Anza, California
Encyclopedia
Anza is a census-designated place
located in southern Riverside County
, California
, in the Anza Valley, a semi-arid region at a mean elevation of 3921 feet (1,195.1 m) above sea level. It is located 13 miles (20.9 km) south of Idyllwild, and approximately 35 miles (56.3 km) southwest of Palm Springs
, 143 miles (230.1 km) southeast of Los Angeles
, California
and approximately 75 miles (120.7 km) northeast of San Diego
, California
, being traversed by State Route 371. The population was 3,014 at the 2010 census.
In local vernacular Anza, and several other mountain communities (including Garner Valley, Idyllwild, Pinyon Pines and Aguanga) are collectively referred to as "the Hill".
The ZIP Code is 92539, and the community is inside area code 951
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP covers an area of 27.7 square miles (71.7 km²), 99.70% of it land and 0.30% of it water.
Regional geographic subdivisions of the unincorporated town include Anza Valley and Cave Rocks (Central); Tripp Flats, Chandler Heights and Cahuilla
(West) as well as Oak Spring, Burnt Spring and Heller Spring (East). The Anza Valley in which the unincorporated town is nestled is bordered by three significant mountains- Cahuilla Mountain to the West, Thomas Mountain to the northeast and Beauty Mountain to the southwest.
The area is characterized as high desert
experiencing somewhat stronger temperature variations than those of the coastal cities, including sudden dips of temperature even on summer evenings, due to the high elevation. The Anza Trail originally travelled on horseback by Juan Bautista de Anza
in 1774 through what was then referred to as the Cahuilla Valley, traverses the city from southeast to northwest.
aboriginal tribes inhabited an area including what is today the Anza Valley more than two thousand years ago and encountered Europeans only as late as 1774 when a Spanish expedition in search of an overland route from Sonora to Alta California made its way from Tubac, Sonora
through the valley to Monterey, Alta California
. That expedition was led by Juan Bautista de Anza
, in whose honour the valley was renamed from Cahuilla Valley to Anza Valley on 16 September 1926.
Up until about 1580 the area was in the proximity of a larger body of inland water known as Lake Cahuilla
, but that inland lake larger than the current Salton Sea
, which occupies a portion of its former location, evaporated, thus increasing the desert character of the Anza Valley. These climatic and cultural factors can be seen as having exercised a unique influence on the early European settlers of the Anza Valley. During the 19th century settlement included ranchers, a limited number of miners and honey
producers. The mid-to-late 19th century witnessed moderate population and above average economic prosperity for this isolated community.
From the late 1860s on, Anza was largely settled by families seeking to build ranches under the Homestead Act
. Of the homesteads in the area, one, the "Cary Ranch" on Cary Road (south of Anza, east of the Tripp Flatts Ranger Station) still exists and is still owned and occupied by family members of the original settlers. The ranch is now occupied by the Hopkins family. The Hopkins' are direct descendents of the Cary family. Although the Cary Ranch used to encompass hundreds of acres of land, most has been sold off, and only a 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) parcel and several original buildings exist.
The post office opened in 1926.
Already in the 1970s sales of property parcels and lots in Anza were promoted with particular emphasis on the proximity of this unspoiled countryside to larger coastal cities of southern California
. Though perceived by outsiders as friendly and open to newcomers, Anza has been among those unique rural communities determined to systematically avoid the social and environmental problems of over-urbanization and since the 1980s this close-knit community has sought to preserve its unique artistic and creative culture by closely scrutinizing any development plans that could give rise to dysfunctions experienced in other regions of the state.
During the 1990s the city enjoyed an increasingly widespread reputation as a growing artists colony featuring newcomers from as far away as Europe. Common free-time activities include trail wandering, local historical activities and festivals as well as motorbiking, rockhounding
and horseback riding along the Anza Trail. The Mountain Cahuilla operate a casino
from their reservation
on the southwestern edge of the city.
Every summer Anza has a parade to celebrate the Fourth of July. This is called "Anza Days" and it is a festival the whole town celebrates, and people travel miles each year to see it.
Anza also has a local gymkhana
horseshowing circuit put on by the Lions Club six months out of the year. This is also a popular event the public enjoys.
was 108.9 people per square mile (42.0/km²). The racial makeup of Anza was 2,411 (80.0%) White, 34 (1.1%) African American, 57 (1.9%) Native American, 36 (1.2%) Asian, 3 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 347 (11.5%) from other races
, and 126 (4.2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 791 persons (26.2%).
The Census reported that 3,014 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 1,160 households, out of which 331 (28.5%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 592 (51.0%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 115 (9.9%) had a female householder with no husband present, 67 (5.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 84 (7.2%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 14 (1.2%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 294 households (25.3%) were made up of individuals and 106 (9.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60. There were 774 families
(66.7% of all households); the average family size was 3.10.
The population was spread out with 679 people (22.5%) under the age of 18, 215 people (7.1%) aged 18 to 24, 620 people (20.6%) aged 25 to 44, 1,003 people (33.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 497 people (16.5%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.8 years. For every 100 females there were 102.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.9 males.
