|
YERMO - The era of the cowboy has been romanticized by writers and artists
alike since the 19th century. The cowboy's life was not glamorous, and was
in fact a hard life. The cow punch would spend up to 18 hours a day in the
saddle driving cattle from one location to another. All their meals would be
served from a chuck wagon and they would have to sleep on the hard ground.
Since there usually was no room for luggage, they would wear the same
clothes every day. This is how they would live for up to four months at a
time. Clothing was not readily available and most wore "hand me downs" that
could be bought from a resale store. Their average age was 24 and
tuberculosis was the leading cause of their death. A lot of towns did not
welcome the cowboy after a long trail drive since they often drank and
became rowdy. The re-enactors
The cowboy of the 19th century has all but died out except for groups of
dedicated individuals who are determined to keep the west alive...they are
re-enactors. These groups are spread out all over the United States today.
They do research, study pictures of the 19th century cowboy and closely
re-create who the cowboy of that bygone era really was. One such group, the
Mojave Muleskinners, appeared at Calico Days at Calico Ghost Town over the
weekend of October 7.
The Muleskinners have appeared in numerous documentaries, movies and
magazines and are recipients of several awards. Their members are located in
California, Arizona, Oklahoma and Nevada. If you'd like to learn more about
them visit their website at www.mojavemuleskinners.com.
Grand Marshall Roy Ashburn
State Senator Roy Ashburn was chosen as the Grand Marshall of Calico Days
and appeared in its parade. San Bernardino County presented Senator Ashburn
with a Resolution by the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.
Senator Ashburn authorized a bill which recognizes the importance of the
silver mine in California history and Calico was named as the official
Silver Rush Ghost Town in California. The bill was signed into law by
Governor Schwarzenegger in July.
History of Calico
The town of Calico was named because of the color of the mountain it sits
on. The blue, green, vermilion, brown, yellow and gray can be seen when
looking across it. The mountain has gone through changes over millions of
years from ancient sedimentary layers, volcanic activity and erosion which
has created the beautiful colors. The fault line runs southeast-northwest
through the town. It's still an active fault and last produced a 5.4
earthquake in 1997.
Mining
By 1888 rich silver deposits of silver were found. With the Atlantic and
Pacific Railroad completed, timber for the mines and coal for the stamp
mills were readily accessible. Ore and borax minerals later were hauled with
narrow-gauge railroads. The mines at Calico yielded between $13-20 million
dollars of ore. By 1896 the price of silver declined and so did the mining
at Calico.
Borax was first discovered in late 1883 in Mule Canyon. Mining for Borax
continued until around 1907 when about $9 million in borax being removed.
This was the last place the famous "20 Mule Teams" were used.
Chinatown ruins
Some of the original ruins of what was once Chinatown can still be seen.
Typically with mining, Chinese would work as cooks or waiters in the
restaurants and boarding houses performing services for the miners.
Hiking trail
Calico has a hiking trail which takes about 20 minutes to complete. You
will observe many plants and animals native to the desert. Some of the other
sites you can enjoy are the miner's cabins, tailing pipe, Calico and Odessa
Railroad, the Silver King Monument. This monument, a pile of rocks, marks
the general location of the "silver float" which led to the creation of the
mine. The Wagon Road is believed to have been a major route for the
transporting to and from the mines.
There are more fascinating features to enjoy at Calico. If you'd like to
learn more about what Calico has to offer, visit www.calicoghostown.com. |
