Antelope Valley

The Antelope Valley consists of northern Los Angeles County and the southeastern portion of Kern County, California. It lies north of the San Gabriel Mountains and east of the Tehachapis in the Mojave Desert and is at least 2,200 square miles (5,700 km²) in size. The Victor Valley is to the east.

Table of contents

1 Aerospace 2 Agriculture 3 Industry 4 Parks 5 People 6 Transportation 6.1 Major Highways and Roads 6.2 Rail 6.3 Air Service 7 History 7.4 Notable People 8 Principal Cities and Communities 9 External links

Aerospace

Edwards Air Force Base, where NASA space shuttles land and where significant amounts of U. S. military flight testing is performed, lies east of Rosamond, 37 miles (60 km) northeast of Palmdale. Edwards AFB's dry lakebeds are the lowest geographic elevation in the valley.

U. S. Air Force Plant 42 in northeast Palmdale is home to Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and BAe Systems, among other aerospace-related companies. Notable projects assembled and/or designed there include the space shuttle, B-2 Spirit bomber, F-117 Nighthawk fighter, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and the Lockheed L-1011 Tristar, a passenger jet aircraft.

Agriculture

The valley's first main industry as a part of the United States was agriculture. Historically known regionally for its extensive alfalfa fields and fruit crops, farmers now are growing a wider variety of crops, such as carrots, onions, lettuce, and potatoes. As housing tracts continue to build in the middle of the valley, the farm operations are now found farther to the west and east sides than in previous decades.

Industry

The largest Borax open pit mine in the world is located near Boron. Public touring is available.

Parks

Include:

• Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, home to California's state flower
• Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park
• Antelope Valley Indian Museum State Historic Park

People

Whites make up approximately 48% of the population of the Antelope Valley and the majority in most of its cities and towns. Hispanics are the next largest group, and their numbers are steadily increasing. There is a smaller percentage of African Americans, and those of Asian descent are even less in number.

Transportation

Major Highways and Roads

Include:

• the Antelope Valley Freeway (California State Highway 14)
• California State Highway 138 (of which Pearblossom Highway comprises its eastern leg)
• California State Highway 58 (freeway status now that the new Mojave bypass has been completed)
• U.S. Highway 395 (which technically lies east of the Valley proper)

On the ridgeline of the San Gabriel Mountains, the Angeles Crest Highway (California State Highway 2) snakes 60 miles (100 km) through the Angeles National Forest to La Canada Flintridge to the Greater Los Angeles metropolitan region. Angeles Forest Highway, a key county road, connects Palmdale with Angeles Crest Highway as an alternate route to the Los Angeles basin.

Rail

Metrolink passenger rail service to the Los Angeles Basin and other parts of Southern California provides service to Antelope Valley commuters at its Lancaster and Vincent Grade/Acton stations.

Air Service

Gen. William G. Fox field in Lancaster is the valley's largest general aviation airport.

Mojave Airport is another civil aviation center. SpaceShipOne was developed and flown from its location.

Palmdale Regional Airport, co-sited with USAF Plant 42 presently has no scheduled passenger service, though it has had such service by several airlines previously. It is owned by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), the Los Angeles city government entity which owns and operates LAX.

History

The valley was first visited by whites of European origin in the 1770's. Father Garces, a Franciscan friar, is believed to have traveled the west end of the valley in 1776. Jedediah Smith came through in 1827, and John C. Fremont made a scientific observation of the valley in 1844 along with his other California explorations.

Stagecoach lines came through the valley along its foothills after Fremont's visit and were the preferred way of travel before the coming of the Southern Pacific railroad in 1876. The rail service linking the valley to the Central Valley and Los Angeles started the first large influx of white settlers to the valley, and farms and towns soon sprouted on the valley floor.

The aircraft (now referred to as aerospace) industry took hold in the valley at Plant 42 in 1952. Edwards AFB, then called Muroc Army Air Field, was established in 1933.

In recent decades the valley has become a bedroom community to the Greater Los Angeles area. Major housing tract development and population growth took off beginning in 1983, which has increased the population of Palmdale around 10 times its former size as of 2004. Neighboring Lancaster has increased its population since the early 1980's to around 5 times its former level. Major retail has followed the population influx, centered around Palmdale's Antelope Valley Mall. New business parks in both Palmdale and Lancaster have been constructed and have room for additional businesses to relocate.

Notable People

Some people of note have spent time in the valley, including:

• Judy Garland, then known in the valley as Frances Gumm. As a girl, she would sing in public to her Lancaster neighbors.
• John Wayne, then known as Marion Morrison, was briefly a Lancaster schoolboy who would be known not to tie up his horse properly when he left it by the street, as was the old time custom.
• Aldous Huxley drew writing inspiration from the solitude found at his Llano home. A little known children's fiction, The Crows of Pearblossom, is set in the valley and was the only children's book he has been known to write.
• Frank Zappa attended Antelope Valley High School in Lancaster, graduating in 1955. He met Don Van Vliet (Captain Beefheart) there, a fellow student at the time.
• Chuck Yeager was an early USAF test pilot at then-Muroc Army Air Field, now known as Edwards Air Force Base, where he became the first man to break the sound barrier on October 14, 1947.
• Michael Deaver, former aide to Ronald Reagan, is a former Mojave resident.

• R. Lee Ermey of Full Metal Jacket and Mail Call fame is a current Palmdale resident.

See also Aerospace Walk of Honor - downtown Lancaster sidewalk tribute to the U. S. Air Force flight test community.

Principal Cities and Communities

The principal cities and communities in and near the Antelope Valley are:

• Antelope Acres
• Boron
• California City - incorporated in 1965
• Del Sur
• Johannesburg
• Lancaster - incorporated in 1977
• Leona Valley
• Littlerock
• Llano
• Mojave
• Monolith
• Palmdale - incorporated in 1962
• Pearblossom
• Pearland
• Quartz Hill
• Ridgecrest - incorporated in 1963
• Randsburg
• Rosamond
• Saltdale
• Tehachapi - incorporated in 1909
• Valyermo
• Wilsona Gardens
• Willow Springs

External links

• Antelope Valley - Comprehensive site with demographic and economic information on the Antelope Valley.
• Antelope Valley Press