MOJAVE, CA
The town of Mojave began in 1876 as a construction camp on the Southern Pacific Railroad. From 1884 to 1889, the town was the western terminus of the 165-mile Twenty-mule team borax wagon route originating at Harmony Borax Works in Death Valley.
Mojave Railroad Depots & Hotels (Condensed history 1867 - 1935)
Aug 3, 1867 Track laid 22 miles south of Mojave, proceeding at a rate of 2 ½ miles per day.
Southern Pacific Railroad Reaches Mojave circa July 1876.One of the first buildings erected is the railroad hotel.
Aug 8, 1876 Line from Keene to Mojave opens to regular service with first passenger train arriving in Mojave.
Aug 12, 1876 Inspection of Construction progress is reported that the railroad hotel was serving meals to passengers; depot had been erected. Passengers to Los Angeles transfer to stages at Mojave. Track layers near head of Soledad Canyon.
Oct 1876 12 stall roadhouse completed
Oct 10, 1881 Railroad hotel burns down then is rebuilt.
April 1883 A personal letter describing Mojave lists that it had one store, one wash house, station and railroad buildings, a hotel in addition to the railroad hotel, and an unknown number of saloons. The population was 200 to 300 railroad men all the time, with only 2 women.
May-June 1883 Work began on three new stalls at the roadhouse to accommodate the large12 wheeler locomotives assigned to the Bakersfield-Mojave run.
Late 1883 Two new hotels/boarding houses are built in Mojave.
Aug 25, 1884 Town burns down except for the residences on the outskirts. Fire moves rapidly due to high winds and tinder dry structures. One person killed. Railroad Hotel among buildings lost. The Tulare Register noted: “Mojave was not a large town, so that the burning of seven or eight buildings wiped it out.”
Nov 15, 1884 Depot destroyed by fire and explosion. Ninety cases of explosive powder in freight room are ignited, obliterating the building.
Dec 20, 1884 Powerful storm blows down the new depot in the framing stages, plus all other town buildings being erected. Train passengers complain about no accommodations.
1885 Depot rebuilt as a combination railroad station and two story hotel. A news paper article reported the hotel was operated by the railroad catering firm of Stackpole and Lincoln.
Apr 28, 1886 Depot burns down again with flames spreading across the street, burning down a store, saloon, a hotel, a restaurant, and the post office. Also lost were the Atlantic & Pacific Coach, Baggage and Emigrant railroad cars.
1886 The last station building was rebuilt and portions of the depot.
Apr 1, 1888 The management of Southern Pacific’s Los Angeles and Ventura Divisions separated from the Yuma division, with the new headquarters being established in Mojave.
May 1888 The Burbank Times reports that Southern Pacific plans to enlarge the depot in Mojave to provide more space, for the Superintendent and train dispatchers, as well as apartments for them on the second floor.
June 1890 Stackpole and Lincoln reported increasing their hotel accommodations for the railroad hotel.
1891-92 Railroad territory controlled from Mojave, renamed the Mojave Division for Southern Pacific.
July 1892 A Mister Twalfy becomes the operator of the railroad hotel.
Nov 15, 1894 Mojave ceases to be a division headquarters. The Mojave Division is consolidated with the San Joaquin Division, with Division Headquarters in Bakersfield.
1895 Mojave eliminated as a terminal. Freight train crews run through between Los Angeles and Bakersfield.
Oct 1899 Reference reports the railroad hotel is operated by the Fed Harvey Company.
Oct 9, 1899 The entire business portion of Mojave is destroyed by fire, due to high winds, with 23 structures lost including some dwellings. Fire started in the railroad freight house. Depot was saved.
Apr 29, 1900 Santa Fe Railroad commences operating Freight trains between Bakersfield and Mojave.
Dec 30, 1900 The first Santa Fe passenger train operates between Bakersfield and Mojave known as the California Limited. Timetables after 1900 indicate that no Santa Fe trains ever stopped for meals at the Mojave Harvey House. Some Southern Pacific trains however, stopped for meals from time to time until 1921.
1903-08 Mojave was reinstated and subsequently abolished as a terminal several times.
1911-14 Harvey House Closes its public hotel accommodations at Mojave. Lunchroom remains in operations.
1926 Mojave terminal abolished for the final time.
Nov 1933 Mojave Harvey House closes.
