A gas station and roadhouse were built, but those too faded into history. After the bridge was finally figured out, this town dwindled… and then Route 66 was born. The amount of crime is evidenced by the first town marshal, who was sworn in at 3 pm and was dead and buried by 8 pm the same day. A lot of lawlessness and true “wild west” spirit emerged in this small desert town. In 1882, nobody was quite sure how to build a bridge across the vast expanse, and instead a little town was formed among the railroad workers who were sidelined. This little town sprung up after construction of the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad halted because of the giant canyon (surprise, it’s called Canyon Diablo!). For a ghost town from the 1930s, there is still plenty to see. Goffs began a decline to ghost town status early, starting in 1931, when a more direct route was built for Route 66. The original general store still stands, although abandoned. ![]() The Mojave Desert Heritage and Cultural Association took up shop in the original schoolhouse, built in 1914, and has preserved artifacts like mining equipment and vehicles. ![]() Blake was the builder of the Nevada Southern Railway that began here. The town was originally named Blake between 18 after Isaac Blake. Although not a complete ghost town, with a population of 23 in the year 2009, Goffs is a fascinating place to get a piece of desert history.
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