Day 2
The first place where I took any photos was when we stopped in Calico for the night. In 1881, the silver mining town of Calico was established.Calico is 10 miles north of Barstow, Exit I-15 at Ghost Town Rd. Calico was set up as an old mining town, and it has about 1/3rd of the original buildings of the mining camp.
Miner statue with a burro
My dad grew up in a ghost silver mining town in Colorado called Silver Cliff. (Which we visited later in this trip.) I don't know that this town really compares, but it was interesting.
Daily Admission 2022
- Adult ............................... $8
- Youth (4-11) .................... $5
- Children (3-under) ........... FREE
Sign about Calico which was in those days owned by the same people as Knotts Berry Farm. We visited Knott's Berry Farm when we were in LA last year
Main street
The Town site is open 8:00 a.m. to Dusk daily. A narrow gauge railroad operates within town limits
Mine train tracks
Mine buildings and the train up on the hill
Mine train rail - looking past the train engineer
The entrance is in "Wall Street Canyon", where the rocks extend upward nearly 100 feet.
Calico
Population rise and fall
Old fire station
Another photo of the Calico signs on the hill and Hank's Hotel
You can take a walking tour with Calico's historian beginning at 10 a.m., noon, and 2 p.m. The 45 minute tour is free, and examines the life of miners, the famous 20 mule teams, and Calico's mail carrying dog, "Dorsey".
BB petting a burro
The children of course loved the burros - that was one of their favorite things from Knotts Berry Farm last year. I'm not sure if it is Mother or Dad behind them on the left
The kids had a mule ride here in Calico.
Mule ride
Although I did not know it at the time, Mr. Walter Knott, founder of Knott's Berry Farm. Knott had bought Calico in 1951 and started restoring it from old photographs. So no wonder it reminded me of Knott's Berry Farm.
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. One of the exhibits in the town was laundry hanging on the line. This was in line with the type of thing that Disney and Knotts Berry Farm had at the time.
Laundry area - both girls appear to have small cameras. I don't remember this and I don't remember seeing any photos that they took
.Sign says (in Chinese and English) Help Wanted for Londry
And then under that Yung Hen Chinatown Ruler
Chinese bath tub which D is trying on for size. She has a camera in her hand.
The town shops include a 1880's confectionary, a saloon where the sounds of honky tonk piano often fill the air, a full service restaurant, leather goods, pottery, basket, bottle, rock and dry goods stores. South of town is Calico's cemetery.
Life in Calico the way it used to be
Patent medicine man
Sign in the saloon
Now, gunfight stunt shows have become a part of Calico's everyday life.
Or you can pan for real gold (I don't know whether they 'salt' the stream for gold or not - I think they must. This was after all a SILVER mining town and not gold), and according to the website: "..watch water roll up hill in Calico's Mystery Shack or take a trip down into an actual mine where the air is thin, ceilings are low and evidence of labor intensive rock chipping is everywhere."
I thought it was kind of hokey at the time, but in those days there was only one Disney park (Disneyland) and Walt was still alive.
In November 1966 (right after our visit), Knott donated Calico to San Bernardino County.
- Next entry in the series 'Driving Coast to Coast - Three Cross Country Trips 1964-1966': Taking the Southern Route - Calico CA to Kingman AZ on Route 66 - Day 3
- Previous entry in the series 'Driving Coast to Coast - Three Cross Country Trips 1964-1966': Taking the Southern Route- Monterey to Key West in 1966 - post 1 - Packing up and Leaving Monterey
