The Palmdale Railroad was a horse-drawn railroad which existed only briefly in present-day Palm Springs, California, built in 1888. Originally proposed by a Professor Wheaton, a

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

native who relocated to the desert due to

asthma Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, co ...

, the railroad was part of a larger development which included of

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groves. Running primarily down present-day Farrell Drive to the proposed settlement of Palmdale at the foot of Mount San Jacinto near the present-day settlement of Snow Creek (not to be confused with the Antelope Valley city of the same name), the line was abandoned by 1893 due to lack of water.

Ties TIES may refer to: * TIES, Teacher Institute for Evolutionary Science * TIES, The Interactive Encyclopedia System * TIES, Time Independent Escape Sequence * Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science The ''Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science' ...

from the right-of-way were used to build the Cornelia White House, which still stands today in downtown Palm Springs. For years after its abandonment, a single, dilapidated horse-drawn car remained in the desert as a sort of landmark to travelers. (Which includes a sketch of a Palmdale Railroad passenger car by

Carl Eytel Carl Eytel (September 12, 1862 – September 17, 1925) was a German American artist who built his reputation for paintings and drawings of desert subjects in the American Southwest. Immigrating to the United States in 1885, he settled in Palm Sp ...

.) The car is no longer visible and is presumed to be buried beneath the sand. The California Office of Historic Preservation recognized the site of the railroad as a point of interest on November 3, 1969.

References

External links

Self-guided tour of downtown Palm Springs including the Cornelia White House at www.pspf.net

Palmdale Railroad listing at Office of Historic Preservation's website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Palmdale Railroad Palm Springs, California Coachella Valley Defunct California railroads 1888 establishments in California 1893 disestablishments in California Transportation in Riverside County, California History of Riverside County, California Railway lines opened in 1888

See also

References

External links