Editing Palmdale, California (section)

==History==
Palmdale was first inhabited by various [[Indigenous peoples of California|tribal pre-Americans]].<ref>{{cite news |last=O'Rourke |first=Judy |date=May 22, 2005 |title=Tataviam Culture – DNA Links Ancient, Modern Indians |website=scvhistory.com |url=https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/sg052205-indians.htm |access-date=October 30, 2018 |archive-date=October 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181030170443/https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/sg052205-indians.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Populated by different groups for an estimated 11,000 years, the Antelope Valley was a trade route for [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|nomadic pre-Americans]] traveling from what is now [[Arizona]] and [[New Mexico]] to California's coast.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lacountylibrary.org/antelope-valley-local-history/|title=LA County Library|website=LA County Library|language=en-US|access-date=September 11, 2019|archive-date=June 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190626141611/https://lacountylibrary.org/antelope-valley-local-history/|url-status=live}}</ref> Before the arrival of Europeans, the Palmdale area had been occupied by the [[Kitanemuk]]. The [[Yokuts]], [[Chumash people]] and [[Shoshone]] may have also been present in the area.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Early Palmdale |url=https://www.cityofpalmdaleca.gov/329/Early-Palmdale |access-date=August 6, 2023 |website=City of Palmdale |archive-date=August 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230806133220/https://www.cityofpalmdaleca.gov/329/Early-Palmdale |url-status=live }}</ref>

Spanish soldier Captain [[Pedro Fages]] explored the Antelope Valley in 1772. The opening of California to overland travel through the forbearing desert was due to Captain Juan Bautista de Anza and Father Francisco Garces, a Spanish priest. They led a colonizing expedition, which included 136 settlers, across the Mojave Desert from [[Mexico]] to Monterey in 1773.

Later in 1776 while exploring the Valley, Garces, with several Indian guides from the San Gabriel Mission, recorded viewing the vast expanse of what was the El Tejon Rancheria (the Badger Ranch) of the Cuabajoy Indians. After the Shoshone Indians left the valley, new immigrants from [[Spain]] and [[Mexico]] established large cattle ranches there. In the late 1880s, the ranches were divided into smaller homesteads and farmed by settlers from Germany, France and the state of Nebraska.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wm.com/location/california/antelope-valley/la-county/community/history.jsp|title=AV History – Los Angeles County – Waste Management|website=www.wm.com|access-date=October 30, 2018|archive-date=October 30, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181030170350/http://www.wm.com/location/california/antelope-valley/la-county/community/history.jsp|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Palmenthal, 1886–1913===
"Palmenthal", the first permanent settlement within the limits of Palmdale, was established as a village on April 20, 1886, by westward Lutheran travelers from the American [[Midwest]], mostly of [[German Americans|German]] and [[Swiss Americans|Swiss]] descent. According to area folklore, the travelers had been told they would know they were close to the ocean when they saw [[Arecaceae|palm trees]]. They took the local [[Yucca brevifolia|Joshua tree]]s for palms and named their settlement after them. (''Palmenthal'' is German for ''Palm Valley.'')<ref name=Durham>{{cite book|last=Durham |first=David L.|title=California's Geographic Names – A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State |year=1998 |page=1320|isbn=978-1-884995-14-9|publisher=Quill Driver Books}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://get.palmdalelibrary.org/?menu=1&section=1&page=6|title=Palmdalelibrary.org|date=December 9, 2014|access-date=November 6, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141209200815/http://get.palmdalelibrary.org/?menu=1&section=1&page=6|archive-date=December 9, 2014}}</ref> According to David L. Durham, Joshua trees were sometimes called yucca palms at the time, which was the reason for the name.<ref name=Durham/> The village was officially established upon the arrival of a post office on June 17, 1888.

By the 1890s (soon after the last of the indigenous [[Pronghorn|antelope]]s, which the valley was named after, had been hunted to extinction), farming families continued to migrate to Palmenthal and nearby ''[[Alpine, Los Angeles County, California|Harold]]'' to grow grain and fruit. Most of these settlers were unfamiliar with farming in a desert climate, so when the drought years occurred, most abandoned their [[Human settlement|settlement]].

