Growing up in Los Angeles I had always heard about Calico Ghost Town and have wanted to visit it.  So this weekend, I made the journey. I didn’t want to drive all that way just for the ghost town so I turned it into a little weekend getaway including some site around Barstow…yes, Barstow.   Aside from the Ghost Town there are a few historic things in Barstow.  Also, I have a soft spot for anything Route 66. I guess partly because that is how my grandparents and dad came to California during the 1940’s…so when I drive along Route 66 I always think of them packing everything in their car driving from Peoria, Illinois out to the “promised land” of California.

Historically, more than 2,000 years ago, the Mojave Desert had been occupied by Indian tribes who lived beside the immense lakes that covered most of the Mojave.  In the late 1800s, the Barstow area became a mining center. Daggett, 5 miles down river, was founded in the 1860s. It was originally called Calico Junction but was renamed after California Lieutenant Governor John Daggett when silver was discovered 6 miles north in the Calico Mountains in 1882.

The finding of silver in Calico and the building of the Southern Pacific Railroad from Mohave to Daggett in 1882 made the area a mining center. The famous 20-mule teams came into being when 10 teams were hitched together with two wagons and a water wagon to haul ore from Daggett to the town of Calico.

The Calico Railroad (later called the Daggett-Calico Railroad) started hauling ore from Calico to the Oro Grande Milling Company, across the river from Daggett in 1888. That same year, the Santa Fe Railroad arrived in town. The town was later named after the president of the Santa Fe, William Barstow Strong. The mine shut down in 1896 when all the silver had played out.

But in 1883, the borax rush hit Calico, and by 1902, three borax mines employing 200 men supported Daggett. It is estimated that borax taken from the Calico Hills amounted to more than $9 million, while more than $90 million in silver was removed.  As the 20th century progressed, Calico and Daggett diminished while Barstow grew. It became a busy rail center and a jumping off place for immigrants entering the state on US Route 66, as made famous by John Steinbeck's novel "The Grapes of Wrath." Modern and historic facilities are still available along Barstow's Main Street, the original Route 66. Just off Main Street, at First Street, travelers can drive over an old iron bridge that leads to the railroad depot once the site of the historic Harvey House, originally opened in 1911.

 With the construction of the modern Interstate Highway system Barstow's future of growth was assured, as I-40 and I-15 converged at the city limits with State Highway 58, making it the transportation hub of the western Mojave Desert.

My first stop was Calico Ghost Town where I spent the day.  It was nice to see the historical ruins and the refurbished building.  In the evening I spent the night in Barstow. 

The next morning I went to the Mother Road, Route 66 Museum in Barstow which is housed in the famous Harvey House.

The Route 66 "Mother Road" Museum was dedicated on July 4, 2000 in the historic Casa del Desierto, Harvey House, in Barstow, California. The Museum displays a collection of historic photographs and artifacts related to Route 66 and the Mojave Desert Communities. Displays include development of the United States Route 66 from early pioneer trails, railroads, automotive history, businesses and sites.

Visitors making this roadside attraction a day destination or staying in the area longer can learn more about what to experience while on the Mojave Desert or on Route 66 from many handouts, books and knowledgeable docents.

During the heyday of rail passenger service in the Western United States, Barstow boasted a splendid rail depot/restaurant/hotel complex called the "Casa del Desierto", House of the Desert. Completed in 1911, the Casa del Desierto was the fourth "Harvey House" built by the Atchinson, Topeka, and the Santa Fe Railway Company along its right-of-way and operated by the Fred Harvey Company. These Harvey Houses established an unparalleled standard of food service to the traveler, and entered the lore of American railroading and the West.

After the Route 66 Museum I looked around the Harvey House and old Rail Station.  From there I headed to the Desert Discory Center which was free.  Very interesting material on environmental and ecological history and preservation of the Mojave Desert.   It also stores the Old Woman Meteorite which was found in 1976 in the desert.  The meteor was nearly 1,000 pounds and the 2nd Larges space rock found in the US.

After a quick look and tour through the museum, I drove the old Route 66 from Dagget to Victorville.   Along the way were old motels, motor coach inns, delapitated buildings, and ruins from an era gone.