Some say the desert cannot be made to bloom. Not so, Thomas B. and Earle Winnett, father and son, who in 1914 each filed on 160 acres near the Deadman Canyon Road (now Largo Vista) and the Fort Tejon Road. ("T.B." finally owned 720 acres in this foothill district.) With water from Deadman Canyon they grew pears and apples which took prizes for many years at the Pomona Fair. T.B. built a packing house, now converted to a home.

    With others they formed the Little Baldy Water Company and conveyed water from Deadman's by pipeline to the ranches of stockholders, who planted orchards and some built homes. Thomas B. Winnett acquired from S.B. Wright, for whom Wrightwood was named, all of the waters of the Mescal Creek and this water was piped to the Winnett Ranch. Lack of help, drought and pests caused all but T.B. to finally abandon their orchards and everyone ultimately sold their lands. William Hagenbaugh drilled five wells and developed the extensive Hagenbaugh Ranch up Boulder Canyon from the Winnetts.

    All supplies at the time had to be brought from Palmdale. The goods were shipped by rail to Palmdale and then hauled by wagon-teams to the ranches. The fruit when harvested was also transported by this means to Palmdale for shipment to L.A.

    Llano was the fifth Post Office established in the Antelope Valley--Mojave, Lancaster, Palmdale (first as Trego), Rosamond and Llano in 1885, in that order.

    Simultaneous with the Llano development, orchardists in Littlerock were raising fruits: Amasa Martin and son Everett, William and George Ellis, Russell Primmer and son Robert, George Bones, Sr. and sons, Don, Jack and George, Jr., Alfred Sweet, Vernon Carr and Antony Vasic. All but the Martins, Ellises, Russell Primmer and Carr still have fruit orchards.

    The Llano Del Rio Colony (socialist) was flourishing at this period. One could get lodging for 25 cents a night and meals were available. The Saturday night dances at the Colony were attended by local folks and those from a great distance. During the life of the Colony they had orchards, vegetable gardens, livestock, a rabbitry and a commissary. It was a completely well supplied town of around 1000. Lack of water, funds and mismanagement caused its decline. It was abandoned in late 1917. All that remains are the well constructed foundations, fireplaces of the hotel and walls of the buildings made of stone and mortar. Traces of the stone- lined water ditch which carried water from the Big Rock Creek may be located.

    Since those early days, Llano has been found to be a particularly desirable place to live, climatically and scenically. Many have come to reside there, including those of Crystalaire Estates with its 18 hole golf course and air and glider field. Llano's elevation and proximity of the Big Rock Creek Canyon, the Big Pines recreation area and the mountains of the Angeles National Forest make it attractive.

    Up 165th St. E. through Bob's Gap is the Ross Apiary and processing plant. Mr. Ross, Sr. started the apiary soon after 1913. They produce some of the finest honey of anywhere. Visitors are welcome, and a tour is both enjoyable and instructive. North on this same 165th Street is the Shetler and Son Ranch, once owned by the sister of President Harding.

   Over Valyermo way in 1911, Dr. and Mrs. Evans, daughter Dorothy and Levi Noble, newlyweds, selected land that was the beginning of the over 1000 acre Valyermo Ranch. They had a partial right to water of Big Rock Creek, as did the present Mountain Brook Ranch, and others. Levi Noble, a geologist with the United States Geological Survey produced the Pearland- Valyermo geologic map showing the underground of the area.

    I have done research and compiled data and information, the details of which are to be in a book I hope will be published this year. I could name so many oldtimers the list would become tiresome. Most of the real oldtimers are gone, but even a list of those living would be quite long. Should you be interested, get in touch with some oldtimers and enjoy their reminiscences.

Help Antelope Valley to grow! It is a -treat Place to live.

Sincerely,

Grace Winnet

First 60 Families
Forced to Leave
When Water Fails

    Palmdale, with about 60 families, was a flourishing community in the 1980's, but it was a hard luck town.

   This original town, named for the Joshua Palm, was located about two miles southwest of the present center of Palmdale, on what is now 30th Street East between Avenues R and S.

    Drought hit the community, and water was not developed as promised. The properties were about paid for by 1900, but the real estate promoters could not give clear title.

    Faced with such problems, most of the families killed off their pigs and chickens, salted them in crocks and migrated back across the mountains in their covered wagons, each with a family cow tied behind.

    Among the last to go were the John Ritters who moved to Leona Valley. By 1906 only the Nagels were left, and their daughter, now Dota Nagel Ritter, was the only child in the old Palmdale school. They too then left, moving to what was called New Palmdale.

New Palmdale.
First Water
Project Failed

    An Antelope Valley pioneer, Nathaniel Cole, had a dream of bringing water to Palmdale. He built a wooden headgate in Littlerock Creek, a mile of wooden flume, two tunnels and an open ditch. But the open ditch washed out and the Fume rotted away.

    In 1911 a young engineer, H. Paul Schoeller, sought to revive this water project to Irrigate the fertile land of the valley. A company, the Palmdale Land Co., was formed and arrangement made to take over land from the Cob heirs.

    On the last day for filing claim to the water rights Schoeller and the attorney for the water company arrived in town. These valuable water rights are now owned by the Palmdale Irrigation District.

   But even with water these years were slow growth years for Palmdale and the rest of the valley. At this time San Fernando Valley was being opened up, and there were vast acres still unformed south of the mountains.

Dam Finished,
Fields Flourish

    But in 1924 the Palmdale. Littlerock dam was completed, and the alfalfa fields and peach orchards began to flourish,

    Palmdale has a population of 1419 in 1940, and in 1950 this had nearly doubled. Then things began to happen, Palmdale became "Jet-ville." Aircraft firms moved across the mountains to the wide spaces to build and test their jet aircraft.

   Last year the County Regional Planning Commission estimated Palmdale's populationion 6270. It's a lot more than that now, and Cliff Rawson, manager of the Palmdale Chamber of Commerce, predicts that the Palmdale area next year will have a population of 18,000 which will swell to 40,000 by 1960.

   With a new Convair plant going up and shopping centers being built, it is estimated that $15,000,000 in new construction will be underway by next February.
"And that's just a starter," Rawson says.