Tag Archives: Desert Center

Desert Center

After we’d perused the abandoned school, Commander Matt and I were prepared to continue right back to the highway. The one thing that was nagging my mind were those random decapitated palm trees that brought me here in the first place. Just down the road from the school, through the dead and silent town, we found the cabins.
am About six or seven small cabins rest in the desert dust. One has already been burned to the ground, no doubt thanks to vandals.
am1 The insides are completely destroyed with paint falling off the walls and furniture thrown everywhere.
am3 am2 am4 Old yellowing newspapers and calendars were strewn all across the back bedroom floor.
am5 1974
am8 1968
am6 This was the home of Carl Moser: born September 28, 1892 and died November 1, 1976.
abc All of his final payments still hang on the wall.
am9 An old pop top Bud can.
am10 The next house was in the same condition.
am11 AM12 That might be a little expired…
AM17 These cans expired in 2009. I never thought I’d see an expired canned food.
AM13 AM14 Different trash and toys from all different decades. Some of these houses look like they’ve become a dumpster for the few remaining locals.
AM15 am24 Almost mint condition. It hurt to leave this behind.
AM16 Slightly creepy and ominous. It fit the feel of the entire town.
am18 Jeff Ragsdale, the son of “Desert Steve” Ragsdale, had trophies and certificates all across the floors in what I assume was the Ragsdale home.
am19 am20 This seemed to be the trophy house. Old memoirs that you’d think would want to be saved have been left here to rot.
am23 am21 You can see the decapitated palm trees that originally pulled me in.
am25 After exploring and documenting every crevice, we returned to the highway and sped back to California and to population.

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Filed under Abandoned buildings, Adventures, Travel

Desert Center School

Stephen “Desert Steve” Ragsdale founded the town of Desert Center in 1921 after having beenĀ  Out in the middle of nowhere, this town was a watering hole for those traveling between Phoenix and California, giving the weary travelers some much-needed respite and shade. In the 1940s when Ragsdale’s children needed schooling, he built up Desert Center School which fell into complete disrepair after it shut down in 1983. Today, the few children who remain are bused 120 miles round trip to the closest school in Blythe, California.
AM Desert Center School. AM1 Nothing more thrilling than trespassing in a state where a high percentage of landowners are armed with shotguns. AM2 The auditorium. AM3 A view of the stage. AM4 AM5 The remains of one of the two pianos that used to stand tall – due to the elements or vandals, who knows. AM6 Formerly known as piano keys. AM7 AM8 The day the music died. AM9 AM10 The remains of ceiling paint, thoroughly consumed by mold. AM11 Walls melting in the desert heat. am12 You can hear the rats scurrying through the air ducts, even from across the parking lot. am13 Random awesome farming equipment rusted into the ground outside. am14 am15 A man, a toothpick and his tractor. am16 am17 Hauntingly, beautifully forgotten.

Coming up soon – the abandoned homes of Desert Center.

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Filed under Abandoned buildings