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The original road dies beyond
Ludlow, as it once traveled to the south side of I-40. However, by
joining the north frontage road, you will soon be riding on the real
thing again in about two miles.
Newberry Springs Has Seen Better Days
About thirty miles beyond
Ludlow, you will come to
Newberry Springs, which has long been a source of water in the dry
Mojave Desert. Though the town wasn't founded until 1911, the
wagon trains heading to
California
on the old Mormon Trail in the mid 1800s made this place a regular
stopping point along their travels. Located on an ancient lake,
Newberry Springs has a large basin of underground water, the first
water point for wagon trains west of the Colorado River.
While in
Newberry Springs, be sure to visit the Bagdad Cafe, a
Route 66
survivor that was once called the Sidewinder Cafe. Behind a high
chain link fence, you can also view the remains of an old
Whiting Brothers
Gas Station.
Daggett Survives
Continuing to travel another 12 miles or so, you will
reach
Daggett, a town rich in history. Originally founded in the
1860s, the town boomed when silver was discovered in the
Calico
Mountains north of
Daggett in the early 1860's. Just a few years later, borax was
also discovered and began to be actively mined.
Daggett soon became the
mining supply and support center for the many mines in the area.
By 1902,
Daggett was supported by three borax mines, had three
saloons,
two restaurants, a lumber yard, several stores and the old Stone
Hotel.
There are several vintage in buildings in
Daggett including Alf's Blacksmith Shop, which has been standing since
1894; the Stone Hotel, built in the 1870s, said to have hosted the likes
of Governor John
Daggett, Tom Mix, and
Wyatt Earp;
and a one time Visitors Information Center that opened in 1926. Now,
a private residence, this building once invited newcomers to
California
as well as housing a cafe and service station.
Before heading on down the
Mother Road to
Barstow, be
sure to take a side trip just seven miles north of Daggett to the historic
ghost town
of Calico,
California.
©
Kathy Weiser/Legends
of America, updated October, 2010.
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