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Cima a Ghost Town Within Mojave National Preserve.

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Article and photography by Natasha Petrosova Cima was founded in 1900s when H.C. Gibson established the first store here.  In 1905 the first post office was opened in the store.  Gibson refused to pump the gas for his customers and therefore may have created a first self-service station in the county.  Cima served as both railroad siding and a commercial center for ranchers and miners.   By Late 1940s and early 1950s population in Cima started to decline. The Kelso Depot served as a significant element in the Union Pacific’s contributions to the American war effort during World War II. The end of World War II marked the beginning of a long decline in the depot’s utility. The sharp decline in the volume of freight traffic and diesel engines replacing steam caused a reduction in services and the need for fewer employees. In 1947 Vulcan Mine closed their operations further reducing freight and passenger traffic. A surge of activity occurred with the outbreak of the...
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Lake Dolores Abandoned Water Park in a Mojave Desert

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Article and Photography by Natasha Petrosova With three names and four owners over the last 50 years, this water park in the middle of nowhere has been plagued by bankruptcies, allegations of embezzlement and a tragedy that left a former employee paralyzed. Initially, the park started as a fun getaway on Lake Dolores in the Mojave Desert for a local businessman, Bob Byers and his  family.  The park was finished in the 1960s and consisted of series of identical steel slides that riders could ride down, landing in a man-made lake.  Soon after , the campground was built near by and the park was open to a public.  For the next few decades, the park continued to grow, adding more attractions for its growing number of visitors. However attendance began to dwindle in the late 1980s and by 1990, the park had officially closed. Baking in a hot desert for a few years , the park was renovated in 1998 after millions of dollars were spent to turn the park...
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