1776 First Caucasian crossing of desert: Fr. Francis Garces

1826 Jedediah Smith explores a route across the Mojave from the ColoradoRiver to San Bernardino

1835 Lt. Robert Williamson explores the Mojave River, looking for routeto the Colorado

1844 Lt. John Fremont and Kit Carson cross the desert on similar route

??? Mormon wagon trains cross the Mojave via the Old Spanish Trail

1849 Wagon party, while looking for a shortcut to the gold fields, become the first Caucasians to cross Death Valley.

1854 Whipple expedition surveys route across the desert

1859 1500 troops attack the Mohave Indians; Beale establishes a supply road across the Mojave from Fort Mojave to Camp Cady (near Barstow) along Whipple's route; extends route to the east for a future railroad

1860's and 1870's mining strikes in and near the desert; grazing starts in East Mojave to support miners

1866-1868 Mojave Road used as mail route; military outposts established along route

1871 Georg 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

1905-1906 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 (laterUnion Pacific RR)

1916 Federal Aid Road Act leads to development of Route 66 parallel to the railroad

1910's and 1920's Homesteading in Lanfair Valley

1920's Los Angeles population doubles; one auto for each 3 citizens

1920's Las Vegas population grows and gambling takes off during prohibition

1930's Great Depression drives many from cities to the desert for gold and for land to raise crops

1930's Las Vegas booms again with return of alcohol; jobs from building Hoover Dam

1937 Hoover Dam completed; water and power are plentiful in Las Vegas area

1938 Route 66 fully paved

WW II 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's and 1950's Military bases established in CA and southern NV

??? Second railroad constructed across desert

1956 Federal Aid Highway Act authorizes interstate highways

1960's Interstate highways built across desert; I-40 completed 1973

post- WW II population explosion

1980's and 1990's Housing booms in Antelope Valley, Morongo Valley, YuccaValley area of western Mojave; booms in Las Vegas and Colorado River townswith casino industry; booms in Phoenix

National Park Service units

1908 Grand Canyon National Monument; 1919 to National Park

1933 Death Valley National Monument; 1994 to National Park

1936 Joshua Tree National Monument; 1994 to National Park

1964 Lake Mead National Recreation Area

1992 Manzanar National Historic Site (Owens Valley)

1994 Mojave National Preserve

Military units

Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, 29 Palms -- Used by Army and Navyfor aviation training during WW2. Dormant until 1952 when the Marines movedin.

China Lake-- 1943 established and used by CalTech and Navy Naval Ordnance Test Station. Harvey Field at Inyokern used as auxiliary landing field whileconstruction took place at China Lake. mid-1945 aviation moved to ArmitageField at China Lake.

Edward Air Force Base -- 1933 March Field used dry lake bed for temporarybombing and gunnery range. By 1937 Army Air Corps using it and a semi-permanent camp established at Muroc.

Marine Corps Logistics Base -- Established December 1942 originally byNavy but transfered to Marines.

Ft. Irwin -- Established 1940 as Mojave Anti-Aircraft Gunnery Range.Closed 1944-1951. Reactivated in 1951.

Desert Testing Center, WWII -- Genral Patton trained over 1 million troops in east Mojave; troop population peaked at 191,000.

Nevada Test Site -- established 1950.

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