Helendale, California
Encyclopedia
Helendale is an unincorporated community located in San Bernardino County
, California
, on historic Route 66 west of the Mojave Freeway, between Barstow
and Victorville
, in the Victor Valley
. It includes the Helendale resort community of Silver Lakes.
tribe
s lived in the area, namely the Mojave and Serrano
. It is believed that the first White
man to travel through was the Franciscan
priest Francisco Garcés
in 1776. He was exploring a route to the missions
on the Coast
following the Mojave River
.
The original name for Helendale was Point of Rocks. There were several early trails and roadways through this area of the Mojave Desert
, including the Mojave Trail, which was used by the Indians and Father Garcés, the Spanish Trail, the Santa Fe Trail
, the Mormon Trail, et cetera.
After Father Garcés, Jedediah Smith
traveled through the Point of Rocks area in 1826 on a fur trapping expedition. In 1844, John C. Fremont
and his guide, Kit Carson
, traveled through heading east via the Cajon Pass
. During the Mexican-American War, in late 1846 or early 1847, the Mormon
battalion
camped at Point of Rocks on their way to Los Angeles
. They were released from the military
shortly afterward and part of the battalion returned to Salt Lake City
through Point of Rocks.
The first Mormon wagon train
traveled through in about 1851. In 1857, Edward Fitzgerald Beale
and his camel driver, Hi Jolly
, brought a famous caravan through on the way to Wilmington for the Camel Corps
. After a few horse ridden mail conveyance companies during the 1850s went out of business, the short-lived Pony Express
began its service in the early 1860s and a stone station was built by the river at Point of Rocks. The stagecoach
station at Point of Rocks was located west of where the railroad tracks were later put down. In about 1863, the station was burned by Paiute
Indians of the Shoshone
branch.
The Santa Fe
Railroad
arrived in the 1880s and built a Point of Rocks station, which provided a watering stop for the steam engine
locomotive
s then moving train
s across the High Desert
. On December 15, 1897, the name was changed to Helen in honor of Helen A. Wells (born 1885), daughter of railroad executive Arthur G. Wells (1861–1932). On September 22, 1918, the name was changed to Helendale.
Route 66, or National Trails Highway, was paved and officially opened in the Helendale area in 1926. Helendale has a historical marker commemorating the old road that is located 100 yards south of the intersection of Route 66 and Vista Road.
In 1969, construction began on two manmade lakes, North Lake and South Lake, covering approximately 277 acres (1.1 km²), and a resort community called Silver Lakes was built at Helendale that opened in the early 1970s.
The ZIP Code
is 92342 and the community is inside area code 760
.
, between Victorville
and Barstow
. It is located 100 miles northeast of Los Angeles and 180 miles southwest of Las Vegas
.
Helendale is located at elevation of 2430 feet (740.7 m) above sea level. The town consists primarily of the Silver Lakes resort community, which is built around two manmade lakes.
climate, specifically the Mojave Desert
. Like most of the Mojave Desert, it has cool winters and hot summers and very little rainfall. It often will remain dry while nearby Victorville and Barstow are experiencing flash floods. For this reason, natives called the area "The hole in the sky."
out of the Victor Valley Station. Traffic enforcement is provided by the California Highway Patrol
. The San Bernardino County Fire Department maintains a full-time station with paramedics near the Post Office on Helendale Road. Private security firms are hired by the Silverlakes Association and consistently patrol the streets of Silver Lakes. Silver Lakes employed Wackenhut, until one of their security officers crashed into the local clubhouse with his vehicle. Since then the Silverlakes Association has employed Allied Barton.
called Helendale, but it does define a Zip Code Tabulation Area
(ZCTA), 92342. Because Helendale is contained within this Zip Code Tabulation Area
, it is possible to obtain Census data from the United States 2000 Census for the area even though data for "Helendale" is unavailable. Note however, that the community is only a part of the entire 92342 ZIP code
.
As of the 2000 census
, there were 4,936 people and 4,909 households in the ZCTA of 92342. The population was made up of 50.5% males and 49.5% females. The median age was 45.7.
San Bernardino County, California
San Bernardino County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 2,035,210, up from 1,709,434 as of the 2000 census...
, 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...
, on historic Route 66 west of the Mojave Freeway, between Barstow
Barstow, California
Barstow is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 22,639 at the 2010 census, up from 21,119 at the 2000 census. Barstow is located north of San Bernardino....
and Victorville
Victorville, California
Victorville is a city located in the Victor Valley of southwestern San Bernardino County, California. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2010 census, the city had a population of 115,903, up from 64,030 at the 2000 census.-Geography and climate:...
, in the Victor Valley
Victor Valley, California
Victor Valley is a subregion of Southern California north of the San Bernardino Mountains in the Mojave Desert. It is located in San Bernardino County and situated east of the Antelope Valley and north of the Cucamonga Valley. The Victor Valley is part of the 14th largest metropolitan area, the...
. It includes the Helendale resort community of Silver Lakes.
History
Several Native AmericanNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
tribe
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...
s lived in the area, namely the Mojave and Serrano
Serrano (people)
The Serrano are a Native American tribe of present day California, United States. They use the autonyms of Taaqtam, meaning "people"; Maarenga'yam, "people from Morongo"; and Yuhaviatam, "people of the pines." The Serrano historically populated the San Bernardino Mountains and extended east into...
. It is believed that the first White
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
man to travel through was the Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
priest Francisco Garcés
Francisco Garcés
Francisco Hermenegildo Tomás Garcés was a Spanish Franciscan missionary who explored much of the southwestern part of North America, including what are now Arizona, southern California, and northeastern Baja California. Garcés was born April 12, 1738, in Morata de Jalón , Zaragoza province,...
in 1776. He was exploring a route to the missions
Spanish missions in California
The Spanish missions in California comprise a series of religious and military outposts established by Spanish Catholics of the Franciscan Order between 1769 and 1823 to spread the Christian faith among the local Native Americans. The missions represented the first major effort by Europeans to...
on the Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
following the Mojave River
Mojave River
The Mojave River is an intermittent river in the eastern San Bernardino Mountains and Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County, California. The river is notable as most of its flow is underground, while its surface channels remain dry most of the time, with the exception of the headwaters and several...
.
The original name for Helendale was Point of Rocks. There were several early trails and roadways through this area of the Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
, including the Mojave Trail, which was used by the Indians and Father Garcés, the Spanish Trail, the Santa Fe Trail
Santa Fe Trail
The Santa Fe Trail was a 19th-century transportation route through central North America that connected Missouri with Santa Fe, New Mexico. Pioneered in 1822 by William Becknell, it served as a vital commercial and military highway until the introduction of the railroad to Santa Fe in 1880...
, the Mormon Trail, et cetera.
After Father Garcés, Jedediah Smith
Jedediah Smith
Jedediah Strong Smith was a hunter, trapper, fur trader, trailblazer, author, cartographer, cattleman, and explorer of the Rocky Mountains, the American West Coast and the Southwest during the 19th century...
traveled through the Point of Rocks area in 1826 on a fur trapping expedition. In 1844, John C. Fremont
John C. Frémont
John Charles Frémont , was an American military officer, explorer, and the first candidate of the anti-slavery Republican Party for the office of President of the United States. During the 1840s, that era's penny press accorded Frémont the sobriquet The Pathfinder...
and his guide, Kit Carson
Kit Carson
Christopher Houston "Kit" Carson was an American frontiersman and Indian fighter. Carson left home in rural present-day Missouri at age 16 and became a Mountain man and trapper in the West. Carson explored the west to California, and north through the Rocky Mountains. He lived among and married...
, traveled through heading east via the Cajon Pass
Cajon Pass
Cajon Pass is a moderate-elevation mountain pass between the San Bernardino Mountains and the San Gabriel Mountains in Southern California in the United States. It was created by the movements of the San Andreas Fault...
. During the Mexican-American War, in late 1846 or early 1847, the Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
camped at Point of Rocks on their way to 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...
. They were released from the military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
shortly afterward and part of the battalion returned to Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
through Point of Rocks.
The first Mormon wagon train
Wagon train
A wagon train is a group of wagons traveling together. In the American West, individuals traveling across the plains in covered wagons banded together for mutual assistance, as is reflected in numerous films and television programs about the region, such as Audie Murphy's Tumbleweed and Ward Bond...
traveled through in about 1851. In 1857, Edward Fitzgerald Beale
Edward Fitzgerald Beale
Edward Fitzgerald "Ned" Beale was a national figure in 19th century America. He was naval officer, military general, explorer, frontiersman, Indian affairs superintendent, California rancher, diplomat, and friend of Kit Carson, Buffalo Bill Cody and Ulysses S. Grant...
and his camel driver, Hi Jolly
Hi Jolly
Hi Jolly or Hadji Ali , later known as Philip Tedro , was an Ottoman subject of Jordanian parentage, and in 1856 became one of the first camel drivers ever hired by the US Army to lead the camel driver experiment in the Southwest. Hi Jolly became a living legend until his death in Arizona...
, brought a famous caravan through on the way to Wilmington for the Camel Corps
US Camel Corps
The U.S. Camel Corps was a mid-nineteenth century experiment by the United States Army in using camels as pack animals in the Southwest United States....
. After a few horse ridden mail conveyance companies during the 1850s went out of business, the short-lived Pony Express
Pony Express
The Pony Express was a fast mail service crossing the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, and the High Sierra from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, from April 3, 1860 to October 1861...
began its service in the early 1860s and a stone station was built by the river at Point of Rocks. The stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
station at Point of Rocks was located west of where the railroad tracks were later put down. In about 1863, the station was burned by Paiute
Paiute
Paiute refers to three closely related groups of Native Americans — the Northern Paiute of California, Idaho, Nevada and Oregon; the Owens Valley Paiute of California and Nevada; and the Southern Paiute of Arizona, southeastern California and Nevada, and Utah.-Origin of name:The origin of...
