Historical Timeline
1876: Mojave started as a dusty construction camp for the Southern Pacific Railroad. It was built to support the rail line heading through the desert, just a few tents and supply wagons initially.
1884–1889: Mojave became the western end of the famous twenty-mule team borax wagon route. These massive wagons hauled borax 165 miles from Death Valley to the railhead in Mojave — a tough trip through brutal terrain that’s now the stuff of legend.
1935: Kern County set up the Mojave Airport just east of town. It wasn’t built for tourists — it was meant to serve the booming mining operations in the region, especially gold and silver.
1941: As World War II approached, the government stepped in and upgraded the airport with paved runways and defense facilities. Mojave’s wide open skies made it a good place to train pilots.
1942–1946: After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. Marine Corps took over the airport and turned it into Marine Corps Auxiliary Air Station Mojave. It became a central training hub during the war.
1953: The base reopened during the Korean War for more flight training. Mojave was no stranger to the sound of engines roaring overhead.
1961: When the Marines left, the county took over the airport again. Instead of letting it go quiet, they saw potential for something more.
1972: The East Kern Airport District was formed to manage the airport, and that decision laid the foundation for future developments.
1980s–1990s: Mojave became a leader in wind power. Thousands of wind turbines popped up in the hills, turning the desert into a renewable energy powerhouse.
2004: The town made history when SpaceShipOne launched from the Mojave Air and Space Port, becoming the first private manned spacecraft to reach space. Mojave had officially entered the space race.
2013: The local airport district officially changed its name to the Mojave Air and Space Port. What started as a mining airstrip became a global center for aerospace innovation.
Present Day: Mojave is a desert crossroads, a rocket-testing ground, a home to wind farms, and a place where old mining grit meets futuristic ambition. From mule teams to spacecraft, it’s always been about moving forward under wide open skies.