Daggett was originally founded in 1883 and named after the then-Lieutenant Governor of Calfiornia, John Daggett. In addition to being a railroad terminus, it was also the southern end of the 20-mule team runs from Death Valley.

The old Stone Hotel, built in 1883 and one of several surviving structures from that era, is the current home of the Daggett Museum, operated by the Historic Society. The Historic Society meets the first Thursday of every month.

A prominent member of Daggett history is Seymour Alf, a blacksmith who once built wagons for those 20-mule teams. Later, when roads started to become more prominent, Alf was known as a primary grader and builder of roads throughout the Mojave Desert, including that which would become Route 66. His blacksmith shop still stands today.

Another nearby attraction is the inspection station which greeted Route 66 travelers heading west through the Mojave Desert. This station was featured in the 1940 film The Grapes of Wrath. The Daggett airport, constructed in 1933, was heavily used during World War II and is still operational today. And nearby are the locations of several solar plants, beginning with SEGS I, which was constructed in 1984.

By Scott Piotrowski