In Barstow, everything has always revolved around transport routes. In the 19th century, the Salt Lake Road from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City (later US-91, even later I-15) and the Old Spanish Trail to Santa Fe (later Route 66 / I-40) passed here, mostly along the Following Mojave River. In 1864 a first trading post called Grapevine was opened. From 1881 it was called Waterman Junction. 1888 celebrated the arrival of the Santa Fe Railroad. The town was finally named after William Barstow Strong, the president of the railroad company. When the mines in the Calico Mountains were exhausted, places like Daggett and Calico died, but Barstow grew into an important railroad town, not least because of the Harvey House opened in 1911 called Casa Del Desierto. An annual sandcastle-building competition is held in the dry Mojave River bed in the summer.
Barstow Station in Barstow
Worth a small mention is the local McDonald's which consists of 3 wagons placed side by side as a tribute to the town's history which is closely linked to the railroad.
The shops attached to it have also been expanded with the addition of old railway carriages.
El Rancho Motel in Barstow
How do you get cheap building materials in the desert? This motel chose an unusual path: It was built from old sleepers from the dismantled Tonopah & Tidewater Railroad.
Murals / wall drawings in Barstow
The beautiful murals along Main Street depicting scenes from the city's history were installed by a non-profit organization.