Lancaster, California
Lancaster - The Beginning
The Southern Pacific Railroad built a line from San Francisco to Los Angeles which was
completed in 1876. Along the line was a water stop located in what is now Lancaster.
The Southern Pacific constructed homes for their employees engaged in maintaining the
railroad. The Gilwyn Hotel was built near the water stop in the beautiful desert plains
area and a small town began to develop.
Generally, the name "Lancaster" is attributed to a Mr. M.L. Wicks, a real estate developer
who in 1884 purchased over 38,000 acres of land for a price of about $96,000
from the
Southern Pacific Railroad. He
then named the area for his former home, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. However, in publications pre-dating
Mr. Wicks, a place called 'Lancaster' in association with the railroad was mentioned. So the name of the
city may probably be most accurately attributed to the Southern Pacific.
Ripley Desert Woodland
Poppy Reserve
Tropico Gold Mine
Saddleback State Park
Antelope Valley
West Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert Wildflower Guide
Also see...
Palmdale CA
Mojave CA
Map of Lancaster, CA
Lancaster Real Estate
Lancaster, CA - Demographics
Est. population in July 2002: 124,592
Males: 60,257 (50.8%), Females: 58,461 (49.2%)
Elevation: 2355 feet
County: Los Angeles
Land area: 94.0 square miles
Zip codes: 93534, 93535, 93536.
Median resident age: 31.1 years
Median household income: $41,127 (year 2000)
Median house value: $103,700 (year 2000)
