tehachapi, california

Tehachapi is a city incorporated in 1909 located in its namesake Tehachapi Mountains between Bakersfield and Mojave in Kern County, California. The area is known for its world famous Tehachapi Loop and for its electricity generating Wind turbines. A California state prison has long been located in the area. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 10,957. The area in and around the city is also known for its apple orchards, though these have decreased in the last few decades. Its four seasons climate and rural ambience has of late attracted retirees to the city. Retired actor Jack Palance of City Slickers fame lives in the area.

Area history

Tehachapi was preceded by a settlement a few miles west of it called Williamsburg or "Tehichipa" which was in existence in the 1870's. After the Southern Pacific (SP) railroad (now merged into the Union Pacific) established its line through the mountains in 1876 Williamsburg saw its business taken away by the SP's newer location, eventually called Tehachapi Summit. Later its name was shortened to simply Tehachapi. The original SP railroad depot, still standing, helped start the beginning of the downtown core. It is now on the National Register of Historic Places and is the oldest building built in downtown Tehachapi. The lime-rich Monolith cement works northeast of the city, still in operation, helped build such engineering works as the 1913 Los Angeles Aqueduct - its first project - as well as supplying cement for constructing the massive Hoover Dam dedicated to use in 1936. The Dust Bowl migrants - known regionally here as Okies and made famous by John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath came through the area on their way to the southern San Joaquin Valley, especially in and around Bakersfield, at the time of the 1930's Great Depression. Tehachapi was near the epicenter of a magnitude 7.5 (Richter scale) earthquake on the little known White Wolf fault on July 21, 1952. Unreinforced brick buildings were the major building destruction in Tehachapi at that time, a practice now long since outlawed in California building codes. The origin of the city's name is in dispute. Possibilities include Native American words expressing:

sweetwater and acorns (from the area's many oak trees)
windy place

Geography

Tehachapi is located at 35°7'43" North, 118°26'56" West (35.128558, -118.448899). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 24.8 km² (9.6 mi²). 24.8 km² (9.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.10% is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 10,957 people, 2,533 households, and 1,709 families residing in the city. The population density is 441.6/km² (1,144.0/mi²). There are 2,914 housing units at an average density of 117.4/km² (304.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 57.17% White, 13.80% Black or African American, 1.35% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 23.82% from other races, and 2.97% from two or more races. 32.70% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 2,533 households out of which 35.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.5% are married couples living together, 14.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 32.5% are non-families. 28.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 13.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.59 and the average family size is 3.19. In the city the population is spread out with 18.5% under the age of 18, 12.9% from 18 to 24, 42.7% from 25 to 44, 16.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 33 years. For every 100 females there are 224.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 270.0 males. The median income for a household in the city is $29,208, and the median income for a family is $40,030. Males have a median income of $50,446 versus $26,023 for females. The per capita income for the city is $18,220. 20.4% of the population and 17.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 24.5% of those under the age of 18 and 15.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

External links

City of Tehachapi

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