Calico is a ghost town and former mining town in San Bernardino County,
California, United States. Located in the Calico Mountains of
the Mojave Desert region of Southern California, it
was founded in 1881 as a silver mining
town, and today has been converted into a county park.
Located off Interstate 15, it
lies 3 miles (4.8 km) from Barstow. Giant letters spelling CALICO can be seen on the Calico Peaks behind the ghost town from the freeway. Walter
Knott purchased Calico in 1950s architecturally
restoring all but the five original buildings to look as they did in 1880s.
Calico received State Historical Landmark 782 and in 2005 was proclaimed by
then Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to be California's Silver Rush Ghost Town.
In 1881 four prospectors were
leaving Grapevine Station (present day Barstow, California) for a
mountain peak to the northeast. Describing the peak as
"calico-colored", the peak, the mountain range
to which it belonged, and the town that followed were all called Calico. The
four prospectors discovered silver in the mountain, and opened the
Silver King Mine, which was California's largest silver producer in the
mid-1880s. A Post Office was established in early 1882,
and the Calico Print, a weekly newspaper, started publishing. The town
soon supported three hotels, five general stores, a meat market, bars,
brothels, and three restaurants and boarding houses. The county established a
school district and a voting precinct.
The town also had a deputy sheriff
and two constables, two lawyers and a justice of the peace, five
commissioners, and two doctors. There was also a Wells Fargo office and a
telephone and telegraph service. At its height of silver production during 1883
and 1885, Calico had over 500 mines and a population of 1,200 people.
Sunday
morning Rac and some friends were leaving Pasadena on a ride to Molly Brown’s, a
breakfast favorite in Victorville and then to Calico to visit and see some of
the Civil War re-enactment festivities going on Sunday. At the last minute I decide to ride up and
meet them at the Von’s parking lot and go on the ride. I arrive and find Rac-President Chapter 500,
Terry-past president Chapter 230, Will and Luis & Minita are on the ride with several other riders I
don’t know.
All goes smoothly and we
arrive to find Molly Brown’s busy but they accommodate all 12 of us including
one visitor that lives up there, arriving by truck. From Molly’s it’s on to Route 66 and Barstow
to the turn off for Calico. There is a
big crowd and parking is busy as are the town streets.
The
photos really tell the story as I am surprised to find how much has developed
since recollections of my only visit years ago.
Are these folks dressed as local color or visiting from some commune somewhere?
After seeing this photo I realized why I got these strange looks, good grief.
Slanted "House of Mystery" or just bad construction
$3 for a train ride.
Climbed to the top of the hill and you get quite a view looking out all the way to the freeway.
The ride back home was cold but nowhere
near as cold as in the morning. Luis and
I split off at the I-15 & 10 interchange.
From there we headed back to Orange County but stopped for a quick
sandwich at Joey’s BBQ in Chino, a long time favorite and their first time. The Stratoliner still rattles my teeth and head, so I'm hoping the lowers will reduce that a bit.
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