Everything about Kelso California totally explained
Kelso is a
ghost town and defunct
railroad depot in the
Mojave National Preserve in
California. It was named after a railroad worker who won a contest to have the town named after him. The town was built specifically as a railroad station because of its location and nearby springs that provided abundant water.
Starting off as what was a simple train depot in the 1920s, the town of Kelso boomed briefly to as many as 2000 residents in the
1940s, when
borax and
iron mines opened nearby.
Gold and
silver were also discovered in the nearby hills of what became known as the Kelso district. The town shrank again when the mines closed after about a decade.
Kelso was a base of operations for the
Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad (now part of the
Union Pacific). Here, trains were watered and "
helper" locomotives were attached to assist the regular trains in climbing the steep Cima Hill. The distance between
Las Vegas and the connection with the Santa Fe line at
Daggett was too far for trains without a meal car, so Kelso was a convenient spot for a restaurant stop.
The depot building itself was built in
1923 using a Spanish "California mission" building style. It contained boarding rooms for railroad employees and a restaurant for both employees and passengers. It also had a
telegraph office and waiting room. Later, a restaurant nicknamed the "Beanery," that served home-style meals was housed in the building. The large rooms in the basement also served as a community center for local residents.
The depot remained in operation until
1986. It was recently renovated to become a park visitor center. Renovation was completed in
2005 and is now open to the public.
During the
1970s Kelso was known as the town without television. About 75 residents lived in Kelso, many with school age children. Television signals couldn't reach the town which meant that residents found other methods of recreation. Children played outside until dark. Adults sat outside and talked together. With the advent of satellite dishes, this desert utopia didn't last.
The
ZIP Code is 92309 and the community is inside
area code 760.
The
Kelso Mountains and the famous
Kelso Dunes are located north of Kelso, and the entire area lies within the boundary of the
Mojave National Preserve.
Further Information
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