Reporting by Rene Ray De La Cruz, Victorville Daily Press
San Bernardino County officials are inviting the public to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Calico Ghost Town becoming a regional park.
This year’s Calico Days, on Sept. 26 and 27, will celebrate the park’s regional anniversary and the rich history of California’s Silver Rush, its mining past and historical significance.
For six decades, visitors to Calico have walked its dusty streets, taken train rides, discovered mining tips and experienced a piece of the Old West of the 1800s.
This year’s event will include gunfighting shows and musical entertainment along with other festivities, including a miner’s triathlon, burro race, costume contest, pie-eating contest and loads of activities for the entire family.
Prospectors discovered silver
On April 6, 1881, Mojave Desert prospectors discovered silver in the surrounding mountains, claiming it as the Silver King Mine and officially forming the town of Calico, county officials stated.
In 1884, state mineralogists reported that 70% of the silver produced in California was from San Bernardino County; nearly 80% of this was from the Calico district.
As a result, Calico’s population grew significantly, and due to its distance from the city of San Bernardino, it established its own sheriff, courthouse and judicial district.
Over the next 30 years, Calico mines produced an estimated $86 million worth of silver and $45 million worth of borax, a mineral used in detergents, cosmetics and enamel glazes.
Calico becomes a ghost town
Calico Ghost Town was not named after the spirits of the dearly departed. The town’s name change began in the 1890s when the silver market declined, when borax mining ended in 1907 and people abandoned the town.
In 1951, Walter Knott, a farmer known for creating Knott’s Berry Farm amusement park in Buena Park and his popular jelly, purchased Calico.
As a child, Knott spent much time in Calico, living with his uncle. During World War I, he helped build a plant to recover silver from the Silver King Mine.
After purchasing Calico, Knott began restoring it to its original condition by referencing old photographs from the 1880s.
Knott donates Calico
In 1966, Knott donated Calico to San Bernardino County and part of its regional parks system with shops, restaurants, camping and outdoor recreation available to guests.
Some structures at Calico still stand, dating back to the town’s operational years, such as Lil’s Saloon and the Lane House & Museum.
In 2005, Calico Ghost Town was designated State Historical Landmark 782 and was proclaimed by then Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to be California’s official Silver Rush Ghost Town.
Calico Days tickets
The Calico Days schedule is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 26 and 27. Admission is $15 for adults, $10 for kids ages 4 to 11, and kids under age 3 are free.
Calico Ghost Town is located at 36600 Ghost Town Road in Yermo. The venue sits three miles north of Interstate 15, midway between Barstow and Yermo.
For tickets and more information, visit parkreservations.sbcounty.gov.
Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on X @DP_ReneDeLaCruz
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press.
