Calico Ghost Town Regional Park | historic landmark

USA / California / Barstow / Ghost Town Road, 36600
 park, ghost town, historic landmark
36600 Ghost Town Road
Yermo, CA 92398
(760) 254-2122
parks.sbcounty.gov/park/calico-ghost-town-regional-park...

During the late 1800's the town of Calico was busting with prospectors searching for its mineral riches. Silver was king here and the Calico Mining District became one of the richest in the state. Born in March 1881, Calico could boast boomtown status, producing $86 million in silver, $45 million in borax and a town population of 1,200 with 22 saloons, China Town and "red-light district." Over 500 mines including the legendary Silver King, Oriental and Bismarck were the engines that drove Calico's great wealth between the years of 1881 and 1907. Like most towns of the early west, however, when the price of silver dropped from $1.31 an ounce to 63 cents during the mid 1890's, Calico became a ghost of its former self. The town officially died in 1907 with the end of borax mining in the district.

Today, Calico is one of the few remaining original mining towns of the western United States, thanks to the help of Mr. Walter Knott, founder of Knott's Berry Farm. Knott bought the town in 1951 and started restoring it from old photographs. Five of Calico's businesses are in original buildings like "Lil's" Saloon, and Lane's General Store. Others like the school house are exact replicas on existing foundations. In November 1966, Knott donated Calico to San Bernardino County.
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calico,_California
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   34°56'44"N   116°51'55"W

Comments

  • He worked here as a laborer when he was a young man before moving on to Orange County. Then, when Knott's Berry Farm made him a rich man, he came back and bought the whole place! Must have said to himself 'One day I swear I'll own this town'.
This article was last modified 4 years ago