Mojave's History Mojave's History Mining and transportation have played key roles in Mojave's history. Founded by the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1876, Mojave continues to be a key rail and highway junction. Aviation has also played an important part in Mojave's history. The photo at right is of the headworks at the historic Golden Queen Mine on Soledad Mountain, southwest of Mojave.
Work is underway to resume mining operations.
The highways, railways and airways of today are successors to trails used by early humans to traverse the Mojave area. Native Americans from Eastern California traveled through the area to trade acorns with their Coastal counterparts for shells and salt. As America's independence was being declared in Philadelphia in l776, Padre Francisco Garces trekked through the Mojave area, leaving traces of his visit at Willow Springs, near Rosamond, and on Castle Butte, near California City. Garces was followed by famous pathfinders like Jedediah Smith, in 1827, John C. Fremont, Kit Carson and Wyatt Earp. Many of these visitors, including a group from the ill-fated Donner Party, used the Midland Trail, which roughly parallels Highway 14 north of town.