Newberry Springs, Early 1960’s:  More and more this fertile valley on Highway 66 about 20 miles east of Barstow is being carefully watched by land buyers on account of the under cover buying of lands for future industrial location and expansion.  Grounds has been broken for the first unit of California Electrics new $50,000,000 steam electric plant.  Work has been started at the Daggett Airport for two small new industries.  Work will soon start for the construction of a chemical plant near the Newberry Depot.  Two new big gas lines will soon enter Newberry and an $8,000,000 gas pumping plant will soon be under construction. 

There are rumors that tow large manufacturing plants will locate in East Newberry.  On top of all these industrial reports the agricultural development of  this great valley continues and it is reported that Mike Valoria, a local farmer has raised 100 tons of large well formed tomatoes under plastic on two acres of ground and that buyers from Las Vegas are paying him 25 cents a pound picking them up at the ranch.

GEORGE RAFT INVADES NEWBERRY VALLEY

Newberry Springs, Early 1960’s:  George Raft of Beverly Hills, Motion Picture Celebrity, is reported to be acquiring extensive land holdings here in this agricultural valley looking forward to the time when this valley will become a major industrial area.  Tremendous iron deposits are known to be in the area south of Newberry in Johnson Valley east of Lucerene Valley where an extensive campaign of core drilling is underway to definitely prove up the huge iron ore deposits.  When the iron ore deposits are definitely proven up it is freely predicted that U.S. Steel will take over and construct a $60,000,000 steel plant somewhere in Newberry Valley probably in the Hecter Area.  Many land speculators seeking good buys are combing the Newberry area at this time according to Malcolm Gilmore of Newberry Farms Company.