Calico Ghost Town

 

Calico Ghost Town is a restored Old West mining town situated on the side of a hill just east of Barstow.  It was established there in March of 1881 after silver was discovered in the area with its population growing from 40 originally to 1,200 by 1887.  By 1893 the price of silver had dropped and the town began its journey to “ghost town” status.  However, with the help of the founder of Knott’s Berry Farm, Walter Knott, the town was restored in 1951.  Subsequently Mr. Knott donated the entire property in 1966 to San Bernardino County.  The county made the town a San Bernardino County Regional Park and today the site is one of the few remaining original mining towns of the western United States.  There is even an overnight campground there for folks wishing to take in the sights, hike or do photography in the area.

There were over 500 mines dug here.  Names like the “Silver King” or the “Oriental” or the “Bismarck” were given to the most productive mines between the years of 1881 and 1907.  Boomtown is the word used to describe the production at this time with $86 million in silver and $45 million in borax produced from the surrounding hills.  The town boasted 22 saloons, a “China Town” and of course their own infamous red light district.

Now current businesses are intermixed between historical buildings with all restored to depict the era when the town was built including a jail, saloon, blacksmith shop and leather works vendor to name just a few.

The view from the town down into the valley is spectacular.  I suspect many a past resident or even present day visitors have sat upon a rocking chair on the porches of the businesses here dreaming of a fortune to be made in mining if only they could locate the next mining site with its “mother lode” of silver!