Nipton
The town of Nipton was born on
February 9, 1905 with the coming of the
first train on the newly constructed
San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake
Railroad. Originally called Nippeno
Camp after a nearby gold discovery,
the name was changed to Nipton when
the SP, LA & SL merged with the Union
Pacific circa 1910. For many years, the
depot was a cattle-loading station for
several local ranches including Yates
Ranch, the Walking Box, and Rock
Springs Land and Cattle Co. The town
and depot also supplied numerous
mines in the area, becoming a social
center for the sparse population of the
region. Community facilities included
a school, post office, voter precinct,
and several small businesses. Begun as
a 20th century railroad depot, Nipton is
re-forming into a 21st century gateway
to the Mojave National Preserve.
