Barstow

For the place in Fresno County, Barstow, Fresno County, California.

City of Barstow
—  City  —
Aerial view of Barstow
Location of Barstow in San Bernardino County
Coordinates: 34°53′36″N 117°1′8″W / 34.89333°N 117.01889°W / 34.89333; -117.01889
Country	United States
State	California
County	San Bernardino
Incorporated (city)	1947-09-30[1]
Government
- Type	General Law City Council-Manager
- City Council	Joe Gomez (Mayor)[2] Willie Hailey Sr. Tim Saenz Julie Hackbarth-McIntyre Timothy Silva,
- City Treasurer	Evelyn Radel, CCMT
- City Manager	Richard Rowe[3]
Area
- Total	33.59 sq mi (86.99 km2)
- Land	33.59 sq mi (86.99 km2)
- Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)  0.00%
Elevation	2,178 ft (664 m)
Population (2007)[4]
- Total	24,600
- Density	628.8/sq mi (242.8/km2)
- Metro Density	628.8/sq mi (242.8/km2)
Time zone	PST (UTC-8)
- Summer (DST)	PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP Code	92310, 92311, 92312[5]
Area code(s)	760[6]
FIPS code	06-04030
GNIS feature ID	1652670
Website	http://www.barstowca.org/

A Harvey House, Casa Del Desierto in Barstow

A Harvey House, Casa Del Desierto in Barstow

City View

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 (16 km) east, where it heads to Salt Lake City, then the BNSF heads to Chicago.

Barstow is home to Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow and is the closest city to Fort Irwin Military Reservation.

History

Barstow 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. Barstow gets its name from railroad magnate William Barstow Strong, who owned the Santa Fe.

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.

Geography

Barstow is located at 34°52′35″N 117°2′5″W / 34.87639°N 117.03472°W / 34.87639; -117.03472 (34.876259, -117.034818)^[7]. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 87.0 km² (33.6 sq mi), all land.

Climate

Barstow experiences four seasons. Summer days are very hot, with highs typically exceeding 100 °F (38 °C). Winter, in contrast, is characterized by cold mornings, with lows near 30 °F (−1 °C). Daily temperature ranges are large as a result of the low atmospheric moisture, typically between 30 and 35 °F (-1 and 2 °C). In January, the normal high temperature is 62 °F (17 °C) with a low of 34 °F (1 °C). In July, the normal high temperature is 103 °F (39 °C) with a low of 69 °F (21 °C).^[8] There are an average of 132 days with highs of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher and an average of 39 days with lows of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower.

The average annual precipitation is^[8] 4.33", with more than half of it typically falling during the winter months. Snowfall is uncommon in winter, occurring every year or two.^[9] There are an average of 23 days annually with measurable precipitation.

The record high was 116°F on July 14, 1972, and the record low as 3°F on January 13, 1963. The wettest year was 1918 with 10.99" and the dryest year was 1904 with 0.80". The most rainfall in one month was 4.22" in February 1998. The heaviest rainfall in 24 hours was 2.00 on November 23, 1906. The most snowfall in one month was 25.0" in January 1949, including 7.0" on January 12; that month was one of the coldest and snowiest in southern California history.^[10] http://cdo.ncdc.noaa.gov/climatenormals/clim81/CAnorm.txt

Vegetation

The native vegetation is dominated by low desert shrubs such as creosote bush. City residents have introduced many non-native plants, prominent among which are trees such as Aleppo pine, Italian cypress, fan palm, ailanthus, ash, palo verde and redbud.

Demographics

As of the census^[11] of 2000, there were 21,119 people, 7,647 households, and 5,253 families residing in the city. The population density was 242.8/km² (628.8/mi²). There were 9,153 housing units at an average density of 105.2/km² (272.5/mi²).

The racial makeup of the city was 57.10% White, 11.60% African American, 2.41% Native American, 3.08% Asian, 0.95% Pacific Islander, 18.40% from other races, and 6.46% from two or more races. 36.50% of the population were Hispanic, Latino or Latin American of any race.

There were 7,647 households out of which 36.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.4% were married couples living together, 17.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.27.

In the city the population was spread out with 30.8% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 99.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,069, and the median income for a family was $40,160. Males had a median income of $37,425 versus $25,380 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,132. About 15.6% of families and 20.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.8% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.

In a 2006 state-funded economic survey, Barstow ranks among the 10 poorest cities in California. One third of residents receive public assistance and 4 out of 10 receive welfare and social security funds. Its long distance from major cities and urban centers has created economic problems, and Barstow is seeking projects to boost the economy. However, there are three casinos planned for the area. Numerous construction projects have been announced for Barstow, including a Wal-Mart distribution center, retail growth, and an increase in lodging accommodations. The Barstow economy is seeing positive growth that will continue well into the next decade.

• median house price: $115,276 (in 2005), significantly below California state average
• 10.4% unemployment is above state average.
• 9.1% of population have a bachelor's degree or higher, significantly below the state average.
• Crime index: 445.9 (U.S. average is 330.6)
• Temperature: 33–102 °F (1–39 °C) range

The climate is very hot in the summertime(highest recorded temperature was 115 °F (46 °C) in 1995 (46 °C)), and it normally has above average winds.

