Barstow
Barstow is located in the Mojave Desert of southern California where transportation routes linking the Pacific coast with the interior western United States converge across arid desert terrain. The town developed during the late nineteenth century as railroads expanded across the Mojave Desert to connect mining districts and inland settlements with coastal ports.
The arrival of the Southern Pacific and Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railroads transformed Barstow into an important transportation junction supporting regional trade and migration. Later development of major highways including Route 66 reinforced the city’s role as a crossroads linking California with the Southwest and Great Plains.
Barstow illustrates the importance of transportation infrastructure in shaping settlement patterns across desert environments. The preserved rail heritage reflects the role of railroads in the economic development of the American West.
