Category: Destination4x4

The tale of the the Old Mojave Road is the story of water, the more important resource in the desert.  Along the Old Mojave Road trail is the Government Holes water stop.  Long abandoned, the site still contains a wind mill, a corral and a few watering holes.  This quiet remote location was even the site of a gunfight.

The story of the American West is the story ongoing and continued conflicts between the Native Americans and settlers and this holds was also true for the Mojave desert.  In 1858 the Mohave tribe attack various wagon trains, which prompted a military response from the U.S. Government. Major William Hoffman and over 600 men were dispatched to the Colorado River which is the  homeland of the Mohave  Tribe.  Major Hoffman demand the Mohave surrender to which the tribe relented.  Major Hoffman next established a post on the eastern bank of the Colorado River which developed into Fort Mojave.  To support this new fort, regular supply wagon trains from Los Angeles were required to travel east through the Mojave Desert until the Civil War.  Improvements to the wagon trail included a water stop which became known as Government Holes.

By the 1870s, steamboats on the Colorado supplied Fort Mojave and the Mojave Road became a highway for miners, prospectors, and ranchers.  In 1883 the Southern Pacific / Atlantic & Pacific Railroad took up the majority of traffic.  Throughout the 1800’s the Mojave was an open range, and cattle and livestock grazing was a source of money and food.  As with many human endeavors, smaller operations consolidate into larger companies.  These companies worked to claim ownership of land and most importantly water rights.

Homesteaders were in conflict with the Cattle Companies, when the homesteaders stake claims on the best grazing territory.  Homesteaders crops were trampled by the cattle, and the cattle companies denied the homesteaders access to water.  The homesteaders responded by taking their portion of beef from the herd.  All of this game to a head when a gun fight broke out between Matt Burts and J. W. “Bill” Robinson on November 8th, 1925.  Both men died in the fight, and may be one of the last of the “old west” gunfights and the plot of a lot of Hollywood movies.

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Bert Smith’s Cabin, commonly known as the Rock House or Rock Spring Cabin, is a historic stone structure located in the Mojave National Preserve in San Bernardino County, California. Situated along the Rock Spring Loop Trail near the ruins of Camp Rock Spring, the cabin overlooks a scenic desert valley and serves as a poignant reminder of one veteran’s resilience in the harsh Mojave Desert environment. Built in 1929, it stands as a testament to homesteading, health-driven migration to arid regions, and the broader history of the Mojave Road corridor. Today, it is preserved by the National Park Service (NPS) as a public hiking destination and interpretive site.

Bert Smith’s Background and Move to the Desert

Bert George Smith (often referred to simply as Bert Smith) was a World War I veteran who served in Europe. During the war, he was exposed to poison gas—likely mustard gas—used in chemical warfare, which severely scarred his lungs. Upon returning to the United States, his health declined dramatically. In the late 1920s, the Department of Veterans Affairs recommended that he relocate to the Mojave Desert, believing the dry climate might extend his life. Doctors gave him only a short time to live, perhaps as little as a year.

Smith arrived in the Mojave in 1929 and chose a site above the historic Camp Rock Spring, a former U.S. Army outpost used from 1866 to 1868 and a vital water source for Native American tribes, explorers, settlers, and military personnel. The area had long been part of desert travel networks, including the Mojave Road.

Construction of the Cabin

Smith initially built a simple wooden shack for shelter. He later upgraded it into a more substantial rock house using local stones, completing the structure around 1929 or in the early 1930s. The single-story cabin featured a functional design suited to the desert: thick stone walls for insulation, basic windows, a chimney, and a modest footprint. It had no electricity or modern amenities like television, emphasizing self-reliance and simplicity.

Smith enhanced the site by constructing wells and dikes in Rock Spring Canyon to improve water availability. He also maintained a small herd of goats, whose milk sustained him and his animals; remnants of the goat pen and corrals are still visible nearby. The cabin’s elevated location provided panoramic views of the surrounding desert, including the New York Mountains to the north.

Life at the Cabin

Despite his grave prognosis, Smith thrived in the isolated desert setting. He lived at the Rock House for approximately 25–27 years, until 1954, far outlasting medical expectations. His existence was one of quiet solitude amid the Mojave’s rugged landscape—tending goats, maintaining the spring improvements, and embracing the peace of a life without modern distractions. A common inscription or description of the site captures this spirit: “Former home of Bert George Smith. No television, no electricity. Just peace and quiet.”

In the 1930s, the area saw brief mining activity nearby when prospectors discovered copper in Watson Wash and built a small mill to process ore. The operation was short-lived and soon abandoned, leaving ruins that the Rock Spring Loop Trail now passes.

Subsequent Residents and Transition

After Smith left the cabin in 1954 (he reportedly moved to a retirement home and passed away in 1967), the structure stood vacant for a time. In 1981, desert artist Carl Faber—already experienced in living rough in the East Mojave—moved in and operated an informal art business there for about five years. He sold his artwork to passing four-wheel-drive travelers along the Mojave Road. Faber later relocated to a nearby property, continuing his art until 2003 before moving to New Mexico. He reflected positively on the lifestyle, noting how many visitors envied his freedom.

Current Status and Preservation

The NPS has restored and maintains the cabin, which remains in good condition with its stone construction intact. It is locked to protect the interior, but visitors can view it closely from the outside. The site is easily accessible via a short walk from a dirt parking area along Rock Spring Road (0.2 miles south of Cedar Canyon Road), with picnic tables and vault toilets nearby. It forms part of the one-mile Rock Spring Loop Trail, which also highlights the miners’ mill ruins and Camp Rock Spring.

An official NPS historical marker at the site details Smith’s story and the area’s layered history. The cabin is a popular stop for hikers, off-road enthusiasts, and history buffs exploring the Mojave National Preserve.

Significance and Legacy

Bert Smith’s Cabin embodies themes of veteran recovery, desert adaptation, and human perseverance. Smith’s defiance of a terminal diagnosis through simple desert living inspired later residents like Carl Faber and continues to captivate visitors. It connects to broader Mojave narratives: military history at Camp Rock Spring, transient mining booms, and the enduring allure of remote homesteading. As part of the protected Mojave National Preserve, the site educates the public about the human stories woven into this arid landscape while preserving its natural and cultural resources for future generations.

In summary, what began as a desperate health refuge became a symbol of endurance. Bert Smith’s Rock House stands today not just as a historic building, but as a monument to the quiet determination of those who sought solace and survival in the Mojave Desert.

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