Lost to History Forever - Before & After Photos

There used to be a time where it took some effort to explore and discover the beauty and rich history that you could find out in the desert. Back then, we would pour over maps, read all kinds of books and then head out with a general idea, a compass and a camera. While a lot of what we found was dilapidated and in disrepair, they were at least still standing and for the most part, frozen in time. Unfortunately, a lot has changed since then and not for the better. Just in the last five years alone, many of the wonderful places we enjoyed visiting have since been vandalized, shot up and more times than not, burned to the ground. In an effort to protect other destinations, many more have been closed to the public. Here are just a few examples of places that have been lost to history forever.

Mojave Dinosaur House
Back in 1985, a guy by the name of Joe Whitcavitch moved out to Lucerne Valley and built a dinosaur around his mobile home. Unfortuantely, a car accident killed him and the home fell into disrepair. Years later, Boy Scouts Troop 247 of Lucerne and 62 of Barstow restored the home to its original glory and this is what it looked like

Before...


After...


Of course, thanks to the help of assholes, it is now shot up and burned to the ground. What it looks like today...







Rainbow Chaser Cabin
There was a beautiful cabin out in the Mojave Desert that was built by a Rainbow Chaser back in the 1920's. It had an inviting porch and couryard adorned with stone pavers and even an outdoor oven. We loved this place and hosted an event here back in 2011. This is what it used to look like just a couple of years back...




Thanks to some bastards, nothing is left of it other than a pile of bullet riddled and burnt out rubble. This is what it looks like today...





Barker Ranch
Barker Ranch was built back in 1940 by Butch and Helen Thomason who came out to the Panamint Range looking for gold. At one point and time, they had electricity powered by a windmill and generator and had enough fresh water from a spring that they even had a concrete swimming pool. In 1955, Jim and Arlene Barker bought the ranch and that's where it gets its name from. However, what most people know Barker Ranch for is that it's the place where Charles Manson was caught hiding under the bathroom vanity on October 10, 1969.

For years after the fact, off road enthusiats would come out and visit this beautiful ranch, make repairs to it and even stay the night in it. And, up until about 2008, this is what it looked like...








This is what it looks like today...








Enjoy it while you can because it'll all be gone before you know it.

sure is a shame, me being from a younger generation, most people think i'm just another asshole kid, wish more people could stop and admire things for what they are, or at least what they used to be.

wayoflife said:

There used to be a time where it took some effort to explore and discover the beauty and rich history that you could find out in the desert. Back then, we would pour over maps, read all kinds of books and then head out with a general idea, a compass and a camera. While a lot of what we found was dilapidated and in disrepair, they were at least still standing and for the most part, frozen in time. Unfortunately, a lot has changed since then and not for the better. Just in the last five years alone, many of the wonderful places we enjoyed visiting have since been vandalized, shot up and more times than not, burned to the ground. In an effort to protect other destinations, many more have been closed to the public. Here are just a few examples of places that have been lost to history forever.

...

Enjoy it while you can because it'll all be gone before you know it.

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Sad. :grayno:

I'm hoping to see as many of these places as I can before they are all gone.

Lost Arch Inn
Back in 1922, a prospector by the name of Charlie Brown moved out to the Turtle Mountains and lived at what is now known as the Lost Arch in until his death in 1948. For a long time, this desolate location had several cabins standing and in good condition along with a myriad of mines that went deep into the ground and were open to explore. This is a shot of what the two main cabins used to look like back in 2005...


This is what the cabins look like today - as you can see, one has collapsed...


This was one of the main mine shafts just behind the cabins that you could explore...




Thanks to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, this is what has become of it today...

uke:

wayoflife said:

There used to be a time where it took some effort to explore and discover the beauty and rich history that you could find out in the desert. Back then, we would pour over maps, read all kinds of books and then head out with a general idea, a compass and a camera. While a lot of what we found was dilapidated and in disrepair, they were at least still standing and for the most part, frozen in time. Unfortunately, a lot has changed since then and not for the better. Just in the last five years alone, many of the wonderful places we enjoyed visiting have since been vandalized, shot up and more times than not, burned to the ground. In an effort to protect other destinations, many more have been closed to the public. Here are just a few examples of places that have been lost to history forever.