1935 Second floor of depot removed
1992 The Mojave Depot razed by the railroad.
The town of Mojave began in 1876 as a construction camp on the Southern Pacific Railroad. From 1884 to 1889, the town was the western terminus of the 165-mile Twenty-mule team borax wagon route originating at Harmony Borax Works in Death Valley.
Mojave Railroad Depots & Hotels (Condensed history 1867 - 1935)
Aug 3, 1867 Track laid 22 miles south of Mojave, proceeding at a rate of 2 ½ miles per day.
Southern Pacific Railroad Reaches Mojave circa July 1876.One of the first buildings erected is the railroad hotel.
Aug 8, 1876 Line from Keene to Mojave opens to regular service with first passenger train arriving in Mojave.
Aug 12, 1876 Inspection of Construction progress is reported that the railroad hotel was serving meals to passengers; depot had been erected. Passengers to Los Angeles transfer to stages at Mojave. Track layers near head of Soledad Canyon.
Oct 1876 12 stall roadhouse completed
Oct 10, 1881 Railroad hotel burns down then is rebuilt.
April 1883 A personal letter describing Mojave lists that it had one store, one wash house, station and railroad buildings, a hotel in addition to the railroad hotel, and an unknown number of saloons. The population was 200 to 300 railroad men all the time, with only 2 women.
May-June 1883 Work began on three new stalls at the roadhouse to accommodate the large12 wheeler locomotives assigned to the Bakersfield-Mojave run.
Late 1883 Two new hotels/boarding houses are built in Mojave.
Aug 25, 1884 Town burns down except for the residences on the outskirts. Fire moves rapidly due to high winds and tinder dry structures. One person killed. Railroad Hotel among buildings lost. The Tulare Register noted: “Mojave was not a large town, so that the burning of seven or eight buildings wiped it out.”
Nov 15, 1884 Depot destroyed by fire and explosion. Ninety cases of explosive powder in freight room are ignited, obliterating the building.
Dec 20, 1884 Powerful storm blows down the new depot in the framing stages, plus all other town buildings being erected. Train passengers complain about no accommodations.
1885 Depot rebuilt as a combination railroad station and two story hotel. A news paper article reported the hotel was operated by the railroad catering firm of Stackpole and Lincoln.
Apr 28, 1886 Depot burns down again with flames spreading across the street, burning down a store, saloon, a hotel, a restaurant, and the post office. Also lost were the Atlantic & Pacific Coach, Baggage and Emigrant railroad cars.
1886 The last station building was rebuilt and portions of the depot.
Apr 1, 1888 The management of Southern Pacific’s Los Angeles and Ventura Divisions separated from the Yuma division, with the new headquarters being established in Mojave.
May 1888 The Burbank Times reports that Southern Pacific plans to enlarge the depot in Mojave to provide more space, for the Superintendent and train dispatchers, as well as apartments for them on the second floor.
June 1890 Stackpole and Lincoln reported increasing their hotel accommodations for the railroad hotel.
1891-92 Railroad territory controlled from Mojave, renamed the Mojave Division for Southern Pacific.
July 1892 A Mister Twalfy becomes the operator of the railroad hotel.
Nov 15, 1894 Mojave ceases to be a division headquarters. The Mojave Division is consolidated with the San Joaquin Division, with Division Headquarters in Bakersfield.
1895 Mojave eliminated as a terminal. Freight train crews run through between Los Angeles and Bakersfield.
Oct 1899 Reference reports the railroad hotel is operated by the Fed Harvey Company.
Oct 9, 1899 The entire business portion of Mojave is destroyed by fire, due to high winds, with 23 structures lost including some dwellings. Fire started in the railroad freight house. Depot was saved.
Apr 29, 1900 Santa Fe Railroad commences operating Freight trains between Bakersfield and Mojave.
Dec 30, 1900 The first Santa Fe passenger train operates between Bakersfield and Mojave known as the California Limited. Timetables after 1900 indicate that no Santa Fe trains ever stopped for meals at the Mojave Harvey House. Some Southern Pacific trains however, stopped for meals from time to time until 1921.
1903-08 Mojave was reinstated and subsequently abolished as a terminal several times.
1911-14 Harvey House Closes its public hotel accommodations at Mojave. Lunchroom remains in operations.
1926 Mojave terminal abolished for the final time.
Nov 1933 Mojave Harvey House closes.
1935 Second floor of depot removed
1992 The Mojave Depot razed by the railroad.
