Oasis Palms

The Lost Pearl of the Mojave Desert

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History

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The Mojave Desert, often referred to as the “High Desert,” stands as the smallest among North America’s deserts, nestled between the bustling cities of Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Long before Oasis Palms was founded, this land had been cherished by Native American tribes of the Mojave for centuries. It was one of the precious few natural oases in this arid expanse.

Oasis Palms is in the Ship Mountains in the Mojave Desert in California

Oasis Palms is in the Ship Mountains in the Mojave Desert in California

While the majority of the Mojave Desert was characterized by coyotes, jackrabbits, hardy greasewood, and iconic Joshua trees, the plateau within the Ship Mountains concealed a natural spring fed by the Fenner Basin aquifer, providing precious water and shade in an otherwise desolate wilderness. The surrounding mountains acted as a natural shield, cloaking the oasis from the prying eyes of Spanish and English explorers for generations. Until the mid-1800s, this oasis remained known only to the indigenous people of the Mojave Desert.

1838 – Cameron Smith Heads West in Search of Adventure – Next »

  • 1838 – Cameron Smith Heads West in Search of Adventure
  • 1840 – Smith Strikes Gold while Searching for the Lost Pearl Boat of the Mojave
  • 1842 – The Smiths Settle the Oasis
  • 1845 – Mexican Land Grant for Rancho Barco is Issued
  • 1859 – The U.S. Land Patent is Issued
  • 1860 – Barco Mining Company and the Civil War
  • 1883 – The Railroad & Gold Mining arrive in the Mojave Desert
  • 1885 – The Town of Oasis Palms is Established
  • 1892 – Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Launch the California Limited
  • 1898 – Oasis Palms Spur is Completed and the Barco Mine Goes Bust
  • 1901 – Scooters California Rye Whisky Begins Production
  • 1905 – Oasis Palms Hot Spring Resort is Established
  • 1915 – The Santa Fe Begins Mojave Limited Daily Service
  • 1925 – Daily Train Visitors, Desert Tourism Bring Prosperity to Oasis Palms
  • 1927 – Prohibition and Hollywood Give Birth to the “Midnight Limited”
  • 1932 – Oasis Palms a Getaway from the Depression
  • 1941 – Oasis Palms Benefits from WWII Population Growth in California
  • 1953 – Lefty’s Folly the Oasis Palms Scenic Railroad
  • 1955 – Family Friendly Attractions Come to Oasis Palms
  • 1957 – The California Desert Resorts are Booming
  • 1958 – The Atomic Jackalope Gains Worldwide Notoriety
  • 1959 – Harold “Happy” Higgins Adds to the Lore
  • 1960 – Steinbeck writes about Survival in the Mojave
  • 1961 – The Winds of Change in the Desert
  • 1962 – Twin Brothers Floyd and Lloyd Smith
  • 1963 – Floyd Smith and the Texas Chicken Farmer Go Racing
  • 1965 – Lloyd Smith Turns On, Tunes In, and Drops Out
  • 1972 – I-40 Opens and Oasis Palms becomes a Ghost Town
  • 1979 – An Earthquake Brings the End to Oasis Palms
  • 1980 – The Last Residents Move Out of Oasis Palms
  • 1992 – Oasis Palms is Gone Forever
  • 2023 – Epilogue Oasis Palms the Ghost Town in the Mojave Desert

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