Calico Ghost Town

A silver rush town from 1881 that grew to 3,500 people and nearly 500 mines before being abandoned entirely when silver prices crashed in 1890. Walter Knott bought it in 1951 and restored it. Now a San Bernardino County park with original 1880s buildings still standing.

Calico Ghost Town, located three miles north of Interstate-15 between Barstow and Yermo, was born during the silver boom of the 1880s. When prospectors discovered the Silver King -- Calico's richest mine -- in 1881, the town exploded into a bustling mining community of over 1,200 residents with 22 saloons. But when silver prices crashed in the 1890s, the population dwindled until Calico became one of California's most authentic ghost towns.

The most often sighted spirit is Lucy Bell King Lane, who spent nearly seventy years of her life in Calico. She arrived at age ten in 1885, sliding down the steep slope to school each morning and making the tiring hike back up each afternoon. At eighteen, she married John Robert Lane, and together they opened a general store serving the mining population. Even when the diggings turned ghost, Lucy refused to leave. She lived in Calico longer than anyone else, and apparently still hasn't left.

Lucy is frequently seen wearing the black lace dress she was buried in, walking between her home and the general store. Her former home is now a museum dedicated to Lucy and John, where visitors have spotted her sitting in a rocking chair, slowly rocking back and forth. Some have even seen her behind the counter of the General Store, still tending to customers who are no longer there.

"Tumbleweed" Harris, the last Marshal of Calico, also refuses to step down from his duty. His large frame and long white beard are often spotted patrolling the boardwalks of Main Street, keeping order in a town that no longer needs keeping.

The schoolhouse is another hotspot. Teachers whose names have been lost to time are frequently seen standing in the windows, peering out at passersby. Reports of a red ball of light moving inside the schoolhouse persist, and many visitors have encountered a young girl, around 11 or 12 years old, who interacts with visitors with innocent curiosity.

At the Calico Corral, phantom crowds and celebrations can be heard from the barn that once hosted Saturday night dances. At Lil's Saloon, one of Calico's original buildings, the sounds of an old-style piano and rowdy crowds echo when the building stands empty. Employees have heard the jingle of spurs and other odd noises throughout the historic structures.