Gold rush returns to California as thousands descend on tiny ghost town

A modern-day gold rush boom was on full display at Calico California Days, a kitschy celebration of early settlements held at Calico Ghost Town, the legendary San Bernardino County mining hub that once pulled in major cash in silver from the desert floor.

Thousands of tourists took it back to 1850’s at the two-day event over the weekend in San Bernardino County with all the hits: pony rides, gunfighter shows, fabric spinning demos, train robbery reenactments reminiscent of the wild west, and even mock gold mining.

For those with a competitive streak, the weekend featured the “Beard and Mustache” contest, where the facial hair was as rugged as the terrain, and a horse shoe tossing competition.

The small “ghost town” was once the silver mining mecca of the Mohave, bustling with people who settled in the town in 1881. After the silver market declined in the 1890’s, miners packed up their pickaxes and the town was deserted.

Calico isn’t your average pile of desert rubble. Bought and restored using old photo’s of the site in the 1950s by Walter Knott–the man behind Knott’s Berry Farm — it was eventually handed over to San Bernardino County as a living history park.

Now, modern mining companies are once again eyeing the Calico district, suggesting that the town might have a second act with another silver boom. Three companies helped sponsor the festivities, signaling they’re serious about digging back in.

Mitsubishi Cement Corporation, Apollo Silver, and Equinox Gold Castle Mountain Mine were quietly front and center at “California Days.” It’s not just nostalgia fueling the frenzy, and the economics inside the county aren’t old-timey.

According to Apollo’s proposed Calico Project, the company believers the area reportedly boasts an eye-popping 180 million ounces of silver–a haul that would dwarf the town’s original 19th century output. Apollo shelled out $5,000 in funding for the event, according to sponsorship agreements reviewed by SFGATE.

Equinox Gold is pushing to dramatically expand its Castle Mountain mine, and reportedly paid $2,500 to support the festival. Mitsubishi Cement Corporation also contributed $2,500.

With more that 20,000 square miles, the San Bernardino region is rich in minerals ranging from sand and gravel to gypsum, salt and iron. There are around 90 active mines today, including the Mountain Pass Rare Earth Mine, which has one of the “richest deposits of rare earth elements in the world and is the only site of its scale in the Western Hemisphere,” per MP Materials.