Boron, California

Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement Boron (formerly Amargo, Baker, Borate, and Kern)<ref name=gnis/> is a unincorporated place in Kern County, California, United States. Boron is Template:Convert southwest of Red Rock Mountain at an elevation of Template:Convert.<ref name=gnis /> For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Boron as a census-designated place (CDP). The population was 2,086 at the 2020 census, up from 2,025 at the 2000 census. Boron is named after the element boron and is the site of the world's largest source of the boron compound boric acid.

Boron is on the western edge of the Mojave Desert. Within a half day's drive one can view the highest and lowest points in the contiguous 48 states of the United States (Mount Whitney and Death Valley), the world's oldest tree, the bristlecone pine, and the cities of Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Boron is home to the Rio Tinto Borax Mine. California's largest open-pit mine, which is also the largest borax mine in the world.

Geography

File:Old Town Boron entrance sign.jpg

Old Town Boron sign

Boron is on the border of Kern and San Bernardino Counties along State Route 58. Boron is Template:Convert north of Palmdale, Template:Convert east of Bakersfield, and Template:Convert west of Barstow in the Antelope Valley region of California's Mojave Desert. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of Template:Convert, over 99 percent of which is land.

Demographics

The 2020 United States census reported that Boron had a population of 2,086. The population density was Template:Convert. The racial makeup of Boron was 62.0% White, 8.5% African American, 2.3% Native American, 2.3% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 9.8% from other races, and 14.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 26.0% of the population.<ref name=DP1>Template:Cite web</ref>

File:Old Boron Ore Truck on display.jpg

Old Ore Truck on display, Borax Visitor Center, Boron

File:The Barrel - March 2022 - Sarah Stierch.jpg

The Barrel restaurant in 2022.

The whole population lived in households. There were 831 households, out of which 28.5% included children under the age of 18, 37.4% were married-couple households, 6.7% were cohabiting couple households, 29.7% had a female householder with no partner present, and 26.1% had a male householder with no partner present. 31.8% of households were one person, and 13.7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.51.<ref name=DP1/> There were 517 families (62.2% of all households).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The age distribution was 26.1% under the age of 18, 7.7% aged 18 to 24, 22.0% aged 25 to 44, 27.7% aged 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65Template:Nbspyears of age or older. The median age was 39.3Template:Nbspyears. For every 100 females, there were 104.9 males.<ref name=DP1/>

There were 1,051 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert, of which 831 (79.1%) were occupied. Of these, 52.7% were owner-occupied, and 47.3% were occupied by renters.<ref name=DP1/>

In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $61,607, and the per capita income was $27,933. About 25.0% of families and 31.3% of the population were below the poverty line.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

File:Colemanite-178680.jpg

Colemanite from the Boron mine. Size: 6.9 x 5.4 x 5.4 cm.

Borate evaporites in the form of colemanite was first reported in 1913 during drilling of a water well. Claims were acquired by the Pacific Coast Borax Company and exploration continued. In 1925 commercial colemanite production began. In the 1920s and 30s borates were produced from the Baker and West Baker mines.<ref name="autogenerated1">Desert Fever, Kern County</ref>

The first post office at Boron opened in 1938.<ref name=CGN>Template:California's Geographic Names</ref>

Industry

File:Rio Tinto Boron mine and plant.jpg

Rio Tinto Boron mine and plant, 2012

File:Rio Tinto Borax mine from ISS.jpg

Boron (right center) and the Rio Tinto Borax mine from ISS, 2013

A large borax deposit was discovered in 1925,<ref>Rio Tinto Borax: About Borax: History Template:Webarchive</ref> and the mining town of Boron was established soon thereafter. This borax deposit is the world's largest borax mine.<ref name="autogenerated1" /> It is owned by Rio Tinto Minerals (formerly U.S. Borax). It is operated as an open-pit mine, the largest open-pit mine in California.<ref>ftp.dir.ca.gov Template:Dead link</ref><ref>minerals.usgs.gov</ref> This mine supplies nearly half of the world's supply of refined borates.<ref>leica-geosystems.com</ref> Rio Tinto Minerals is Boron's primary employer, employing over 800 people.<ref>U.S. Borax Boron Mine</ref>

Workers at Rio Tinto are represented by Local 30 Mine, Mineral and Processing Workers of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. Originally represented by Local 85 of the International Chemical Workers' Union, workers voted to affiliate with the ILWU in 1966.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During a 2010 labor dispute, workers were locked out by Rio Tinto for 107 days until support from the community and organized labor across California and elsewhere allowed both parties to successfully negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The dispute was covered in a 2010 documentary entitled Locked Out.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Template:Convert east of Boron, across the county line in San Bernardino County, is what was, until 2014, the world's largest solar power production facility.<ref>Solar Trough Systems</ref> The Kramer Junction Company (KJC) is the managing general partner of the five 30 megawatt Solar Energy Generating Systems (SEGS) facilities in the Mojave Desert at Kramer Junction, California. Together with its wholly owned subsidiary, KJC Operating Company, KJC operates and manages these facilities (SEGS III-VII).<ref>Solel - Leading the World in Solar Thermal Energy | Kramer Junction SEGS III, IV, V, VI, VII</ref>

