Calico, California

Mojave Desert Ghost Town

May 10, 2009 Cheney Anne Markun

One of the most well preserved ghost towns in the old wild west, Calico ghost town is now a living museum.

The state of California has many ghost towns but few are as well preserved as Calico. Located in San Bernadino County only 3 miles from the town of Barstow it is easy to get to and a very fun day out for the whole family.

Silver Mines in the Mojave Desert

Calico was founded in 1881 as a silver mining town. As the mines yielded more and more silver the towns population grew and, at it’s height , over 1200 people lived and worked here. In total, over 500 mines were established around Calico before the dramatic crash in silver prices in the mid 1890’s made them unprofitable. To support it’s workforce the town established churches, casinos, brothels and bars as well as its own newspaper, the Calico Print. As the price of silver dropped though the towns people soon began to leave and it became officially abandoned in 1907.

Rejuvenation and Tourism

Following the mass exodus of most of its inhabitants Calico was left at the mercy of the Mojave desert and it soon fell into disrepair. The town was bought in 1951 by Walter Knott, the former California farmer who would go on to open the amusement park Knott’s Berry Farm in 1968. Having spent a lot of his childhood with his family in the Calico area Walter had a huge interest in the town and he soon set about restoring it to its former glory, using old photographs to salvage the buildings which still existed and to build replicas of those that didn‘t. Not quite the ghost town it once was, there is now a population of 12 who care for the town.

Calico as a Living Museum

Following the renovations Walter donated the town to the county and it was designated as a county regional park. It is also a registered California historic monument. Today, visitors can wander the streets of Calico and see it as it would have looked during its prime. Gun fights are staged daily to recreate the feel of the old wild west and there are tours of the old mines. There are also several shops selling cold drinks and souvenirs throughout the town and a restaurant, making it a complete day out.

Travelling to Calico

Calico is located off of Interstate 15, 3 miles north east of Barstow and, to let you know you’re almost there, you can see the word Calico carved into the mountains which rise up behind the town.

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Calico ghost town