Barstow

History

Barstow was organized in 1892 by George E. Barstow, who was one of the world's leading experts on irrigation. The same year, Barstow was elected First Ward County Seat. A courthouse was built the following year, and by 1900, the city's population was over 1,000 due to the recruiting efforts of Mr. Barstow. Irrigation was successful enough that in the 1904 World's Fair, Barstow managed to win a Silver Medal for its grapes. That same year, fruit and vegetable farming was hit hard when the Pecos River Dam broke. After that droughts followed and by 1918, farming was impossible. The town's population in 1930 was 468, less than half of the 1910s figure of 1,219.

Geography

Barstow is located at (31.462523, –103.395426). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.7 square mile (1.7 km2), all land.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Great-tailed Grackle

  Quiscalus mexicanus (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  186
• Rock Pigeon

  Columba livia J.F.Gmelin, 1789 · Aves
  169
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  89
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  77
• Eurasian Collared-Dove

  Streptopelia decaocto (Frivaldszky, 1838) · Aves
  75
• White-winged Dove

  Zenaida asiatica (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  64
• Red-tailed Hawk

  Buteo jamaicensis (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  41
• Western Kingbird

  Tyrannus verticalis Say, 1823 · Aves
  38

Most recent

• M 2.6 — 2026-09-15
  45 km NW of Toyah, Texas
• M 3.3 — 2026-09-15
  49 km NW of Toyah, Texas
• M 2.9 — 2026-09-13
  47 km S of Whites City, New Mexico
• M 2.6 — 2026-09-12
  19 km NNW of Jal, New Mexico
• M 3 — 2026-09-10
  59 km S of Whites City, New Mexico
• M 2.7 — 2026-09-07
  12 km SSW of Jal, New Mexico