rive through Mojave National Preserve and you’ll find an expansive desert landscape dotted with exotic plants, Joshua tree forests, and towering sand dunes. As the stark, beautiful scenery unfolds before you, a magnificent two-story Mission-style train depot appears in the distance, like a mirage. But it’s no illusion.
Built by the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) in 1924, the Kelso Depot served steam locomotives running along the Salt Lake Line from Utah to Los Angeles. The railroad had connected the West Coast to the nation’s heartland in 1905, and soon thereafter the town of Kelso sprung up—the ideal location for a train stop. Poised halfway between Barstow, California, and Las Vegas, Nevada, the depot was constructed at the start of a long uphill grade that rises 2,500 feet—a hefty climb for a steam locomotive. Kelso was the perfect place to house helper engines, which would pull locomotives up the hill toward Cima, remove their payload, then turn around and do it all over again. Nearby Cornfield Spring was an excellent source of water, a crucial ingredient in the operation of coal-fired steam engines.
And once the railroad decided to build a depot, they did it right.
“At that time, Union Pacific was really trying to upgrade its image, facing competition from the famous Harvey Houses along the Santa Fe line,” says James Woolsey, chief of interpretation at Mojave National Preserve. “Harvey Houses were well known for serving good food and employing pretty young ladies, all as a promotional tool to get people to ride the rails, just as United and Southwest fight over airline passengers today. UP used a Mission Revival style on their depots, like the one in Kelso, which housed a restaurant called the Beanery to serve passengers and the railroad’s crews.” On the second floor, office space and bedrooms were used by railroad employees; downstairs, public areas gave weary travelers a place to relax and play billiards. Church services were held on most Sundays.
In the years between World War I and World War II, Kelso was a hub of activity. The Vulcan Mine provided iron ore during WWII, yielding the raw materials for steel produced at a mill in Fontana, California, where the Victory ships were constructed. Growing industry boosted the city’s population to a peak of 2,000.
But when the war came to an end, Kelso’s prosperity soon followed. Another mine in the region was found to yield higher-quality iron ore. Steam locomotives gave way to diesel engines, which didn’t require water, could climb hills without assistance, and were so reliable there was no need to house mechanics at every stop. The city’s population slowly declined and the depot finally shut its doors in 1985. Union Pacific made plans to demolish the structure.
But people living in neighboring cities had grown accustomed to the site of the beautiful, incongruous building that had come to symbolize the region’s railroad culture, still prevalent today. Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA) threw his political muscle behind the battle to preserve the station, and Union Pacific relented. In 1992, the railroad sold the depot to the federal government for one dollar. With the passage of the Desert Pro-tection Act in 1994, the depot and the surrounding area became a part of Mojave National Preserve. From the beginning, the Park Service knew that the depot’s historical significance and its location at the junction of the preserve’s two major roadways would make it the perfect visitor center.
Of course, the building required an overhaul before it could serve its new purpose. Debate ensued over whether to gut the structure and simply use the shell to house a modern facility, but preservation won the day. The Park Service chose to retain the depot’s historic fabric and refurbish it in a way consistent with its original design. The $4 million construction process began in 1999 and came to a close in recent weeks. Walls have been reframed and new communications systems have been installed along with modern plumbing and electrical systems. The old Beanery restaurant was restored with countertops and barstools just like those in 1924.
Park officials have begun looking for a private company interested in operating the restaurant, which would welcome locals and visitors alike. The depot itself is scheduled to open in December, and hundreds of local citizens are expected to attend the public dedication.
There’s no doubt the depot’s re-opening will strengthen connections between the park and local communities. NPCA’s desert field representative, Deborah DeMeo, has been working with the city of Barstow to introduce a scenic heritage railline that would run from Barstow to Kelso. On weekends, visitors could stroll through Barstow’s Western American Railroad Museum, tour the historic Harvey House, Casa del Desierto, and enjoy scenic views of natural wonders like Afton Canyon during the two-hour journey. Cowboys from the Calico Ghost Town may even stage shoot-outs and train robberies along the route. When visitors arrive at the depot, they’ll see park exhibits, take a shuttle to the Kelso Dunes, or just sit back and enjoy a meal at the Beanery, just like travelers did 80 years ago.
