Mining Time

In the Mojave Desert of California with the arid climate, debris and detritus from the past does not quickly decay. The high desert hangs on to relics from the past. While bleached from the unrelenting sun and dusty from the persistent winds, parts, or all, of these old towns endure. As the old gives way to the new, some towns fade into memory while others reinvent themselves. I am interested in the evolution, decay, endurance, and the resilience but also the sense of nostalgia fostered and encouraged as these towns embrace a new future.

The photos look through the dusty lens of time to reflect what is left. Many of the towns of the Mojave Desert sprang up around the mining industry in the late 1800s, and most were already abandoned or fading out around the start of the WWI. Other towns grew up around the famous Route 66 but were bypassed by the newer interstates. Finally, places like, Pioneertown, were created to look old and serve as backdrops for the movie industry.

Looking out from the inside of the general store in the historic Randsburg, CA.

Ice melts in the glass on a hot day in the desert town.

Relics from the past are on display for a new generation.

A view of Randsburg from the back of the old truck.

The view into the now closed house of ill repute.

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The old cowboy steps out of the Randsburg Museum to view the passing parade.

A door appears though the window of an antique shop.

A spooky apparition in an old mining town.

Cars and cigars are some of the pleasures to be found in old Randsburg.

A pair of seats in front of the soda fountain in a desert town.

Steps lead to the steeple of the slightly tilted church.

A series of horseshoes collect good luck on a desert town door.

A vintage cookie jar sits along the sunny shelf near bottle tree shadows.

An iconic horse looks toward the cloudy skies in Amboy, CA.

Rooms and good food were once available at Roy’s Motel and Café, Amboy, CA.

The open door invites the inquisitive along old Route 66.

A chair in an empty room enjoys a good view.

The old Amboy school lies shuttered under a cloudy sky.

A ray of light reflects off the open car door in Ballarat, CA.

An old camp town table has seats available in Ballarat, CA.