There were 1,508 housing units at an average density of 54.5 per square mile (21.0/km²), of which 830 (71.6%) were owner-occupied, and 330 (28.4%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 8.8%. 2,103 people (69.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 911 people (30.2%) lived in rental housing units.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
located in southern Riverside County
Riverside County, California
Riverside County is a county in the U.S. state of California. One of 58 California counties, it covers in the southern part of the state, and stretches from Orange County to the Colorado River, which forms the state border with Arizona. The county derives its name from the city of Riverside,...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, in the Anza Valley, a semi-arid region at a mean elevation of 3921 feet (1,195.1 m) above sea level. It is located 13 miles (20.9 km) south of Idyllwild, and approximately 35 miles (56.3 km) southwest of Palm Springs
Palm Springs
Palm Springs is a desert city in CaliforniaPalm Springs may also refer to:* Palm Springs, Florida* Palm Springs, Hong Kong, a residential development in Yuen Long, Hong Kong* Coachella Valley, also known as the Palm Springs area...
, 143 miles (230.1 km) southeast of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and approximately 75 miles (120.7 km) northeast of San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, being traversed by State Route 371. The population was 3,014 at the 2010 census.
In local vernacular Anza, and several other mountain communities (including Garner Valley, Idyllwild, Pinyon Pines and Aguanga) are collectively referred to as "the Hill".
The ZIP Code is 92539, and the community is inside area code 951
Area code 951
North American area code 951 is a California telephone area code which covers western Riverside County and was split off from the 909 area code in 2004. Until 1992, the area covered by 951 was part of area code 714...
.
Geography
Anza is located at 33°33'17.14" north, 116°40'27.02" west.According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP covers an area of 27.7 square miles (71.7 km²), 99.70% of it land and 0.30% of it water.
Regional geographic subdivisions of the unincorporated town include Anza Valley and Cave Rocks (Central); Tripp Flats, Chandler Heights and Cahuilla
Cahuilla
The Cahuilla, Iviatim in their own language, are Indians with a common culture whose ancestors inhabited inland areas of southern California 2,000 years ago. Their original territory included an area of about . The traditional Cahuilla territory was near the geographic center of Southern California...
(West) as well as Oak Spring, Burnt Spring and Heller Spring (East). The Anza Valley in which the unincorporated town is nestled is bordered by three significant mountains- Cahuilla Mountain to the West, Thomas Mountain to the northeast and Beauty Mountain to the southwest.
The area is characterized as high desert
High desert
High desert refers to the inland and often high elevation deserts of the American West. Examples of high deserts in North America include the Great Basin Desert and the Mojave Desert.High desert can also mean:...
experiencing somewhat stronger temperature variations than those of the coastal cities, including sudden dips of temperature even on summer evenings, due to the high elevation. The Anza Trail originally travelled on horseback by Juan Bautista de Anza
Juan Bautista de Anza
Juan Bautista de Anza Bezerra Nieto was a Novo-Spanish explorer and Governor of New Mexico for the Spanish Empire.-Early life:...
in 1774 through what was then referred to as the Cahuilla Valley, traverses the city from southeast to northwest.
History
It is estimated that the CahuillaCahuilla
The Cahuilla, Iviatim in their own language, are Indians with a common culture whose ancestors inhabited inland areas of southern California 2,000 years ago. Their original territory included an area of about . The traditional Cahuilla territory was near the geographic center of Southern California...
aboriginal tribes inhabited an area including what is today the Anza Valley more than two thousand years ago and encountered Europeans only as late as 1774 when a Spanish expedition in search of an overland route from Sonora to Alta California made its way from Tubac, Sonora
Sonora
Sonora officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 72 municipalities; the capital city is Hermosillo....
through the valley to Monterey, Alta California
Alta California
Alta California was a province and territory in the Viceroyalty of New Spain and later a territory and department in independent Mexico. The territory was created in 1769 out of the northern part of the former province of Las Californias, and consisted of the modern American states of California,...
. That expedition was led by Juan Bautista de Anza
Juan Bautista de Anza
Juan Bautista de Anza Bezerra Nieto was a Novo-Spanish explorer and Governor of New Mexico for the Spanish Empire.-Early life:...
, in whose honour the valley was renamed from Cahuilla Valley to Anza Valley on 16 September 1926.
Up until about 1580 the area was in the proximity of a larger body of inland water known as Lake Cahuilla
Lake Cahuilla
Prehistoric Lake Cahuilla was an extensive freshwater lake that filled the Coachella, Imperial, and Mexicali valleys of southeastern California and northeastern Baja California during the centuries prior to Spanish entry into the region...
, but that inland lake larger than the current Salton Sea
Salton Sea
The Salton Sea is a shallow, saline, endorheic rift lake located directly on the San Andreas Fault, predominantly in California's Imperial Valley. The lake occupies the lowest elevations of the Salton Sink in the Colorado Desert of Imperial and Riverside counties in Southern California. Like Death...
