The city is a major regional transportation center. Several highways, including Interstate 15 and Interstate 40, converge on the city, and it is the site of two large rail classification yards, belonging to the Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway.
Barstow is home to Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow and is the closest city to Fort Irwin Military Reservation.
Barstow's roots come from the rich mining history of the Mojave Desert. Because of the influx of miners coming into Calico ( "Calico Ghost Town" )and Daggett because of the discovery of silver in the 1860s, new railroads were being constructed to transport the goods. Borax from Death Valley was also transported through the area for many years via the Twenty Mule Team wagons to the railhead.
The Santa Fe Railroad was built in 1888 and it ran through what is now Barstow. Railroad magnate William Barstow Strong who owned the Sante Fe is the eponym of the city.
- DesertUSA.com provides this informative description of Barstow.
- This link will take you to more information about the town of Barstow, CA.
- Barstow is also the home of the Mojave River Valley Museum.
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