A golden spirit stills shines in Randsburg, Calif.

Randsburg, in the Mojave Desert, looks much like it did a century ago, with saloons, a general store and a mine that's still active.

The General Store was established in Randsburg, Calif., around 1896, just months after the discovery of gold in the town. (Gina Ferazzi, Los Angeles Times / February 23, 2012)

Reporting from Randsburg, Calif.—

I half-expected to hear someone shout, "There's gold in them thar hills," as I rolled into Randsburg, Calif., which sits just off Highway 395 in the Mojave Desert south of Ridgecrest. The discovery of that precious metal gave birth to the town in 1896 when John Singleton, F. M. Mooers and Charlie Burcham filed a claim they called "The Rand." Within a few months, a saloon, barber shop, general store and even an opera house had sprung up to form what was known as Rand Camp. By 1897 it was called Randsburg, a boomtown of almost 4,000 people.
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