Attractions

File:SaxonAerospaceMuseum 8653.jpg

Saxon Aerospace Museum

• Saxon Aerospace Museum, honors aviation history related to nearby Edwards Air Force Base and its Air Force Test Center, the Air Force Research Laboratory and NASA Dryden
• Borax Visitor Center at Rio Tinto Borax Mine, provides information about borax, how it is mined, and how it is used
• Twenty Mule Team Museum, adjacent to the Saxon Aerospace Museum, explains the Twenty-mule teams that originally hauled borax
• Boron Chamber Weather Station, a satirical weather forecast and cultural landmark of the town

Public services

Law enforcement

Law enforcement services are provided by the Kern County Sheriff's Department.<ref>Sheriff Home</ref> From 1933 to 1954, personnel from the Mojave substation met the law enforcement need of the Boron area. The first actual office space occupied by the sheriff's office in Boron was a quonset hut shared with the fire department in the 12200 block of Boron Avenue. This continued until 1963 when the sheriff's office established the substation building at 26949 Cote Street. This building housed a small jail and the court in Boron, which operated one day a week.<ref>Mojave Substation</ref>

A federal prison was closed in 2000.<ref>Boron Federal Prison: Abandoned Club Fed</ref>

Fire services

In 1969 the new Boron station 17 opened at 26965 Cote Street. This fire station is operated by the Kern County Fire Department.<ref>Kern County Fire Department Website</ref>

Schools

Boron schools are part of the Muroc Joint Unified School District. The local Boron schools include the K – 6 grade West Boron Elementary School,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the 7 – 12th grade Boron High School.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Boron High School's mascot is the Bobcat. Boron's first school, Gephart School was built in 1929.<ref name="The Boron Sun">Template:Cite web</ref> It burned to the ground in 1994.

Churches

Boron's original church building was completed for the First Baptist Church in 1940. Boron currently has eight churches. They are the Assembly of God Church, the Boron Bible Church, the Church of Christ, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the First Baptist Church of Boron, the Jesus Name Tabernacle United Pentecostal Church, St. Joseph's Catholic Church and Christians in Faith Church.

Notable residents

• Boron was the home of "Walking George" Swain, whose penchant for walking made him a legend. George earned his name as "Walking George" because he never owned a car, or house, and walked to and from work—from his home, which was always rumored to be just a hole in the desert. He supposedly kept himself warm at night with a covering of newspapers. His wardrobe was always the same: wrinkled shirt and pants with well-worn boots. Swain was a chemist at the borax plant in Boron. He attended local events and often played the piano for entertainment. He taught piano to children in Boron and played at the Baptist Church. On his 59th birthday in 1978 an article about George appeared in the Los Angeles Times. By May 1979 he was featured on the TV show Real People. He died on April 25, 2000.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Mojave Desert News, California City, Kern County, California</ref>
• Boron was home to Pancho Barnes from 1966 to 1975. Barnes was a world-renowned air race and stunt pilot during the 1920s and 1930s. She is better known, however, for being the matron of the Happy Bottom Riding Club. She was forced to move when, during a heated dispute with Edwards Air Force Base over the expansion of one of the nearby base's runways, the club mysteriously burned down. Years later Barnes moved to Boron from Gypsy Springs when her age no longer allowed her to properly tend to her ranch.<ref>Lauren Kessler, The Happy Bottom Riding Club - The Life and Times of Pancho Barnes, Random House, 2000, Template:ISBN</ref> She died in Boron during the spring of 1975.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Media

The movie Erin Brockovich (2000), starring Julia Roberts, and various other movies have been filmed in the town, often using local residents as extras.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

• Movies/shows using locations in and around Boron<ref>Titles with locations including
  Boron, California, USA</ref>
  • Locked Out (2010)
  • Erin Brockovich (2000)
  • Gentleman Don La Mancha (2004)<ref>The Gentleman Don La Mancha (2004)</ref>
  • Gridiron Gang (1993) (TV)
  • Neon Signs (1996)<ref>Neon Signs (1996)</ref>
  • Spotlight on Location: Erin Brockovich (2000)<ref>Spotlight on Location: Erin Brockovich (2000) (TV)</ref> (TV)
  • ...aka Making of 'Erin Brockovich', The (2000) (TV)
  • Death Valley Days (1952–1975)
  • The Carpetbaggers (1964)<ref>Discover Kern County: Movies Template:Webarchive</ref>

External links

• Muroc Joint Unified School District
• Boron High School
• Twenty Mule Team Museum
• Colonel Vernon P. Saxon Jr. Aerospace Museum
• Borax Visitors Center