C&T Publications Eye On Fine Art Photography - September 2014 | Page 55

Randsburg, Ca. – Big Drama in a Small Town
by Cindy Ackley Nunn

Randsburg, located in California’s harsh and unforgiving Mojave desert, started out as a mining camp which quickly boomed into a
full-fledged town with a population of over 3000. Today, Randsburg is a living ghost town with a population of under 100 living
souls and is a popular destination for motorbike enthusiasts, European tourists and those looking for an authentic taste of the past.
Wandering through the town today it is hard to believe that at one time it had such a large, flourishing population, with so many buildings going up
on a regular basis that homes were built next to businesses, tents were pitched higgledy piggledy throughout the town and quite often a brothel or
two could be found conducting a booming business next to a grocery store or some other family-friendly establishment. Surprisingly enough, this
town even had a skating rink, where the first wedding in Randsburg was performed on April 14th, 1897. The bride and groom were Louise “Lottie”
Van Norman and Edgar Scott. Apparently the whole town turned out for the nuptial celebration, gifting the newly-weds with furniture and a town
lot to build a home upon. It was this type of community spirit which helped a place like Randsburg to thrive and families to survive even the
toughest of times.

Many buildings