Death Valley Junction & the Haunted Amargosa Hotel
Nestled within the stark and unforgiving beauty of the Mojave Desert lies a place of peculiar contrasts: Death Valley Junction. A speck on the map, this remote locale is home to a community numbering fewer than a dozen souls. Its history is interwoven with the extraction of borax, a mineral that briefly brought prosperity to this arid landscape. Yet, what truly distinguishes Death Valley Junction is the enduring presence of the Amargosa Hotel and Opera House, a historic landmark that continues to captivate visitors with its unique charm and rumored spectral inhabitants.
The name "Amargosa," derived from the Paiute language, translates to "bitter water," a testament to the harsh realities of the desert environment. For centuries, indigenous peoples utilized this area, followed by prospectors and settlers in the 19th century. The establishment of a post office in 1907 marked a turning point, leading to the community being officially named Death Valley Junction. However, it was the arrival of the Pacific Coast Borax Company and the construction of the Death Valley Railroad in 1914 that truly shaped the town’s destiny. This narrow-gauge railway, spanning approximately 20 miles from Ryan, California, connected to the Tonopah & Tidewater Railroad, enabling the company to capitalize on the mining booms further north and efficiently transport borax from its own mines on the outskirts of Death Valley.
Initially, Death Valley Junction consisted of little more than a collection of tents housing businesses such as a hotel, saloon, and store. However, the discovery of new mines spurred growth, leading to the construction of permanent buildings and milling facilities. The town’s strategic location transformed it into a social hub for the surrounding area. Between 1923 and 1925, the Pacific Coast Borax Company invested further in Death Valley Junction, commissioning architect Alexander Hamilton McCulloch to design a Spanish Colonial Revival complex that would serve as a whistle-stop for travelers. This U-shaped adobe structure encompassed a hotel, theater, office building, dormitory, store, and a 23-room hotel, complete with a dining room. A recreation hall, known as Corkhill Hall, provided a space for community gatherings, dances, church services, movies, and even funerals and town meetings. At its peak, the population of Death Valley Junction reached approximately 300 residents, but this period of prosperity proved to be short-lived.
In 1927, the Pacific Coast Borax Company relocated its headquarters to a new mine closer to Los Angeles, signaling a decline for Death Valley Junction. The following year, the Death Valley Railroad ceased operations between Ryan and Death Valley Junction. The railroad equipment was dismantled and transferred to the United States Potash Railroad in Carlsbad, New Mexico. Today, a locomotive from the Death Valley Railroad can still be seen at the Borax Museum at Furnace Creek in Death Valley National Park, a poignant reminder of the town’s industrial past.
Despite the departure of its primary employer, Death Valley Junction managed to survive as a tourist destination. The Great Depression, however, dealt a severe blow to the town’s fortunes. The establishment of Death Valley National Monument in 1933 helped to sustain interest in the area, but Death Valley Junction continued to decline. Rail service was discontinued in 1940, leading to a mass exodus and the closure of the post office. Residents were forced to receive their mail from Furnace Creek Ranch, located approximately 30 miles away. In 1962, a new post office was established, reverting to the name Amargosa.
The year 1967 marked a turning point for Death Valley Junction. Marta Becket, a New York ballet dancer, mime, artist, and actress, experienced a flat tire while traveling through Death Valley with her husband.
Marta Becket possessed extraordinary creative talents from a young age, excelling in dancing, playing the piano, and art. She danced at Radio City Music Hall and on Broadway, appearing in productions such as Showboat, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and A Wonderful Town. In 1962, she married and began touring the country.
In 1967, after months of touring, Marta and her husband decided to vacation in Death Valley. One morning, they discovered a flat tire on their trailer. A park ranger directed them to Death Valley Junction for repairs. While waiting, Marta explored the abandoned adobe buildings and stumbled upon the old theater. Captivated by its potential, she peered through a hole in the back door and felt an immediate connection. As she later described, "Peering through the tiny hole, I had the distinct feeling that I was looking at the other half of myself. The building seemed to be saying…Take me… do something with me… I offer you life." And that is precisely what she did.
Driven by a lifelong desire to design her own costumes, choreograph her own dances, and create her own show, Marta and her husband contacted the town manager. The following day, they agreed to rent the abandoned theater for $45.00 a month and assume responsibility for repairs. Originally known as Corkhill Hall, Marta renamed it the Amargosa Opera House. On February 10th, 1968, she gave her first performance to an audience of just 12 adults. That same year, the town’s name was officially changed back to Death Valley Junction. Though the post office eventually closed for good, Marta Becket and the Amargosa Opera House continue to welcome visitors to this day.
In the early years, the theater struggled to attract audiences, often playing to empty seats. Undeterred, Marta began painting an audience on the walls. From 1968 to 1972, she meticulously created characters from the past, including kings, queens, Native Americans, bullfighters, and gypsies. After four years of painstaking work, she began painting the ceiling with cherubs, billowing clouds, and ladies playing antique musical instruments. The ceiling mural was completed in 1974. Over time, the Amargosa Opera House gained recognition, and donations poured in for its continued renovation, including a concert grand piano and chairs for the theater. Parts of the main building were converted into a hotel and café as renovations progressed.
With the assistance of friends and the Trust for Public Land in San Francisco, the Amargosa Opera House, Inc. acquired the town of Death Valley Junction. On December 10th, 1981, it was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1983, the Opera House purchased 120 theater seats from the Boulder City Theater in Boulder City, Nevada, to replace the aging garden chairs. That same year, Marta’s husband left, and Thomas J. Willett, a comedian, joined as stage manager and M.C., co-starring with Marta in various productions. Sadly, Willett passed away in 2005. The café closed at some point but reopened in 2009. Today, the Opera House and Hotel remain open, along with a small museum.
In addition to the hotel and Opera House, several old buildings and the former train yards can still be seen in Death Valley Junction. There are no gas stations. Death Valley Junction is located at the intersection of SR 190 and SR 127, just east of Death Valley National Park.
Hauntings:
Despite not being known for tragedies, Death Valley Junction is rumored to be haunted. One recurring apparition is a mysterious cat that has been known to interrupt Marta’s performances at the Amargosa Opera House. The spirit of Tom Willet, Marta’s former partner, is also said to haunt the theater, often seen sitting in a chair observing performances.
An un-renovated section of the hotel, once used as a dormitory for miners and containing a hospital and morgue, is affectionately known as "Spooky Hollow" by the staff due to a number of unexplained occurrences.
Guests in Room 24 of the Amargosa Hotel have reported hearing the sounds of a crying child at night, even when no children are staying at the hotel. This may be the ghost of a young girl who drowned in a bathtub in 1967. Room 32 is said to harbor a threatening presence that chills visitors. This room was once the home of a mining boss, and it is believed that hangings took place there during the borax boom.
Room 9 is considered the most haunted. Guests have reported feeling something holding their legs and feet down while they sleep. Others have heard the doorknob turning, only to find no one there when they open the door. Sounds of a child giggling and running down the hallway outside the room have also been reported. In the dining room, guests have heard voices that sound like a group of people conversing, particularly a distinctive high-pitched female voice.
Other paranormal activities include strange noises coming from the walls, shadows dancing across the stage, footsteps in empty rooms and hallways, the scent of lilacs, and showers turning on by themselves. Guests have been known to abruptly pack their bags and leave in the middle of the night, adding to the mystique surrounding Death Valley Junction and the Amargosa Hotel. The haunting tales of Death Valley Junction only add to its mystery and draw in those who are interested in the paranormal. Those visiting Death Valley Junction should expect the unexpected.