PAVAN MICKEY: Calico Ghost Town, California

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Calico Ghost Town, California

Calico ghost town and former silver mining town in San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Calico Mountains founded in 1881, which was California's largest silver producer in the mid-1880s. Calico had over 500 mines and in 1890 the estimated population of the town was 3,500, with nationals of China, England, Ireland, Greece, France, and the Netherlands, as well as Americans living there. Calico produced over $20 million in silver ore over a 12-year span. When silver lost its value in the mid-1890's, Calico lost its population. The miner's packed up, loaded their mules and moved away abandoning the town that once gave them a good living. It became a "ghost town."

Calico entrance. Photo credit Chris

Walter Knott purchased Calico in the 1950's architecturally restoring all but the five original buildings to look as they did in the 1880's. In 1951, He installed a longtime employee named "Calico Fred" Noller as resident caretaker and official greeter. In 1966, Knott donated the town to San Bernardino County, and Calico became a County Regional Park. In November 1962, Calico Ghost Town was registered as a California Historical Landmark #782 In 2002, Calico vied with Bodie in Mono County to be recognized as the Official State Ghost Town. In 2005, a compromise was finally reached when the State Senate and State Assembly agreed to list Bodie as the Official State Gold Rush Ghost Town and Calico the Official State Silver Rush Ghost Town and in 2005 was proclaimed by then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to be California's Silver Rush Ghost Town. Today, the park operates mine tours, gunfight stunt shows, gold panning, several restaurants, the historic, 2 ft 6 in narrow gauge Calico & Odessa Railroad, and a number of trinket stores and lots of its original buildings are still standing,