By 1899, only one family was left in the original village. The rest of the settlers, along with the post office, moved closer to the ''[[Southern Pacific Railroad|Southern Pacific]]'' [[railroad]] tracks. This new community was renamed Palmdale and was located where the present-day [[civic center]] is. A railroad station was built along the tracks there. This railroad was operated by [[Southern Pacific Transportation Company|Southern Pacific]] and traveled between [[Los Angeles]] and [[San Francisco]]. The ''[[Wells Fargo]]'' stagecoach line that ran between San Francisco and [[New Orleans]] stopped there as well.<ref name="Los Angeles County Public Library">{{cite web|url=http://www.colapublib.org/history/antelopevalley/faq.html#q8|title=Antelope Valley: Frequently Asked Questions – County of Los Angeles Public Library|website=Colapublib.org|access-date=November 6, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107061244/http://www.colapublib.org/history/antelopevalley/faq.html#q8|archive-date=November 7, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The only remaining pieces of evidence of the original settlements of Palmenthal and Harold are the old Palmdale Pioneer cemetery located on the northeast corner of Avenue S and 20th Street East, acquired and restored by the city as part of a future historical park, and the old schoolhouse, now relocated to ''McAdam Park''.

Palmdale's modern development commenced in the mid-1800s due to the influence of the gold rush, cattle ranching, the introduction of stagecoaches, and the establishment of the Southern Pacific Railroad line in 1876. Significant population expansion only took place after the completion of the California aqueduct in 1913, drawing in a considerable influx of farmers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://palmdale2045gp.org/history-and-profile/|title=History and Profile}}</ref>

===First two decades of the Town of Palmdale, 1913–1933===
As the population of Palmdale began to increase after relocation, water became scarce, until November 5, 1913, when the [[California Aqueduct|California – Los Angeles Aqueduct]] system was completed by [[William Mulholland]], bringing water from the Owens Valley into Los Angeles County. During this period, crops of apples, pears and alfalfa became plentiful.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.colapublib.org/history/antelopevalley/faq.html#q9|title=Antelope Valley: Frequently Asked Questions – County of Los Angeles Public Library|website=Colapublib.org|access-date=November 6, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107061244/http://www.colapublib.org/history/antelopevalley/faq.html#q9|archive-date=November 7, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.colapublib.org/history/antelopevalley/faq.html#q10|title=Antelope Valley: Frequently Asked Questions – County of Los Angeles Public Library|website=Colapublib.org|access-date=November 6, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107061244/http://www.colapublib.org/history/antelopevalley/faq.html#q10|archive-date=November 7, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 1915, Palmdale's first newspaper, the ''Palmdale Post'', was published. Today it is called the [[Antelope Valley Press]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dailynews.com/2017/07/03/antelope-valley-press-sold-to-new-owner/|title= Antelope Valley Press sold to new owner|website= [[Los Angeles Daily News]]|date= July 3, 2017}}</ref>

In 1921, the first major motor vehicle link between Palmdale and Los Angeles was completed, Mint Canyon/Lancaster Road, later designated [[U.S. Route 6 (California)|U.S. Route 6]]. Completion of this road caused the local agricultural industry to flourish and was the first major step towards defining the metropolis that exists today. Presently this road is known as [[Sierra Highway]].<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite book |title= Palmdale: How It All Began |publisher=City of Palmdale| date=1998}}</ref>

In 1924, the [[Little Rock Dam]] and the Harold Reservoir, present day [[Lake Palmdale]], were constructed to assist the agricultural industry and have enough water to serve the growing communities.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

[[File:Lake Palmdale-kmf.JPG|thumb|right|Picture of Lake Palmdale with the California Aqueduct in the foreground.]]

===Next three decades of the Town of Palmdale, 1933–1962===

Agriculture continued to be the foremost industry for Palmdale and its northern neighbor [[Lancaster, California|Lancaster]] until the outbreak of World War II. In 1933, the United States government established [[Muroc Air Base]] (from an original founder's name, Effie Corum, spelled backwards) {{convert|6|mi|km|spell=in}} north of Lancaster in [[Kern County, California|Kern County]], now known as [[Edwards Air Force Base]].{{r|LAT 2012-05-29}}
They also bought Palmdale Airport in 1952 and established an aerospace development and testing facility called [[Plant 42|United States Air Force Plant 42]]. One year later, in 1953, [[Lockheed Corporation|Lockheed]] established a facility at the airport. After this time, the aerospace industry took over as the primary local source of employment.{{r|LAT 2012-05-29}} The city has been referred to as the "Aerospace Capital of America" because of its heritage in being the home of many of the aircraft used in the United States [[military]].<ref name="Los Angeles County Public Library"/>

