Waterman Mine
In the rugged hills north of present-day Barstow, where the sun beats down with a fierce hand and the wind sings through the rocks, lies the story of the Waterman Mine — a story of industry, ambition, and the shaping of a region.
It was in the year of our Lord 1880 when Robert W. Waterman, a man of vision and determination, along with his partner John L. Porter, discovered rich deposits of silver in the hills that now bear Waterman's name. Their efforts were rewarded handsomely; between 1881 and 1887, the mine produced nearly $1.6 million worth of silver — a princely sum for that era and a source of great prosperity.
As the mine flourished, so too did the settlement nearby. The California Southern Railroad, seeking to tap into the wealth of the hills, laid its tracks in 1885 to meet the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad at a spot along the Mojave River. They called this new junction Waterman Junction, honoring the man whose discoveries had made it a place of consequence.
In due course, the settlement took on a new name: Barstow, christened in 1886 after William Barstow Strong, the esteemed president of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Thus, what began as a dusty waystation for silver ore grew into a vital hub for the great railroads and an enduring town of the desert.
The name of Waterman yet lingers in the land — not only in the hills but also along Waterman Avenue in San Bernardino, a silent tribute to the miner, entrepreneur, and later governor whose hands helped carve civilization from the wilderness.
Today, though the bare hill lies silent save for the whisper of the desert breeze, the legacy of the Waterman Mine endures. It stands as a monument to the spirit of enterprise that built California, a reminder that from these barren lands sprang forth hope, fortune, and lasting settlement.
Robert Waterman