In 1863, John Searles began
mining for
borax on the dry bed of the lake that what would later be named
Searles Lake after him. Trona was officially established in 1913, as a self-contained
company town, wholly operated by its resident mining company to house employees. Employees were paid in company
scrip instead of cash. The mining company also built a
library, a scrip-accepting for-profit grocery store, a school, basic housing, and minimal recreation facilities. The
Trona Railway was built in 1913–14 to provide the town with a rail connection to the
Southern Pacific (now the
Union Pacific) line at Searles. The railway still operates today.
Economic booms and busts followed. Its most notable boom occurred during
World War I, when Trona was the only reliable American source of
potash, an important element used in the production of
gunpowder. In 1974, the company, now known as
American Potash, was bought by
Kerr-McGee, who did not want a company town. Their attempts to make everybody leave were resisted by the inhabitants. Today,
Searles Valley Minerals Inc.'s soda ash processing plant remains the largest firm in town. Other operations nearby include evaporative salt extraction from the
dry lake bed's surface, and a lime quarry. Searles Valley Minerals is the largest employer in Trona, and many employees live in
Ridgecrest, California, commuting daily to Trona. Since its heyday, Trona's population has decreased, with more and more services relocating to the nearest town,
Ridgecrest. ==Geography==