, which occupies a portion of its former location, evaporated, thus increasing the desert character of the Anza Valley. These climatic and cultural factors can be seen as having exercised a unique influence on the early European settlers of the Anza Valley. During the 19th century settlement included ranchers, a limited number of miners and honey
Honey
Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
producers. The mid-to-late 19th century witnessed moderate population and above average economic prosperity for this isolated community.
From the late 1860s on, Anza was largely settled by families seeking to build ranches under the Homestead Act
Homestead Act
A homestead act is one of three United States federal laws that gave an applicant freehold title to an area called a "homestead" – typically 160 acres of undeveloped federal land west of the Mississippi River....
. Of the homesteads in the area, one, the "Cary Ranch" on Cary Road (south of Anza, east of the Tripp Flatts Ranger Station) still exists and is still owned and occupied by family members of the original settlers. The ranch is now occupied by the Hopkins family. The Hopkins' are direct descendents of the Cary family. Although the Cary Ranch used to encompass hundreds of acres of land, most has been sold off, and only a 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) parcel and several original buildings exist.
The post office opened in 1926.
Already in the 1970s sales of property parcels and lots in Anza were promoted with particular emphasis on the proximity of this unspoiled countryside to larger coastal cities of southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
. Though perceived by outsiders as friendly and open to newcomers, Anza has been among those unique rural communities determined to systematically avoid the social and environmental problems of over-urbanization and since the 1980s this close-knit community has sought to preserve its unique artistic and creative culture by closely scrutinizing any development plans that could give rise to dysfunctions experienced in other regions of the state.
Culture
Due to its history and relative isolation for hundreds of years, Anza is dissimilar to many areas in California settled during the same period. The cultural identity of many long-time Anzans exhibits the marked influence of Cahuillan aboriginal culture on the White population, expressed in terms of art and folklore.During the 1990s the city enjoyed an increasingly widespread reputation as a growing artists colony featuring newcomers from as far away as Europe. Common free-time activities include trail wandering, local historical activities and festivals as well as motorbiking, rockhounding
Rockhounding
Amateur geology is the recreational study and hobby of collecting rocks and mineral specimens from their natural environment.-Collecting:...
and horseback riding along the Anza Trail. The Mountain Cahuilla operate a casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
from their reservation
Indian reservation
An American Indian reservation is an area of land managed by a Native American tribe under the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs...
on the southwestern edge of the city.
Every summer Anza has a parade to celebrate the Fourth of July. This is called "Anza Days" and it is a festival the whole town celebrates, and people travel miles each year to see it.
Anza also has a local gymkhana
Gymkhana
Gymkhana is a typical Anglo-Indian expression, which is derived from the Hindi-Urdu word for "racket court," is an Indian term which originally referred to a place where sporting events take place. The meaning then altered to denote a place where skill-based contests were held...
horseshowing circuit put on by the Lions Club six months out of the year. This is also a popular event the public enjoys.
Demographics
The 2010 United States Census reported that Anza had a population of 3,014. The population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 108.9 people per square mile (42.0/km²). The racial makeup of Anza was 2,411 (80.0%) White, 34 (1.1%) African American, 57 (1.9%) Native American, 36 (1.2%) Asian, 3 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 347 (11.5%) from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 126 (4.2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 791 persons (26.2%).
The Census reported that 3,014 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 1,160 households, out of which 331 (28.5%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 592 (51.0%) were opposite-sex married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 115 (9.9%) had a female householder with no husband present, 67 (5.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 84 (7.2%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
POSSLQ
POSSLQ is an abbreviation for "Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters," a term coined in the late 1970s by the United States Census Bureau as part of an effort to more accurately gauge the prevalence of cohabitation in American households....
, and 14 (1.2%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 294 households (25.3%) were made up of individuals and 106 (9.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60. There were 774 families
Family (U.S. Census)
A family or family household is defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes as "a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. They do not include same-sex married couples even if the marriage was performed in a state...
(66.7% of all households); the average family size was 3.10.
The population was spread out with 679 people (22.5%) under the age of 18, 215 people (7.1%) aged 18 to 24, 620 people (20.6%) aged 25 to 44, 1,003 people (33.3%) aged 45 to 64, and 497 people (16.5%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.8 years. For every 100 females there were 102.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.9 males.
There were 1,508 housing units at an average density of 54.5 per square mile (21.0/km²), of which 830 (71.6%) were owner-occupied, and 330 (28.4%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 8.8%. 2,103 people (69.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 911 people (30.2%) lived in rental housing units.
Noteworthy Anzans
- Judge Terwilliger A famous judge who emigrated from Hemet to Anza during the settlement years.
- Red SkeltonRed SkeltonRichard Bernard "Red" Skelton was an American comedian who is best known as a top radio and television star from 1937 to 1971. Skelton's show business career began in his teens as a circus clown and went on to vaudeville, Broadway, films, radio, TV, night clubs and casinos, all while pursuing...
lived here until his death. He owned a horse ranch on Burnt Valley Road.