section of Fords had 55, 56, and 57 T-Birds, and probably over 100 1965 thru 90's Mustangs. Also had lots of heavy equipment left over from building I-10. Any time I needed a part he would let me have it, but if someone they didn't know came around they might get shot. Very unique family to say the least.

 

[Rondog4405]

Russ(rver tv) just out up a vid on chiriaco summit today.. Alot of history in that place as well.

 

[RiverDave]

We all drive by this and there is more out there than you might think.
Interesting video:

Surprised out by that mine some of those old abandoned houses still had green lawns. Makes ya wonder if they are still being watered after all these years?

 

[stephenkatsea]

Hispanic waitress at the cafe once told us Chiriaco was pronounced, Cherry Ache O. Recall flying over that Eagle Mountain Ghost Town when on commercial approach to LAX and wondered WTF is that.

 

[monkeyswrench]

I used to go to the tow yard owned by the Ragsdale's about once a week for work in the early 90's. Rodger Ragsdale never sold any of the impounded cars. He kept them organized by make and model. One section of Fords had 55, 56, and 57 T-Birds, and probably over 100 1965 thru 90's Mustangs. Also had lots of heavy equipment left over from building I-10. Any time I needed a part he would let me have it, but if someone they didn't know came around they might get shot. Very unique family to say the least.

There's still stuff there! One of those places I always wanted to walk through.
I have a horrible addiction...Driven cross country for cars and parts

 

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Midland is another mine you can drive around in. If you have time you can continue on the dirt road to Rice.