Cardex Western Company
Dry Ice Plant
About four miles southwest of Niland, there exist natural pockets of carbon dioxide. Around 1934, the Cardex Western Company developed a field of carbon dioxide wells to take advantage of these and built an adobe plant for dry ice production. Most of this dry ice was supplied to railroads for use in refrigerator cars ("reefers"). More than 65 wells were drilled between 1934 and 1944, and production lasted until 1954 when new technology was made available for reefers and the plant became obsolete.
In the years following the Cardex Western venture, the land and buildings were purchased and in the 1970s refurbished and converted to serve as a hot mineral water spa. The main plant building was reused for guest services and Roman-style concrete tubs were installed. The mineral spa wasn't successful, and was abandoned by the end of the 1980s.
The footage below, courtesy industryfilmarchive on YouTube, shows dry ice production at the old Cardex Western plant:
