State Silver Rush Ghost Town
CalicoThe town of Calico in San Bernardino County came to life in 1880 after the discovery of silver ore and other minerals, and took its name from the colors of the rocks in the area. At an elevation of 2,283 feet, this dry, dusty, mountainous town grew and by 1892, there were over 60 mines in the area. These mines produced $20 million worth of silver and $9 million in borate minerals before they were exhausted in the mid-1890s. At one time, Calico had a population of several thousand.
Walter Knott, the creator of Knott’s Berry Farm amusement park, bought the ghost town in 1953. The old town was restored and became part of the 480-acre San Bernardino County Regional Park in 1966 and was designated a California Historical Landmark (782).
(Added by Statutes, Chapter 90, 2005)
Explore our State Symbols
- Amphibian - Red Legged Frog
- Animal - California Grizzly Bear
- Bird - California Valley Quail
- Colors - Blue and Gold
- Dance - West Coast Swing
- Dinosaur – Augustynolophus Morrisi
- Fabric – Denim
- Fife and Drum Band – California Consolidated Drum Band
- Flag
- Flower – California Golden Poppy
- Folk Dance – Square Dance
- Fossil – Saber-Toothed Tiger
- Freshwater Fish – California Golden Trout
- Gemstone – Benitoite
- Gold Rush Ghost Town – Bodie
- Grass – Purple Needlegrass
- Historical Society
- Insect – California Dogface Butterfly
- LGBTQ Veterans Memorial
- Marine Fish – Garibaldi
- Marine Mammal – California Gray Whale
- Lichen – Lace Lichen
- Marine Reptile – Pacific Leatherback Sea Turtle
- Military Museum
- Mineral – Gold
- Motto – Eureka
- Nickname – Golden State
- Nuts: Almond, Walnut, Pistachio, Pecan
- Prehistoric Artifact
- Quarter
- Reptile – Desert Tortoise
- Rock – Serpentine
- Silver Rush Ghost Town – Calico
- Seal
- Soil – San Joaquin
- Song – “I Love You, California”
- Sport – Surfing
- Tall Ship – Californian
- Tartan
- Theater – Pasadena Playhouse
- Tree – California Redwood
- Vietnam Veterans Memorial
