12/11/2022
End of an Era ā The Lights Go Out in Randsburgās General Store
By Gary B Speck
Dec 5, 2022 was a sad day in history for Ghost Town lovers in Southern California. It is the day the owners of the Randsburg General Store turned off their beloved storeās lights for the last time. This historic icon in the struggling little former mining town of Randsburg was a light on a hill; a light in the upper end of Californiaās great Mojave Desert, a light in the hearts to all who have visited over the years. It served the community for decades, supplying everything from daily needs to prospecting supplies, desert maps and books, as well as a hot lunch on a well-seasoned, century+ old soda fountain counter. Old-fashioned malteds were served along with hamburgers, ham sandwiches and its famous banana splits.
Saying good bye has been hard.
Years ago, the present business owners revitalized the old store and reached out on social media. Off-road clubs, ghost town lovers and casual tourists from all over the world stopped by and spent a little green.
Sadly it wasnāt enough to keep the old store afloat. Recently the building owners decided to sell the building, and the lease was up. I do not know the specifics, but basically the store owners could not afford to buy it and bring it up to current building codes in the process. A social media fundraising campaign instituted by a customer allowed it to remain operating another two months, but on December 5, 2022, the end finally came.
Even though I have not visited in four or five years, this creates a hole in my heart, both as an avid ghost towner/historical researcher and many-year customer. I know that six generations of my family have strolled across its wooden floors, sat at the fountain counter and enjoyed the ambiance of the iconic store. Two vivid memories will be shared here.
In October 1983, by oldest son (then seven years old) and I went out and explored some of the Mojave Desert ghost towns, including Randsburg. We had packed our lunch and ate it while sitting on a bench out front of the general store. Afterwards we went into the store and ordered banana splits for dessert. āIām sorry sir, but we are out of bananas, so all we can do is serve an ice-cream boat.ā I remember opening my little cooler and pulling out two bananas, then handing them over the counter to the person there.
Fast forward to Oct 14, 1996. My first book, Dust in the Wind ā A Guide to American Ghost Towns had just been published and I brought a CNN reporter and camera crew into the store for lunch - their treat. They were interviewing me about the book and ghost towns in general for a short piece that would appear on the CNN News on Halloween evening.
Over the years Iāve stopped there many times. The store carried both of my books on their bookshelves. They carried copies of the magazine I wrote a monthly column in for over 37 years. My grandfather visited the store many times while he prospected the area during the dark days of the Great Depression in the early 1930s. No annual camping trip to Mammoth Lakes was complete without a stop.
Alas, as we in the ghost town world know, change is inevitable and sadly time is not a friend to these places of our passion. As more and more businesses close, more and more ghost town buildings disappear, more and more ghost towns themselves disappear. As a result, it is up to each and every one of us to help keep those lights shining bright for another generation to enjoy.
Copyright 2022 by Gary B Speck Publications.