Enjoy it while you can because it'll all be gone before you know it.

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THAT'S F@@@#D UP! :naw: :grayno: THIS IS MAKING ME SICK!uke:uke:

wayoflife said:

There used to be a time where it took some effort to explore and discover the beauty and rich history that you could find out in the desert. Back then, we would pour over maps, read all kinds of books and then head out with a general idea, a compass and a camera. While a lot of what we found was dilapidated and in disrepair, they were at least still standing and for the most part, frozen in time. Unfortunately, a lot has changed since then and not for the better. Just in the last five years alone, many of the wonderful places we enjoyed visiting have since been vandalized, shot up and more times than not, burned to the ground. In an effort to protect other destinations, many more have been closed to the public. Here are just a few examples of places that have been lost to history forever.

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Seen most of these places with you before and after.
It's amazing how stupid people are these days. No value is placed on anything.
You know the saying:

PEOPLE SUCK!!

This place looks familiar.

Moochie said:

This place looks familiar.
View attachment 14169

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Is that you in the picture in the hat??

Trail Bud said:

Is that you in the picture in the hat??

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It could be. I'm on my phone and can't see it clearly, even when I zoom in. Maybe I'm just going blind.
As I recall didn't someone hide a friends portable iPhone speaker?

I too think this is a shame...History now gone!!

Moochie said:

It could be. I'm on my phone and can't see it clearly, even when I zoom in. Maybe I'm just going blind.
As I recall didn't someone hide a friends portable iPhone speaker?

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The eyes are the first to go. And yes now that you mention it someone did hide it. I wonder who it was??? :thinking:
That was a fun trip. as always.

Went out to Inscription Canyon a couple weeks back and saw the chunks missing that some idiot stole...

Trail Bud said:

The eyes are the first to go. And yes now that you mention it someone did hide it. I wonder who it was??? :thinking:
That was a fun trip. as always.

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Yes it was! Very remote area. It needs to be visited again.

This thread hits home for me. I'm an old "wheelin" geezer and have seen some of our history destroyed by mother nature and man. Nature is unfortunate but OK because that's where it all came from anyway, but I f$#kin' hate it when we vandalize, burn and bulldoze it. I've written three long rants before this one and then hit the delete key. It was good therapy. Anyway, if it's on your list to see, do it before some a$$holes destroy it. Sigh!:twocents:

Thanks Eddie. This is a very sad testament of our society, but its an awesome thread. We always look forward to and enjoy your history lessons everywhere we go.

So sad. I am not a fan of some of today's society that lets everything pass before there eyes and does not stop to look. Although this is not in the States but in Diego Garcia. I got to see a piece of history on the way home from my last trip to Afghanistan.




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Why

I agree it really sucks that some people could be so stupid. Why can't people go out and leave the outdoors better then when you got there.

I hope I can visit these places soon and assholes stop messing with our history!!


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Skid_Kid said:

So sad. I am not a fan of some of today's society that lets everything pass before there eyes and does not stop to look. Although this is not in the States but in Diego Garcia. I got to see a piece of history on the way home from my last trip to Afghanistan.

View attachment 14185


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That's Wild DEVIL DOG!! I have an old 5x7 printed picture with me in the exact pose on that same gun implacement taken in '97. Now I'm going to have to go rumaging through my garage to see if I can find it.

Oorah! and thanks for the cool memories!

Trail bud says it best, PEOPLE SUCK!

Its too bad that people have to ruin pieces of history so that others cannot enjoy them. At least for me going to the location is still cool even though I cannot see those places in their glory. Guess I better get out more to see the places I can before there gone.