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Barstow, CA
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Barstow is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 21,119 at the 2000 census.
Barstow is a major regional transportation center. Several major highways including Interstate 15 and Interstate 40 converge in the city. It is the site of a large rail classification yard, belonging to the BNSF Railway. The Union Pacific Railroad also runs through town on trackage rights on BNSF's main line to Daggett 10 miles east, where it heads to Salt Lake City, and the BNSF heads to Chicago.
Barstow is home to Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow and is the closest city to Fort Irwin Military Reservation.
Route 66 ran through Barstow and the town's name is mentioned in the lyrics to the song, "Route 66" and in the Black Eyed Peas song "Like That" as Will.I.Am raps that he "(has) a style that's way out like Barstow" commenting on Barstow's distance from the BEP's home city of Los Angeles. Barstow is also mentioned in Hunter S. Thompson's novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, in Quentin Tarantino's film Kill Bill Vol. II, and in numerous other films and television shows.
Barstow is a major regional transportation center. Several major highways including Interstate 15 and Interstate 40 converge in the city. It is the site of a large rail classification yard, belonging to the BNSF Railway. The Union Pacific Railroad also runs through town on trackage rights on BNSF's main line to Daggett 10 miles east, where it heads to Salt Lake City, and the BNSF heads to Chicago.
Barstow is home to Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow and is the closest city to Fort Irwin Military Reservation.
Route 66 ran through Barstow and the town's name is mentioned in the lyrics to the song, "Route 66" and in the Black Eyed Peas song "Like That" as Will.I.Am raps that he "(has) a style that's way out like Barstow" commenting on Barstow's distance from the BEP's home city of Los Angeles. Barstow is also mentioned in Hunter S. Thompson's novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, in Quentin Tarantino's film Kill Bill Vol. II, and in numerous other films and television shows.
Johnny Carson of the Tonight Show mentioned Barstow, CA, calling it Barstool.
Sheryl Crow also makes reference to Barstow, CA in her song Leaving Las Vegas... "Used to be I could drive up to
Barstow for the night
Find some crossroad trucker
To demonstrate his might
But these days it seems
Nowhere is far enough away
So Im leaving las vegas today"
HistoryBarstow started getting settled in the late 1840s in the Mormon Corridor. Barstow's roots also lie in the rich mining history of the Mojave Desert. Because of the miners coming to Calico and Daggett following the discovery of Silver in the 1860s, railroads were constructed to transport goods and people.
The Southern Pacific built a line from Mojave, California through Barstow to Needles in 1883. In 1884, by way of a compromise, ownership of the line from Needles to Mojave was transferred to the Santa Fe.
Railroad magnate William Barstow Strong, who owned the Santa Fe Railroad, is the eponym of the city.
Barstow's history was further cemented with the paving of the major highways through the city. Much of Barstow's economy depends on transportation.
Some early Barstow names were Camp Sugarloaf, Grapevine, and Waterman Junction.
GeographyBarstow is located at (34.876259, -117.034818).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 87.0 km² (33.6 mi²), all land.
ClimateBarstow experiences four seasons. Summer days are very hot, with highs typically exceeding 100 °F (37.8 °C). Winter, in contrast, is characterized by cold mornings, with lows near 30 °F (-1 °C). Daily temperature ranges are large. The afternoon high is usually about 30 °F (17 °C) warmer than the morning low.
The city is very dry. The average annual precipitation is about 4 inches, with more than half of it typically falling during the winter months. Snowfall is uncommon in winter for it happens every year or two.
PoliticsIn the state legislature Barstow is located in the 18th Senate District, represented by Republican Roy Ashburn, and in the 34th Assembly District, represented by Republican Bill Maze. Federally, Barstow is located in California's 25th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of R +7 and is represented by Republican Buck McKeon.
EducationBarstow High School
Central High School serves as an alternative school.
Barstow Junior High School
Barstow Intermediate School
Cameron Elementary School
Crestline Elementary School
Henderson Elementary School
Hinkley Elementary School
Lenwood Elementary School
Montara Elementary School
Skyline Elementary School
Thompson Elementary School
Sites and attractions- In Barstow
The Barstow Station mini-mall on Main Street a popular stop for travellers on I-15. Gift shops, fast food, and the The Highway Stations office are located here. The dining section consists of three side-by-side rail-road cars - a reference to Barstow's railroad heritage. In September 1986, the McDonald's at the Barstow Station was destroyed by fire when a tourist pulled up to drive thru window and his car caught fire. In 1997, the McDonald's at the Barstow Station got national attention when a gunman opened fire, shooting several people, killing a nine year old girl.
The Casa Del Desierto, built in 1911 as a Harvey House hotel and train station, now houses the Mojave River Valley Museum and still functions as an (unstaffed) Amtrak station.
Skyline Drive-In is one of the last operating drive-in theatres in San Bernardino County. It has two screens which both show two movies a night.
The fast-food restaurant Del Taco was founded in Barstow, and it is said that Barstow had the best Del Tacos. The first location is still open at 401 N. First Street.
Barstow is also home to the Desert Discovery Center, Route 66 Museum, and the Western America Railroad Museum.
Lava tubes, huge caves in lava from nearby volcanoes, offer spelunking opportunities.- Near Barstow
Fort Irwin Military Reservation is the national training center for the U.S. Army. Located within the reservation is the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex of NASA's Deep Space Network of radio telescopes.
Rainbow Basin is designated as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern due to landscape features and paleontological resources in the area. It is known for its multi-colored rock formations and scenic canyons.
Coyote Dry Lake is a 30-square-mile (78-square-kilometer) playa.
Calico Ghost Town is one of the few remaining original mining towns of the western United States, now preserved as a museum. It was preserved by Walter Knott (founder of Knott's Berry Farm).Famous people from BarstowJeanne Crain, actress.Dino Ebel, third base coach for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.Paul E. Cortez, one of the soldiers charged with the rape and murder of Abeer Qasim Hamza.T.J. Houshmandzadeh, football player.Gloria Romero, majority leader, California State SenateStan Ridgway, musician, founder of Wall of VoodooRoss Robinson, music producerPortis Hershey, actor, music producerAlex Egg, notable software engineer Woodie, famous local High School supporter / bike riderExternal linksCity of BarstowMojave River Valley MuseumDesert Dispatch Newspaperparadox: Art, conversation and spiritualityBarstow Fire Protection District
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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By Reidy
17 days
A combination holiday taking in Las Vegas, a 10 RV trip and finishing in Anahiem (Disneyland)
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