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Activities > Land Use History > Chronology

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Exploration and Development in the Mojave Desert

1776	First Caucasian crossing of desert: Fr. Francis Garces
1826	Jedediah Smith explores a route across the Mojave from the Colorado River to San Bernardino
1835	Lt. Robert Williamson explores the Mojave River while looking for a route to the Colorado River
1844	Lt. John Fremont and Kit Carson cross the Mojave on similar route
1849	Wagon party, while looking for a shortcut to the gold fields, becomes the first Caucasians to cross Death Valley
1854	Whipple expedition surveys route across the desert
1859	1,500 troops attack the Mohave Indians; Beale establishes a supply road across the Mojave from Fort Mojave to Camp Cady (near present-day Barstow) along Whipple's route; extends route to the east for a future railroad
1860-70	Mining strikes in and near the desert; grazing starts in the eastern Mojave to support miners
1866-68	Mojave Road used as mail route; military outposts established along the route
1871	George Englemann of the USGS's 40th parallel exploration team studies the desert and gives scientific name to the Joshua tree
1883	Railroad completed
1893	C. Hart Merriam conducts a biological study of Death Valley
1905-06	Tonopah & Tidewater railroad built from Ludlow to Tonopahvia, Death Valley; abandoned during WW II
1906	Salt Lake City–Los Angeles railroad built through the desert (later became Union Pacific Railroad)
1916	Federal Aid Road Act leads to development of Route 66 parallel to the railroad
1910-30	Homesteading in Lanfair Valley
1920s	Los Angeles' population doubles; one automobile for every three citizens Las Vegas' population grows and gambling takes off during prohibition
1930s	Great Depression drives many from cities to the desert for gold and for land to raise crops Las Vegas booms again with return of alcohol; jobs from building Hoover Dam
1938	Route 66 fully paved
WWII	Gen. Patton trains tank troops throughout Mojave Desert. Policy to eliminate coyotes and other destructive behaviors modify large sections of desert flora and fauna
1940-60	Military bases established in California and southern Nevada Second railroad constructed across desert
1956	Federal Aid Highway Act authorizes interstate highways
1960s	Interstate highways built across desert (I-40 completed in 1973) post-WW II regional population explosion
1980-2000	Housing booms in Antelope Valley, Morongo Valley, and Yucca Valley area of western Mojave Population dramatically increases in Las Vegas, and in Colorado River towns with casino industry

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National Park Service units:

• 1908—Grand Canyon National Monument; designated as National Park in 1919
  
• 1933—Death Valley National Monument; designated as National Park in 1994
  
• 1936—Joshua Tree National Monument; designated as National Park in 1994
  
• 1964—Lake Mead National Recreation Area
  
• 1992—Manzanar National Historic Site (located in Owens Valley)
  
• 1994—Mojave National Preserve

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Military units:

• Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms—Used by Army and Navy for aviation training during WWII. Dormant until 1952 when the Marines moved in
  
  
• China Lake—Established in 1943 and used by CalTech and Navy Naval Ordnance Test Station. Harvey Field at Inyokern used as auxiliary landing field while construction took place at China Lake. In mid-1945, aviation moved to Armitage Field at China Lake
  
  
• Edward Air Force Base—In 1933, March Field used dry lake bed for temporary bombing and gunnery range. By 1937 Army Air Corps using the field, and a semi-permanent camp was established at Muroc
  
  
• Marine Corps Logistics Base—Established in December 1942 originally by Navy but transferred to Marines
  
  
• Ft. Irwin—Established in 1940 as Mojave Anti-Aircraft Gunnery Range. Closed from 1944 to 1951. Reactivated in 1951
  
  
• Desert Testing Center, WWII—Gen. Patton trained over 1 million troops in eastern part of the Mojave; troop population peaked at 191,000
  
  
• Nevada Test Site—Established in 1950
  
  

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