# Calico boomed to 3,000 on silver, then vanished by 1907

2026-08-13T13:39:07+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 1 independent outlet

In 1881, prospectors discovered silver in California's Mojave Desert, turning the remote site of Calico into a bustling mining town. The Times of India reports that within a few years, over 500 mines were operating and the population reached about 3,000. The Silver King Mine alone produced between $13 million and $20 million. Borate discoveries later sustained the town, but falling silver prices made mining uneconomical by 1896. Borate mining also declined, and by 1907 Calico was abandoned. The settlement was restored as a heritage site in the 1950s by Walter Knott, using old photographs to recreate its frontier appearance.

## Coverage

- timesofindia.indiatimes.com <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/in-1881-silver-turned-californias-calico-into-a-3000-person-desert-boomtown-by-1907-falling-prices-had-turned-it-into-a-ghost-town/articleshow/133209160.cms>

Tags: boomtown, calico ghost town, California, historic restoration, Mojave Desert, silver mining
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