Politics

In 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^[12] and is represented by Republican Buck McKeon.

Education

Barstow has 8 elementary schools (grades 1–6), and 1 junior high (7–8).
Grades 9–12 are taught at Barstow High School. Barstow Community College is the main college in the area, and its primary objective is to enable students to transfer to a four-year college or university. Park University is a fully accredited university that offers bacholer degrees in Criminal Justice, Social Psychology, Management, Management/Human Resources, and Management/Computer Information Systems. They offer classes on the Marine Base, Fort Irwin, and online to complete their degrees. Park University's classes are offered in an accelerated 8-week format.

Sites and attractions

In Barstow

A view of Barstow from the Barstow Station.

• The Barstow Station mini-mall on Main Street a popular stop for travelers 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,

Desert Dispatch Newspaper Article From September 1986 Mcdonalds Fire,1611 E. Main]

The McDonald's at the Barstow Station was destroyed by fire when a tourist pulled up to drive through window and his car caught fire. In 1997, the McDonald's at the Barstow Station got national attention when a 17-Tue-1997/news/5562956.html 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 Route 66 Mother Road Museum, the Western America Rail Museum and still functions as an (unstaffed) Amtrak station. The Barstow Chamber of Commerce sponsors an annual sandcastle contest in the dry riverbed across from the Harvey House.

• Barstow is home to many museums: Mojave River Valley Museum,Route 66 Mother Road Museum, the Western America Rail Museum, and the Desert Discovery Center. Once a year a family opens their Black History collection to the public and nearby Fort Irwin is home to the 11 Cavalry and ACR Museum

• 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 Nearby Yermo and the oldest franchise is on 401 N. First Street, and it is said that Barstow has the best Del Tacos.

The mural on the Mormon Trail Building at 201 N 1st Avenue, part of a walking tour of downtown Barstow.

• Barstow has a growing number of murals depicting the history of the area in the downtown area. Walking tours are available through Main Street Murals (www.mainstreetmurals.com).

• 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).

Public Safety

Barstow has its own police department, plus a regional station of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, which serves the unincorporated areas around the city, including Newberry Springs, Trona, Baker and Ludlow.

Fire prevention and paramedic services are provided by the Barstow Fire Protection District.

Famous people from Barstow

This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2009)

• Nick Barnett, NFL player for the Green Bay Packers
• Raquel Beezley, Miss California USA 2008
• Jeanne Crain, actress.
• Dino Ebel, third base coach for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
• T.J. Houshmandzadeh, football player.
• Gloria J. Romero, majority leader, California State Senate
• Stan Ridgway, musician, founder of Wall of Voodoo
• Ross Robinson, music producer

Transportation

• Harvey House Railroad Depot

Local transportation is provided by the Barstow Area Transport ^[13] Rail freight is provided by BNSF and Union Pacific.

Barstow in popular culture

Despite its small population and relative isolation, Barstow is disproportionately represented in popular culture as a desert transit point. U.S. Route 66 ran through Barstow, and the town's name is mentioned in the lyrics to the song, Route 66. Other songs mentioning Barstow include Sheryl Crow's "Leaving Las Vegas," which mentions the city's proximity to Las Vegas, and the Black Eyed Peas's "Like That," in which Will.I.Am raps that he "(has) a style that's way out like Barstow," referring to Barstow's distance from the group's home city of Los Angeles. Jay Farrar's album Sebastopol features a song called Barstow that references its remoteness, including the line "By the time we make it to Barstow, we'll be more than halfway to hell."

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.

There are a large number of vagrants in the area, likely because of the homeless getting off of trains at the railyard, and the convergence of the two interstate highways. Harry Partch wrote a piece of music entitled Barstow, a work that takes as its text eight pieces of graffiti hitchhikers had left on a highway railing in Barstow.

Barstow is featured prominently in the film 10.5 as the location of major evacuation center and becomes part of the new coastline of California after the Big One hits.

In the film "2 Fast 2 Furious", Paul Walker's character Brian mentions Barstow when he talks about growing up with the character Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson).

On the album Fingerprince, by The Residents, the song "Death in Barstow" tells a story about two friends going to Barstow, and one of them being killed in his sleep.

In the 2009 movie The Hangover, Phil (Bradley Cooper) asks Doug (Justin Bartha) if he can drive until Barstow which is on the way to Las Vegas.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Barstow, California

• City of Barstow
• Mojave River Valley Museum
• Desert Dispatch Newspaper
• Barstow Fire Protection District
• Southern California Hardball Association

• Barstow, California is at coordinates 34°52′35″N 117°02′05″W / 34.876259°N 117.034818°W / 34.876259; -117.034818 (Barstow, California)Coordinates: 34°52′35″N 117°02′05″W / 34.876259°N 117.034818°W / 34.876259; -117.034818 (Barstow, California)

See also

• Newberry Springs
• Mojave Desert
• Mojave National Preserve
• Death Valley National Park
• Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow
• Solar One
• Calico Ghost Town
• Bagdad Cafe
• Lake Dolores
• Route 66
• Interstate 15
• Interstate 40
• Barstow Mall

References

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