Nipton, California

Nipton was founded on February 9, 1905, with the coming of the first train on the newly constructed San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad. It was called "Nippeno Camp" following a nearby discovery of gold. The name was changed to Nipton when the San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad merged with the Union Pacific Railroad around 1910. In addition to being a cattle-loading station for several local ranches, the town and depot also supplied numerous mines in the area, becoming a social center for the sparse population of the region. In August 2017, Nipton was in the process of being purchased by American Green Inc., a maker of cannabis products, for $5 million USD with plans to turn the town into a cannabis tourism destination. The CEO of American Green Inc hopes to make this into the first "Pot Town, USA". Early facilities included a school, a U.S. post office, a voter precinct, and several small businesses. A five-room adobe hotel was built in the Mexican Territorial style in 1910. Nipton also has two historic residences, the Nippeno House and the Hermitage House.