Indians of the Shoshone
Shoshone
The Shoshone or Shoshoni are a Native American tribe in the United States with three large divisions: the Northern, the Western and the Eastern....
branch.
The Santa Fe
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...
Railroad
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
arrived in the 1880s and built a Point of Rocks station, which provided a watering stop for the steam engine
Steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
s then moving train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
s across the High Desert
High Desert (California)
The High Desert is an unofficial and vaguely-defined geographic area of southern California located to the northeast of the San Gabriel Mountains. The term "High Desert" is used most commonly by the news media, especially in weather forecasts, and in the names of businesses and organizations...
. On December 15, 1897, the name was changed to Helen in honor of Helen A. Wells (born 1885), daughter of railroad executive Arthur G. Wells (1861–1932). On September 22, 1918, the name was changed to Helendale.
Route 66, or National Trails Highway, was paved and officially opened in the Helendale area in 1926. Helendale has a historical marker commemorating the old road that is located 100 yards south of the intersection of Route 66 and Vista Road.
In 1969, construction began on two manmade lakes, North Lake and South Lake, covering approximately 277 acres (1.1 km²), and a resort community called Silver Lakes was built at Helendale that opened in the early 1970s.
The ZIP Code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
is 92342 and the community is inside area code 760
Area code 760
Image:Area_code_442.svg|right|Map of California area codes in blue with 442/760 in redrect 65 82 92 100 Area code 916rect 220 242 245 256 Area code 909rect 243 274 265 287 Area code 951rect 136 323 160 338 Area code 858...
.
Geography
Helendale is located in a generally flat area in the Mojave DesertMojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
, between Victorville
Victorville
Victorville could refer to:*Victorville, California, a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States*Victorville shoulderband, a species of gastropod in the Helminthoglyptidae family...
and Barstow
Barstow
-Places:In the United States:*Barstow, California, a city in San Bernadino County*Barstow, Fresno County, California, an unincorporated community*Barstow, Illinois*Barstow, Maryland*Barstow, Texas-People:...
. It is located 100 miles northeast of Los Angeles and 180 miles southwest of Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
.
Helendale is located at elevation of 2430 feet (740.7 m) above sea level. The town consists primarily of the Silver Lakes resort community, which is built around two manmade lakes.
Climate
Helendale is in a desertDesert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
climate, specifically the Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
. Like most of the Mojave Desert, it has cool winters and hot summers and very little rainfall. It often will remain dry while nearby Victorville and Barstow are experiencing flash floods. For this reason, natives called the area "The hole in the sky."
Public safety
Law enforcement is provided by the San Bernardino County Sheriff's DepartmentSan Bernardino County Sheriff's Department
The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department serves San Bernardino County, California, which is geographically the largest county in the lower 48 states. SBSD provides law enforcement services to the unincorporated areas of the county and contract law enforcement services to 14 of the county's...
out of the Victor Valley Station. Traffic enforcement is provided by the California Highway Patrol
California Highway Patrol
The California Highway Patrol is a law enforcement agency of the U.S. state of California. The CHP has patrol jurisdiction over all California highways and also acts as the state police....
. The San Bernardino County Fire Department maintains a full-time station with paramedics near the Post Office on Helendale Road. Private security firms are hired by the Silverlakes Association and consistently patrol the streets of Silver Lakes. Silver Lakes employed Wackenhut, until one of their security officers crashed into the local clubhouse with his vehicle. Since then the Silverlakes Association has employed Allied Barton.
Demographic estimates
The United States does not define a census-designated placeCensus-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...
called Helendale, but it does define a Zip Code Tabulation Area
ZIP Code Tabulation Area
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are statistical entities developed by the United States Census Bureau for tabulating summary statistics from Census 2000. This new entity was developed to overcome the difficulties in precisely defining the land area covered by each ZIP code...
(ZCTA), 92342. Because Helendale is contained within this Zip Code Tabulation Area
ZIP Code Tabulation Area
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are statistical entities developed by the United States Census Bureau for tabulating summary statistics from Census 2000. This new entity was developed to overcome the difficulties in precisely defining the land area covered by each ZIP code...
, it is possible to obtain Census data from the United States 2000 Census for the area even though data for "Helendale" is unavailable. Note however, that the community is only a part of the entire 92342 ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
.
As of the 2000 census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, there were 4,936 people and 4,909 households in the ZCTA of 92342. The population was made up of 50.5% males and 49.5% females. The median age was 45.7.
Places of interest
- Cottonwood Park
- Exotic World Burlesque MuseumExotic World Burlesque MuseumThe Burlesque Hall of Fame is the name of the burlesque museum located on Fremont Street in Downtown Las Vegas. Formerly known as Exotic World, the museum historically was located on the site of an abandoned goat farm in Helendale, California...
- Silver Lakes Country Club
- South Lake Park
- Desert Fox airsoft field