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| 06/20/2012 Trip Notes: Even though we had to pass through this town on several occasions, other than a few historic houses and the old Historic Railroad Depot (Fig. 01) which contains a Library and Art Museum, along with the town’s City Hall, there really really isn’t much to see or do in Caliente. On a short stop, we toured the depot and the Boxcar Museum adjacent to the station that houses memorabilia and photos documenting Caliente’s railroad history. | ||
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| Caliente History: Caliente is a town steeped in railroad history. This rich meadow area around the junction of Meadow Valley Wash and Clover Creek was originally settled in the early 1860’s. With the establishment of the Jackman Ranch in the early 1870’s, the area became known as Dutch Flat. In 1874, ranchers Charles and William Culverwell purchased the Jackman Ranch and renamed it the Culverwell Ranch, causing it to later be referred to as “Culverwell.” Along with ranching, the family earned a living by providing hay for the mining camps in Pioche and Delamar. In the late 1800’s, a dispute between 2 major railroad companies began when E.H. Harriman of the Oregon Short Line and Union Pacific, pushed track from Utah to the site of Culverwell. About the same time, the newly formed San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad owned by Senator William Clark, claimed the same territory. These rival groups sought the right-of-way in a canyon only big enough for a single set of tracks. In 1901, as owner of the land, William Culverwell ended the Harriman-Clark battle by allowing only one railroad grade to be built through his property. The 2 factions eventually reconciled, with Union Pacific assuming control of the project. Culverwell became “Calientes” (the Spanish word for hot) after the hot springs found in a cave at the base of the surrounding mountains was discovered. The town was surveyed, and on August 3, 1901, a post office opened and postal officials renamed the town Caliente, dropping the “s”. The railroad line was completed in 1905, and by 1910, Caliente was the largest town in Lincoln County with 1,755 residents. A 2-story wooden structure served as a train depot until burning down in one of Caliente’s disastrous fires in 1921. In 1923, the Union Pacific Railroad Station, the impressive two story classic mission style building, designed by John and Donald Parkinson from Los Angeles, still stands today. It originally housed a 50-room hotel, restaurant, telegraph office and community center as well as a train depot. Much of its interior was made of solid oak and its total cost was $83,600. Today it houses Caliente’s City Hall, Library and Art Museum. Within a few years, Caliente grew to more than 5,000 residents and became one of the major division points on the railroad line. After steam engines were replaced by diesel locomotives in the 1940’s, the division point moved to Las Vegas. Without the depot as a main railroad stop, the town’s growth soon dwindled. | ||
