[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 14]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 20223]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          RECOGNIZING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF CALIFORNIA CITY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. KEVIN McCARTHY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 15, 2015

  Mr. McCARTHY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 50th 
anniversary of the incorporation of California City, a residential 
nexus for mining, aerospace and desert tourism in Eastern Kern County.
  California City began with a dream worthy of its namesake: the 
foundation of a suburban metropolis to rival Los Angeles. Sociologist 
and developer Nat Mendelsohn found in the wide spaces of Kern's High 
Desert the chance to build a completely planned community from scratch, 
free of parochial interests. He bought 80,000 acres of desert in 1958, 
carved out a gigantic Central Park featuring a 20 acre lake, and by 
1965 had arranged for the incorporation of a massive, 203 square mile 
township. Overnight, California City became the third largest city in 
the state.
  For generations before Nat Mendelsohn ever gazed upon the High 
Desert, mule teams carted the bounty of stranded mines to the railheads 
at Mojave. This traffic expanded in the 20th century, as neighboring 
Boron grew to produce half the world's supply of borax. Meanwhile, 
huddled around ancient dry lakes just a dozen miles from town, 
America's premier jet aircraft test center--Edwards Air Force Base--
began to expand into a permanent institution, with hundreds of 
employees needing homes and services. Even tourism brought jobs to 
California City, as the surging popularity of dirt bikes and off-
roading drew thrill-seekers through town on their way to the wonders of 
the interior: Jawbone, Death Valley, Red Rock Canyon, and the Trona 
Pinnacles. California City grew by leaps and bounds, fed by the steady 
currents of desert commerce.
  Today, as the city celebrates its Jubilee, we have a chance to draw 
lessons from its history. California City would never have existed 
without the vision and drive of one entrepreneur, willing to bet 
everything on a dream. In Kern County--as in America--we are dependent 
both on the enterprising spirit of our people, and on the power of our 
communities to persevere when they are united. I am proud today to 
congratulate the people of California City on this 50th anniversary, 
and look forward to California City's next 50 years.

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