▁the ▁range , ▁initially ▁called ▁" M oh ave ▁Field " ▁for ▁the ▁nearby ▁community ▁of ▁Moh ave , ▁was ▁M uro c ▁Field . ▁In ▁October ▁ 1 9 3 5 , ▁five ▁men ▁under ▁a ▁Serge ant ▁Fol gle man ▁were ▁sent ▁to ▁the ▁area ▁from ▁March ▁Field . ▁ ▁They ▁put ▁out ▁circular ▁bomb ing ▁targets ▁in ▁the ▁desert . ▁ ▁For ▁the ▁next ▁two ▁years ▁aircraft ▁sh utt led ▁back ▁and ▁forth ▁between ▁M uro c ▁D ry ▁Lake ▁and ▁March ▁Field ▁for ▁C rew ▁Bomb ing ▁Pract ice . ▁ ▁At ▁this ▁time , ▁another ▁color ful ▁character ▁in ▁Edwards ' ▁history , ▁Pan cho ▁Bar nes , ▁built ▁her ▁ren owned ▁Ran cho ▁O ro ▁Ver de ▁Fly - In n ▁D ude ▁R anch ▁that ▁would ▁be ▁the ▁scene ▁of ▁many ▁parties ▁and ▁celebr ations ▁to ▁come . ▁The ▁dry ▁lake ▁was ▁a ▁h ive ▁of ▁hot ▁ro dd ing , ▁with ▁racing ▁on ▁the ▁play a . ▁The ▁run way ▁on ▁which ▁the ▁Space ▁Sh utt le ▁land ed ▁follows ▁the ▁route ▁that ▁hosted ▁racing ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁major ▁aer ial ▁activity ▁occurred ▁at ▁M uro c ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 7 ▁when ▁the ▁entire ▁Army ▁Air ▁Corps ▁participated ▁in ▁a ▁large - scale ▁man eu ver . ▁From ▁then ▁on , ▁the ▁bomb ing ▁range ▁grew ▁in ▁size . ▁When ▁Arnold ▁became ▁Chief ▁of ▁the ▁Air ▁Corps ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 8 ,