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About the Antelope Valley
The Antelope Valley is a semi-rural community in the High Desert of Southern California. It is a 3,000-square-mile
region that straddles northern Los Angeles County and southern Kern County. (Our meeting place is about 70 miles
from Los Angeles City Hall.) Located in the western Mojave Desert, it includes the cities of Lancaster, Palmdale,
Rosamond and Mojave. Inhabited by various peoples for thousands of years, the Valley was a trade route for Native
Americans traveling from Arizona and New Mexico to the Pacific Ocean.
The first recorded wave of non-native exploration took place in the early 1770s, and the first permanent
settlements appeared in the 1850’s, fueled by California's Gold Rush and a new status as an American territory. The
19th century saw the appearance of cattle ranching, the Butterfield stagecoach route, the Los Angeles-to-San
Francisco telegraph line, the Southern Pacific Railroad line, and abundant rainfall which supported a vibrant
agrarian economy. A long drought (the worst in the area's recorded history) forced many to abandon their
homesteads, but after the turn of the twentieth century new farms appeared with the advent of innovative irrigation
methods. The 1913 completion of the California Aqueduct (spanning 233 miles between the Owens Valley and Los
Angeles) also helped the local economy.
Many celebrities, past and present, have called the area home. Actress Judy Garland (then known as Frances
Gumm) showcased her dancing skills at a local theater. Rocker Frank Zappa graduated from Antelope Valley High
School. Actress Tippi Hedren established a wildlife sanctuary in the area. Author Aldous Huxley (Brave New
World) relished the solitude of his home in Llano. Olympic runner Marion Jones and actor John Wayne lived here
as well.
The Antelope Valley is a semi-rural community in the High Desert of Southern California. It is a 3,000-square-mile
region that straddles northern Los Angeles County and southern Kern County. (Our meeting place is about 70 miles
from Los Angeles City Hall.) Located in the western Mojave Desert, it includes the cities of Lancaster, Palmdale,
Rosamond and Mojave. Inhabited by various peoples for thousands of years, the Valley was a trade route for Native
Americans traveling from Arizona and New Mexico to the Pacific Ocean.
The first recorded wave of non-native exploration took place in the early 1770s, and the first permanent
settlements appeared in the 1850’s, fueled by California's Gold Rush and a new status as an American territory. The
19th century saw the appearance of cattle ranching, the Butterfield stagecoach route, the Los Angeles-to-San
Francisco telegraph line, the Southern Pacific Railroad line, and abundant rainfall which supported a vibrant
agrarian economy. A long drought (the worst in the area's recorded history) forced many to abandon their
homesteads, but after the turn of the twentieth century new farms appeared with the advent of innovative irrigation
methods. The 1913 completion of the California Aqueduct (spanning 233 miles between the Owens Valley and Los
Angeles) also helped the local economy.
Many celebrities, past and present, have called the area home. Actress Judy Garland (then known as Frances
Gumm) showcased her dancing skills at a local theater. Rocker Frank Zappa graduated from Antelope Valley High
School. Actress Tippi Hedren established a wildlife sanctuary in the area. Author Aldous Huxley (Brave New
World) relished the solitude of his home in Llano. Olympic runner Marion Jones and actor John Wayne lived here
as well.
- The area has a rich heritage with the aerospace industry, as several major
manufacturers have facilities here (Boeing, Northrop, British Aerospace, and the
Lockheed Skunk Works). The space shuttles were assembled here, and (in case of
inclement weather in Florida) occasionally land here. Edwards Air Force Base is
nearby, the site of Chuck Yeager’s historic flight where he broke the sound barrier
in a Bell X-1, in 1947. The 2004 Tom Hanks movie, The Terminal, was produced
here at Palmdale Regional Airport.
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