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Palmdale is a city in the center of northern Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California. The San Gabriel Mountains separate Palmdale from the City of Los Angeles. On August 24, 1962, Palmdale became the first community in the Antelope Valley to incorporate. 47 years later, in November 2009, voters approved making it a charter city. Its population was 152,750 at the 2010 census, up from 116,670 at the 2000 census. Palmdale is the 33rd most populous city in California. In 2013, the ''Palmdale / Lancaster'' urban area had an estimated population of 513,547.〔(Greater Antelope Valley Economic Alliance )〕 ==History== "Palmenthal", the first European settlement within the limits of Palmdale, was established as a village on April 20, 1886 by westward Lutheran travelers from the American Midwest, mostly of German and Swiss descent. According to area folklore, the travelers had been told they would know they were close to the ocean when they saw palm trees. Never actually having seen palm trees before, they mistook the local Joshua trees for palms and so named their settlement after them. (''Palmenthal'' is German for ''Palms Valley.'') 〔(Palmdale City Library ) 〕 According to David L. Durham Joshua trees were sometimes called yucca palms at the time, which was the reason for the name.〔 The village was officially established upon the arrival of a post office on June 17, 1888. By the 1890s (soon after the last of the indigenous antelopes, which the valley was named after, had died) farming families continued to migrate to Palmenthal and nearby ''Harold'' to grow grain and fruit. However, most of these settlers were unfamiliar with farming in a desert climate, so when the drought years occurred, most abandoned their settlement. By 1899, only one family was left in the original village. The rest of the settlers, including the post office, moved closer to the ''Southern Pacific'' railroad tracks. This new community was renamed Palmdale and was located where the present day civic center is. A railroad station was built along the tracks there. This railroad was operated by Southern Pacific and traveled between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The ''Wells Fargo'' stagecoach line that ran between San Francisco and New Orleans stopped there as well.〔(Los Angeles County Public Library )〕 The only remaining pieces of evidence of the original settlements of Palmenthal and Harold are the old Palmdale Pioneer cemetery located on the northeast corner of Avenue S and 20th Street East, recently acquired and restored by the city as part of a future historical park, and the old schoolhouse now relocated to ''McAdam Park''. As the population of Palmdale began to increase after relocation, water became scarce, until November 5, 1913 when the California – Los Angeles Aqueduct system was completed finally by William Mulholland, bringing water from the Owens Valley into Los Angeles County. During this period, crops of apples, pears and alfalfa became plentiful.〔(Los Angeles County Public Library )〕〔(Los Angeles County Public Library )〕 In 1915, Palmdale’s first newspaper, the ''Palmdale Post'', was published. Today it is called the Antelope Valley Press. In 1921, the first major link between Palmdale and Los Angeles was completed, Mint Canyon/Lancaster Road, later designated U.S. Route 6. Completion of this road caused the local agricultural industry to flourish and was the first major step towards defining the metropolis that exists today. Presently this road is known as Sierra Highway.〔(Palmdale: How It All Began. © City of Palmdale, 1998 )〕 In 1924, the Little Rock Dam and the Harold Reservoir, present day Lake Palmdale, were constructed to assist the agricultural industry and have enough water to serve the growing communities.〔 Agriculture continued to be the foremost industry for Palmdale and its northern neighbor Lancaster until the outbreak of World War II. In 1933, the United States government established Muroc Air Base (from an original founder name, Effie Corum, spelled backwards) six miles (10 km) north of Lancaster in Kern County, now known as Edwards Air Force Base. They also bought Palmdale Airport in 1952 and established an aerospace development and testing facility called United States Air Force Plant 42. One year later, in 1953, Lockheed established a facility at the airport. After this point in time, the aerospace industry took over as the primary local source of employment, where it has remained ever since. Today the city is even referred to as the “Aerospace Capital of America” because of its rich heritage in being the home of many of the aircraft used in the United States military.〔 In August 1956 an unpiloted out of control Navy drone flew over Palmdale while Air Force Interceptor aircraft tried to shoot it down with unguided rockets. Many rockets landed in and around the city starting fires and damaging property. In 1957, Palmdale’s first high school, Palmdale High School, was established, making it easier for youths to not have to travel to Antelope Valley High School in nearby Lancaster.〔(Palmdale High School )〕 In 1989, Palmdale's second high school was established, Highland High School,due to the fast growing population within the city.〔Highland High School (Palmdale, California)〕 This was followed by a third high school established in 2003, Knight High School〔Knight High School〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Palmdale, California」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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