The ghost town of Kelso is located on Kelbaker Road in the middle of the Mojave National Preserve in the Mojave Desert. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.

The Kelso train depot was built in 1905, following the Union Pacific’s desire to link rich markets in California and the Los Angeles ports. Kelso Depot was a crucial stop in the Mojave Desert. It became part of the San Pedro-Los Angeles-Salt Lake Railroad in 1905. The depot was named Kelso by workers who threw their names into a hat, and “Kelso” (John Kelso) was drawn. The man had already left the area, but his name still graces the beautiful building today.

The rail town of Kelso grew up to quite a town in the day, especially considering that it was in the middle of the Mojave Desert with little in the way of civilization close by. William Grissom, who lived in the town from 1945 to 1948, stated that “no one was considered rich or poor. It was a 70-mile drive on a rough road to a paved highway, Highway 91 … Shopping was done by mail order. The trains brought fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy products.”

The town was entirely dependent upon the railroad. Water, which the steam engines needed, was locally available from a fresh water spring in the Providence Mountains.

Following the opening of the depot, a post office was built across the street, and an eating house, or diner, opened in the depot. The diner served employees and passengers, since trains didn’t have dining cars at the time.

Kelso was a convenient and necessary stop for the trains, since Kelso had water for the steam engines. Prices at the restaurant were reasonable, and the service was quick, which was necessary since passenger trains were only at the depot for about 20 minutes.

Later on, after there were dining cars on the trains, the lunchroom in the depot was used mainly by railroad employees. During World War II, the lunchroom was open 24 hours a day and fed both crew and passengers. After the war, meal services were cut back again. Much later, when the war was just a distant memory, this beautiful part of the Mojave became frequented by railroad buffs, hikers, OHV enthusiasts and other visitors. All seemed to gather at the lunch counter to share stories and fast meals.

In the 1920-‘30s, designs were drawn up to improve the original Kelso depot and turn it into a Spanish Mission Revival-style depot and clubhouse. The beautiful structure and restaurant served employees and passengers in grand style. Celebrities were known to take trips on the railroad, including Douglas Fairbanks, who was seen in front of the depot stretching his legs during a quick water stop.

Today you can still visit the conductor’s room, telegraph office, a baggage room, staff dormitory, boarding room for crew, a billiard room, library and locker room, all of which were added in the 1920s.

The depot was completed and opened in 1924. The town boomed in the 1940s to more than 2,000 when Kaiser’s Vulcan mine opened. The closing of the mine and the conversion to diesel engines ended the function of the depot in 1962. The restaurant and boarding rooms remained in use, however, until 1985, when the Kelso Depot was closed completely.

Plans were made to raze the building, but local residents fought to save the beautiful depot, and eventually the BLM, which managed surrounding land as the “East Mojave National Scenic Area,” was able to gain title to the building through congressional legislation. Two years later, with the passage of the California Desert Protection Act of 1994, the entire area became known as the Mojave Preserve, and the Kelso Depot is now a tourist attraction managed by the National Park Service.

It has been preserved, and visitors can see the crew quarters, the library, the baggage room and many of the wonderful rooms housed in the depot. The restaurant no longer serves food, but it is perfectly preserved. The depot does have ranger services in the lobby and a small nature and historical museum. It also has a wonderful souvenir shop with nature oriented items, books and snacks for the visitor.

The National Park Service renovated the building, keeping all of the historical memorabilia intact. It’s a lovely place to visit. Trains continue to pass by six times a day, but they no longer stop at the depot.

Dianne Erskine-Hellrigel is executive director of the Community Hiking Club and president of the Santa Clara River Watershed Conservancy. If you’d like to be part of the solution, join the Community Hiking Club’s Stewardship Committee. Contact Dianne through communityhikingclub.org or at zuliebear@aol.com.