Sorry, sir; but I am not a creative writer - more a chronologist if anything.

   Were Bill here, he would be the one to give you real Valley history and anecdotes. An interested and observant part of this, his beloved home - and only one - for over seventy five years, he knew and remembered almost all there was to know and remember about his people and environment of the past and present.

   If you can or wish to use any part of what I am writing, you are welcome to do so.

   Around 1884, there came to Palmental (Old Palmdale) located in the vicinity of 27th St. E. between Avenues R and S. a group of pioneers of German and Swiss descent. They were mainly from Nebraska and Illinois. Most of them arrived by Southern Pacific Railroad which had been run through the Antelope Valley in the early 1870's.

   A post office was established at Palmenthal, Los Angeles County, California on June 7, 1888. The name was changed to Palmdale on Aug. 13, 1890. This post office was discontinued on May 29, 1899. Postmaster Date of Appointment John Munz June 7, 1888 Ferdinand Fetzlaff Jan. 15, 1889 John Munz Sept. 26, 1896 Frederick H. Fintel Oct. 26, 1898

   There were about sixty families altogether who came to this settlement. Some of the names of these people were Ritter, Munz, Nagel, Jones, Fetzlaff, Scherer, Jonas, Fintel etc. They had a self-sustaining town, with stores, blacksmith shop, bakery, shoe shop (where shoes were made as well as repaired), saloon, hotel, school, church, (a Lutheran Church formed and chartered by the people there under their own laws and charter granted and registered by the State of California), a Doctors office, a cemetery of 20 acres donated to their church by the Jonas family; in fact, everything which made a complete community.

   These pioneers all had nice places. John G. Ritter, grandfather or William G. Ritter and his sisters and brothers, had a well landscaped estate with a beautiful two-story home with cistern for their water system. Trees, orchards, vineyards and yards were watered from open ditches which were fed from the reservoir that is our Palmdale Lake. The landscaping was done by Mr. Ritter's brother-in-law who later moved to Hollywood and did the landscaping for Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Norma Talmadge and many other prominent movie stars.

   The inhabitants soon learned the water situation wasn't all it should be, and when they found they couldn't get clear titles to their holdings, they started leaving. Around 1900 they had all migrated to other locations except the Nagel family who had an only child of school age. In order to provide schooling for Dora S. Nagel (Mrs. Charles F. Ritter) a teacher with seven children was sent out so there would be enough students to justify a school being kept open. From this we learn that even "way back when we were a school conscious State "'

   Some of these families moved out of the Valley, others to Leona Valley, Lake Hughes, Elizabeth Lake and to Palmdale where the main part of town was North Eighth Street East - close to the railroad depot.

   A number of the buildings were moved from the old townsite. The schoolhouse first went to Lancaster, then a few years ago was moved (and restored) to the historical Burton Mines near Rosamond. The old saloon stood for sixty-five years where the Palmdale Brake Shop now stands. It was the home of our Community Church preacher (father of Craig Wilson) for many years. The hotel is presently a part of Pearlands Hotel, and Jerry Chases Real Estate office on Palmdale Boulevard is one of the very few remaining houses.

   I remember when I was nine years of age sitting beside Bill's Aunt Joan (Mrs. Emmanuel Ritter) while she told me the heart-breaking story of their emigration from old Palmdale. I was so disturbed by it all' If only she could see the homes and progress of the old location where they once owned a beautiful 20 acre orchard and home'

Sincerely,
(Mrs. Willism G.) Mina B. Ritter