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Valley region. It had its beginnings in the days of mule freighting and
covered wagons when the stations mentioned above served travelers along
the trail. Two such station stops were in the Barstow area: Grapevine,
north of the Mojave River (at the old junction of Highway 91 and the road
to Mojave) and Fish Ponds (close to present-day Nebo) . In the 1860s
shortcuts led to the south at a spot between Point of Rocks and present-
day Helendale and from Fish Ponds past Stoddard Wells to Victorville. In
those days the district around Barstow' s location was known as Grapevine
due to the wild grapes. The Grapevine Station was run by a man named
Miller who supplied travelers with hay, groceries, and hardware. In 1880
Robert W. Waterman and John L. Porter stopped at Grapevine while on a pros-
pecting trip, a trip that led to the development of Waterman Mine just to
the north. The Waterman Porter Mill was located south of the mine, a
settlement grew there known as Waterman, and in 1884 when Southern Pacific
built their tracks from Mojave to Needles they listed a station at Waterman.
Fish Ponds Station on the east was the last stopping place common to both
the Old Government Road and to the Salt Lake Trail since the two trails
parted at Forks-of-the-Road to its east. Lafayette Mecham moved his newly
located store at Camp Cady to Fish Ponds in 1870 or 1871, and Mecham' s sons
discovered some of the silver in the Calico Mountains. b
When the California Southern Extension Railway tracks made a connection
with the Santa Fe Mojave-Needles Line, this junction was named Waterman
Junction. In 1886 it was renamed Barstow after William Barstow Strong,
president of the Santa Fe Railroad. The same year the Waterman and Porter
quartz mill was turning out $15,000 in silver bullion a week, and the city
directory listed the following by trade
Baber, A. J. miner Martin, Norman, engineer
Baker, 0. H. , miner McAllister, James G. , laborer
Banks, J. A., waiter McDerment, Hugh, fireman
Beach, M. E. merchant McDonnell, John, farmer
Beatly, J. M. , merchant McNally, J. L. , assayer
Berry, N. W. , laborer McPhee , James, millwright
Bugbee, P. J., miner Modie, J. C. , stockraiser
Davis, F. E., engineer Morrow, N. L., miner
DeBow, Samuel, bookkeeper Nickless , Wesley, miner
Deen, C. R. , miner Parker, J. L. , farmer
Dickson, James, railroader Parsons, F. C, clerk
Duffy, C. A., blacksmith Pore, Eli, miner
Elliott, W. R. , merchant Porter, J. L., miner
Fox, Chas., farmer Potts, J. E., machinist
Francis, Robert, conductor Preble, C. B., clerk
Gruwell, Green, teamster Pritz, Jacob, laborer
Hawkins , Thomas , barber Rhinehart, J. T. , clerk
Heeb, N. F. , laborer Rogers, R. R. , clerk
Hine, A. B., conductor Ross, J. K. , fireman
Hisom, F. H., machinist Scribner, Eben, miner
Howard, G. E. , R. R. agent Seibert, Daniel, farmer
Hughey, A. C. , millman Shephard, George, stockraiser
Her, W. S., laborer Thomas, E. W. , laborer
Kelly John, R.R. employee Twaddell, Thomas, merchant
, cook , farmer
Kenney , A . F . Wagner , . F .
Macdonald, Jerome, millwright Waterman , W . S . , merchant
Malon, J. E., railroader Waters, A. L., waiter
Maloy, M.J. laborer Wilkins, D. J. teamster
Maro, A. W. , engineer
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