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Barstow,
California
was founded in 1888 when the Santa Fe Railroad arrived. Located
on the Mojave River, the area had already become a thriving mining
center when silver was discovered six miles north in the Calico
Mountains in 1882.
Named for the president of
the Santa Fe Railroad, William Barstow
Strong, Barstow thrived along with the nearby successful mining towns of
Daggett and
Calico. However, as the silver began to play out in the nearby mines,
Daggett and
Calico began to die, but
Barstow
grew as it became a busy rail center. At the turn of the
century, rail travel was considered glamorous and in 1911 the
Fred
Harvey Company opened up the Casa Del Desierto where gourmet
cuisine was served on fine china to the many travelers along the
rails.
Comfortable, luxurious rooms
rested the weary rail travelers as the Harvey Girls served food and
provided information. The
Harvey House had a reputation
for friendliness and hospitality and became the focus not only for
travelers but for locals.
Barstow's
Harvey House was equipped
with a full ballroom and was the site for many of the town's dances
and social events. At one time,
Barstow's
main street was right in front of the train station and the
Harvey
Hotel. However, in the 1920's
the Santa Fe Railroad literally bought the whole street a moved it to
where it is today. The grand opening for the "new" Main Street
was July 4, 1925.
As the
automobile began to replace rail travel,
Route 66
traveled Barstow's "new" Main Street barrelling straight through
the middle of town, and the
Harvey House
remained a popular stopping point.
However, when the Santa Fe Railroad
started serving meals on the trains, the
Harvey Houses became shadows
of their former selves. The building was then used mainly for a
machine shop, with a cafeteria and a small Amtrak ticket office. Before long, the Casa Del Desierto was abandoned altogether.
In the late 80's, Santa Fe
Railway decided to tear down the old
Harvey House until an outcry
was raised by local citizens and historians. The old building
was saved by the City of
Barstow and
restoration began. The Casa Del Desierto was re-dedicated in 1999 and
is now home to the Greyhound and Amtrak stations, several arts groups,
the Mother Road
Route 66 Museum, and now the
Western America Railroad Museum. |
