When Stephen and Lydia Ragsdale broke down in the desert on their way to Los Angeles, a prospector named Peter Gruendyke rescued them by providing a phone and shelter while they waited for the service truck. Peter lived alongside the only road through the Chuckwalla Valley. Stephen saw the potential of the property as a “supply station for humans and autos,” and purchased the land from the down-on-his-luck prospector. The first store, cafe, and service station opened in 1922, complete with a modified Model T Ford acting as a tow-truck.

The harsh conditions of the desert valley meant vehicles broke down frequently, and Desert Center provided the only trace of civilization between Indio and Blythe. While Stephen towed and repaired cars, Lydia became chef, waitress, and nurse to the weary travelers.

When the road moved in 1925, Stephen moved Desert Center five miles south to keep close to the source of customers. The adobe Desert Center Cafe he built still stands today. The Ragsdales bought nearby land, eventually amassing a 700-acre parcel.

In 1934, Lydia became postmaster of Desert Center, though the post office was simply a box on the counter of the cafe. Stephen eventually became deputy sheriff for three neighboring counties.

Their tiny community lacked a school for the four Ragsdale children, so Stephen advertised for, and eventually hired, an auto mechanic with a large family. Once the additional eight children arrived, the school board finally sent a teacher to the paper-walled schoolhouse Stephen built.

The outbreak of World War II prompted General Patton to create the Desert Training Center. Once the “world’s largest Army post,” the area simulated North African conditions. After the war, several Army buildings found their way to Desert Center, where they are now protected as historic relics.

In the 1990s, Stephen's son Stanley imported hundreds of date palm trees and planted them in “unusual

patterns.” Since his death, faulty irrigation has become an issue, and the desert is reclaiming the land.

Desert Center is considered by some to be a ghost town; however, it continues to survive, thanks to its strategic placement, the important services it provides travelers, and the tenacity of its citizens.