Lancaster

Lancaster, California, USA, is the eighth-largest city in Los Angeles County and the 9th fastest
growing city in the United States. Lancaster is located approximately 70 miles north (by road
travel) of the city of Los Angeles in Southern California's Antelope Valley. It is separated from
the Los Angeles Basin by the San Gabriel Mountain Range to the south and from Bakersfield
and the San Joaquin Valley by the Tehachapi Mountain Range to the north. The City of
Lancaster has grown from 37,000 residents at the time of incorporation in 1977, to an
estimated 145,243 residents in 2008, and is the second-largest city on the California side of
the Mojave Desert. As of the 2007 population estimate, the Palmdale / Lancaster, CA
Urbanized Area (a US Census Bureau defined term) has a population of 446,342.

The community of Lancaster California was settled in the late 19th century by M.L. Wicks, a
real estate developer who purchased six sections of land from the Southern Pacific Railroad
(now merged into the Union Pacific Railroad). The origin of the city's name is debated among
historians, but it is presumed to be named after Lancaster, Pennsylvania or Lancaster,
England.

Early in its history, Lancaster was little more than a whistle-stop on the Southern Pacific
Railroad between San Francisco and Los Angeles, with one hotel, the Gilwyn (known today as
the Western Hotel), and a handful of homes. The settlement grew quickly, however, and by
1890, Lancaster was quite prosperous. The town experienced another small boom at the turn
of the 20th century when gold and borax were discovered simultaneously in the mountains
around the Antelope Valley.

The real establishment of the City of Lancaster, however, came with the advent of the
Aerospace Industry. As early in flight history as 1930, the Air Force began conducting flight
tests at Muroc Air Field (now Edwards Air Force Base) and Lancaster has grown steadily
since that time. It is home to many employees of Edwards Air Force Base, as well as to
employees of Boeing, Lockheed, and Northrop, all of which have plants in Palmdale at U.S.
Air Force Plant 42.

Until it was incorporated, the area was under the political influence of Los Angeles County.
Citizens in the area felt a need for better interaction with their policy making body and local
control, but feared annexation by nearby Palmdale, (which had already incorporated itself into
a city in 1962) and with the work of the local body called Citizens for Incorporation,
independent cityhood became a reality for Lancaster in 1977.

The first wave of home buyers to Lancaster from the L.A. area came in the 1970s, known as
"escapees" and employees in the booming aviation industry. The city grew astoundingly, with
the population doubled throughout the 1980s, from 45,000 people to 97,000 by 1990 to make
Lancaster a large suburban city.

Since incorporation in 1977, the City of Lancaster has grown in size and diversity. Today,
Lancaster, California is the largest city named Lancaster in the world. With inexpensive land
and business-friendly policies, the City today attracts national and local companies in many
businesses and industries as well as families pursuing the American Dream of home
ownership in a close community. Throughout its recent growth, the City of Lancaster has
retained a family-focused hometown spirit. The median age for residents is 31. The city
morphed into one of a bedroom community for urban professionals who drive to work in Los
Angeles. The city has also been recently named one of the top 100 most dangerous cities in
the United States, ranking 80th. Until recently, the home values continued to soar to new
highs, but have remained fairly affordable compared to most of Southern California. The so
called "housing bubble", fueled mostly by subprime mortgage failures, has recently caused a
dramatic spike in foreclosures within the city, and thus some property values have begun to
fall.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 94.2 square miles ,
of which, 94.0 square miles of it is land and 0.2 square miles of it (0.19%) is water.

Lancaster's elevation is 2,500 feet above sea level on a high, flat valley surrounded by pristine
mountain ranges. Temperatures are mild through most of the year with the average daytime
high in the summertime right around 95 °F (35 °C) and the average winter daytime high in the
low 60s. Overnight lows during the coldest months (December-March) can dip in the low 20's
Fahrenheit. The Antelope Valley is known for its clean air and blue skies. With an average
rainfall of less than eight inches, days of sunshine are the norm even in winter, when
surrounding mountain ranges are dusted by snow.

The City of Lancaster has changed from the sleepy railroad water stop of the 19th century to a
bustling modern city with many cultural and recreational opportunities for residents and
visitors.

The Essex House Hotel is a restored 1920s vintage mansion turned into a top-notch inn for
Hollywood celebrities, but the building has been converted to a museum under the California
Historic Site program in 1992. The Essex house was also the headquarters of the "Flat Earth
Society" in the 1910s for over 1,000 members with unusual and outdated theories, many of
them were celebrities and businessmen.

The City of Lancaster is also home to the Lancaster Aerospace Walk of Honor. Established in
1990 by the Lancaster City Council, the Aerospace Walk of Honor celebrates tests pilots who
were associated with Edwards Air Force Base. Recognition is awarded for distinguished
aviation careers marked by significant and obvious achievements beyond one specific
accomplishment. The sidewalk monuments are dedicated to a distinguished group of
internationally known experimental test pilots. Five honorees are inducted each year in a
special ceremony held in September.

Today, the City has over 600 acres of developed or planned parkland, including playground
and picnic areas as well as tournament-level sports facilities at Big 8 Softball Complex and
the Lancaster National Soccer Center. The Prime Desert Woodland Preserve, located in West
Lancaster, is a facility dedicated to preserving the pristine beauty of the High Desert and
educating residents about their environment through nature walks and educational programs
at Woodland's unique Interpretive Center. Forrest Hull Park, located near the southern border
of the city on its west side and across the street from Paraclete High School, is a popular dog
park where local residents frequently gather to allow their dogs to play and exercise together.

In 1996, the City constructed the Lancaster Municipal Stadium (now Clear Channel Stadium)
which has been home to the Lancaster JetHawks, a Class-A minor-league baseball team, for
the last decade.

For residents and visitors seeking a cultured evening out, the Lancaster Performing Arts
Center provides a varied array of fine arts from community theatre productions to classical
music and various forms of dance. It also draws celebrity performers from across the country
and around the world, including renowned singers, dancers and musicians of all genres as
well as comedians and variety shows.

Lancaster's location in Southern California's high desert also offers easy access to a variety
of outdoor activities year around. In the winter, the local mountains offer skiing and snow
boarding within easy driving distance. In the summer, access to interstate freeways gives
residents the opportunity for day-trips to the Pacific Coast, while perennial blue skies allow
hiking, backpacking and cycling year-round.

This city also has a skateboarding park located on the east side of Lancaster. Skate Univercity
(spelled as shown) is associated with the local rideshop, Pharmacy Boardshops.

Each spring, the California Poppy Festival draws upward of 60,000 guests to Lancaster City
Park to celebrate springtime. The California Poppy Reserve, 20 miles west of Lancaster,
boasts one of California's most abundant crops of the state flower, and the Poppy Festival
has become a popular event not only for Lancaster residents, but also for visitors from around
the world. The California Poppy Festival began as an Earth Day celebration and has grown
into an event with over 55 acres of activities and extensive wildflower information.

"Celebrate Downtown Lancaster", a street fair and farmers’ market, is held several times
throughout the summer and features family-friendly activities, street musicians and a variety of
specialty vendors.

Visit the Official City of Lancaster website

Source: Wikipedia

Click here to view a map of Lancaster, California

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