From the California State Library: Town of Calico
Calico, located near Barstow in San Bernardino county, was designated
the official California State Silver Rush Ghost town in 2005. Prior
to its present status it had been designated State Historic Landmark
number 782.
The town of Calico was founded near the site of a major silver strike
in 1881 and at the height of its glory claimed over 20 saloons and
hundreds of nearby mines. The exact value of silver that was mined
is estimated to have been between $13,000,000 and $20,000,000 by the
end of the boom years. In the mid-1890's the price of an ounce of
silver dropped over half in value from what it had been in 1880.
This event caused a loss of demand for silver and by the early 1900's
Calico had become a deserted ghost town.
Calico was acquired in the 1950's by Walter Knott, owner of Knott's
Berry Farm in Buena Park, California. He preserved what was left
of Calico and constructed other buildings to recreate Calico's past
to serve as a tourist attraction. Mr. Knott donated Calico Ghost
Town to the County of San Bernardino in 1966, and today it is part
of a 480-acre County Regional Park.
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