Rosamond

History

Rosamond was established in 1877 as a townsite owned by the Southern Pacific Railroad; it was named for the daughter of one of the railroad's officials. The first local industries were mining and cattle. During the 1890s, gold was discovered in the area, quickly drawing miners and prospectors. After the initial boom, gold mining gradually declined, though it had a second, smaller boom during the 1930s. In 1933, Muroc Army Air Field was established some miles away; it was later renamed Edwards Air Force Base in honor of fallen test pilot Glenn Edwards. The Rosamond post office opened in 1885, closed in 1887, and re-opened in 1888. The average speed was over course of of difficult desert terrain, where temperatures were as high as . Fuel consumption averaged .

Geography

Rosamond sits in the northern end of the Antelope Valley, the westernmost valley of the Mojave Desert. Because the elevation is above sea level, the area, like the other parts of the Mojave Desert region, is referred to as the High Desert. Some cities and communities within the trading area of Rosamond include Lancaster, Palmdale, Hi Vista, Roosevelt, Redman, Lake Los Angeles, Quartz Hill, and Mojave. Residents of these desert cities and unincorporated communities share Sierra Highway, Angeles Forest Highway, Angeles Crest Highway (State Route 2), and the Antelope Valley Freeway (State Route 14) for commutes to the San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles Basin in order to get to work. Willow Springs lies west of Rosamond and was a watering hole for stagecoach travelers for generations, though its springs have since dried up. Willow Springs Raceway is nearby, which hosts a variety of motor racing events, attracting people from all over Southern California and beyond. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it (0.41%) is water. The Census Bureau definition of the area may not precisely correspond to the local understanding of the historical area of the community.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Westpark Elementary
  Elementary · Rosamond · 940 students · 24.1:1 ratio
• Rosamond High Early College Campus
  High · Rosamond · 913 students · 23.4:1 ratio
• Rosamond Elementary
  Elementary · Rosamond · 878 students · 22.5:1 ratio
• Tropico Middle
  Middle · Rosamond · 782 students · 23:1 ratio
• Abraham Lincoln Alternative
  Other · Rosamond · 100 students · 33.3:1 ratio
• Rare Earth High (Continuation)
  High · Rosamond · 50 students · 12.5:1 ratio