Lost Mines of Southern California: Calico Mines
In 1881 California''s largest silver strike was discovered in what would soon become the town of Calico. Calico''s population boomed, but by the mid 1890''s silver had lost its value and the population began to decline. Borate production kept the town alive, even through the panic of 1906. In 1917 cyanide was used to recover silver from the Silver King mine dumps.