In August 1956, an unpiloted out-of-control Navy drone flew over Palmdale while Air Force Interceptor aircraft tried to shoot it down with unguided rockets. Many rockets landed in and around the city, starting fires and damaging property.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stilwell |first=Blake |date=September 21, 2023 |title=The Battle of Palmdale: That Time the Air Force Accidentally Bombed Southern California |url=https://www.military.com/history/battle-of-palmdale-time-air-force-accidentally-bombed-southern-california.html |access-date=September 27, 2023 |website=Military.com |language=en |archive-date=September 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230926163517/https://www.military.com/history/battle-of-palmdale-time-air-force-accidentally-bombed-southern-california.html |url-status=live }}</ref> 
{{Further|The Battle of Palmdale}}

In 1957, Palmdale's first high school, [[Palmdale High School]], was established, making it easier to not have to travel to [[Antelope Valley High School]] in nearby Lancaster.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.phsfalcons.org/information/information.htm|title=Palmdale High School|website=Phsfalcons.org|access-date=November 6, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080415133704/http://www.phsfalcons.org/information/information.htm|archive-date=April 15, 2008}}</ref>

===Incorporation, 1962–1980===
In August 1962, the township of Palmdale officially became the ''[[city]]'' of Palmdale with the incorporation of {{convert|2|mi2|km2|0|sp=us}} of land around the present day civic center.<ref name="Los Angeles County Public Library"/>

In 1964, the [[Antelope Valley Freeway]], or State Highway 14, was completed as a link between Palmdale and Los Angeles. The freeway at this time ran all the way to present-day Technology Drive. It was at this time that talk about the future ''Palmdale Intercontinental Airport'' was seen as the way of the future. By 1965, the new city had annexed an additional {{convert|20|sqmi|km2}} of land and industry was thriving. Talk of the future commercial [[airport]] had many investors buying up large quantities of land.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
[[File:Palmdale Freeway.jpg|thumb|left|[[California State Route 14|Antelope Valley Freeway]] looking southbound near downtown Palmdale on a day with sparse traffic.]] In 1970, the city of Los Angeles went forward with buying {{convert|17,750|acre|km2}} of land east of the city for its proposed intercontinental commercial airport. However, the United States Air Force desired to put construction of this new facility on hold until the existing airport reached its commercial capacity. So, under a joint-use agreement with the military, the Los Angeles Department of Airports, now called [[Los Angeles World Airports]], built a 9,000 square-foot (800 m<sup>2</sup>) terminal (on leased land) that opened in 1971, creating present-day [[LA/Palmdale Regional Airport]], which the City of Palmdale has taken control of in an effort to establish reliable air service in the region.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lawa.org/pmd/pmdHistory.cfm|title=New LAWA Home Page|website=Lawa.org|access-date=November 6, 2017|archive-date=November 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107060546/http://www.lawa.org/pmd/pmdHistory.cfm|url-status=live}}</ref>

By 1974, the Antelope Valley Freeway construction ended at the southern border of [[Mojave, California|Mojave]] in Kern County. In 1977, Palmdale built its first municipal building, the Palmdale City Library. This was the same year that its northern neighbor Lancaster incorporated as a city. Since the 1920s, Lancaster had been the much larger and principal community of the [[Antelope Valley]], as well as the rest of California's [[Mojave Desert]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.colapublib.org/history/antelopevalley/faq.html#q7|title=Antelope Valley: Frequently Asked Questions – County of Los Angeles Public Library|website=Colapublib.org|access-date=November 6, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107061244/http://www.colapublib.org/history/antelopevalley/faq.html#q7|archive-date=November 7, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===First housing market growth and recession, 1980–1990===
[[File:Central Palmdale.jpg|thumb|right|Central Palmdale looking north along 10th Street West toward Rancho Vista Boulevard]]

The 1980s and 1990s were the decades that started to define the two Antelope Valley cities. [[Affordable housing]] in the area caused a dramatic spike in the [[population]]. The city, like its northern neighbor Lancaster, became a bedroom community for those employed in Los Angeles. In 1980, Palmdale's population was 12,227.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>