Twentynine Palms (also 29 Palms) is a city in San Bernardino
County, California, United
States. The population was 14,764 at the 2000 census.
Geography
Twentynine Palms is located at 34°8′18″N, 116°4′21″W (34.138277,
-116.072409)1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area
of 142.0 km² (54.8 mi²), all land.
Twentynine Palms is a desert and mountain area. It is home of Joshua Tree National
Park and Park Headquarters, and Marine Corps Air
Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, the world's largest Marine Base. It is located approximately half way between Los
Angeles, CA and Las Vegas, NV (using the 10 and 15).
History
Twentynine Palms was named for the palm trees located in the Oasis
of Mara, at the Joshua Tree National Park headquarters. When the area was settled by gold miners in the late nineteenth
century, there were 29 palm trees growing in the oasis, most of which are still standing today.
Located at an elevation of 1950 feet (595 m) in the Mojave desert of Southern California, Twentynine Palms is recognized for
its extreme temperatures. On July 17, 2005 the high temperature hit 119 degrees Fahrenheit (48.3°C), which is a new record. The previous record was 118
degrees Fahrenheit (47.8°C), set on July 11, 1961. The record low
temperature is 9 degrees Fahrenheit (-12.2°C), set on December 23, 1990.
Former Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant had a hit
single called "29 Palms", from his solo album Fate of Nations in 1993 .
The Willie Boy Story
Carlota, the daughter of William Mike, a Twentynine Palms Chemehuevi who had moved his
family to the Gilman Ranch in the Coachella Valley near Banning, figured in a tragedy that rocked Southern California in 1909,
and has since been the subject of books and a movie. A cousin named Willie Boy, who had fallen in love with her, persuaded her to
elope with him, their marriage having been forbidden because they were cousins. Her father tracked them and brought them back.
Accounts vary with respect to what followed, but agree that Willie Boy shot and killed William Mike, perhaps by accident, escaped
with Carlota into the desert, was tracked by a posse, and left Carlota hidden in a wash with his coat and waterskin. She died,
either shot by the posse by mistake, or from exposure. According to Chemehuevi tradition, Willie Boy escaped, but has not been
seen again[1]
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 14,764 people, 5,653 households, and 3,855 families residing
in the city. The population density was 104.0/km² (269.3/mi²). There were 6,952
housing units at an average density of 49.0/km² (126.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 71.02% White, 9.35% African American, 1.46% Native American, 3.81% Asian, 10.17% Pacific Islander, 6.24% from other races, and 6.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.91% of the population.
There were 5,653 households out of which 39.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.8% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were
non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or
older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the city the population was spread out with 31.2% under the age of 18, 15.2% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 16.7% from
45 to 64, and 8.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there were 101.8 males.
For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,178, and the median income for a family was $32,251. Males had a median
income of $25,081 versus $25,141 for females. The per capita income for the city was
$14,613. About 13.6% of families and 16.8% of the population were below the poverty
line, including 25.3% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Media
- The Desert Trail newspaper is published twice weekly[4]
Controversies
The city is the setting of a controversial book entitled Twentynine Palms: A True Story of Murder, Marines, and the
Mojave. It deals with a murder of a local young woman.
Trivia
The town is referred to in two different Sublime songs (April 29th, 1992 and Thanks
Dub). The band was supposed to play a concert in Twentynine Palms. It was cancelled at the last minute, due to concerns by the
City Council that the band would attract a bad element to the area.[citation needed]
The town of Twentynine Palms is also referred to repeatedly in the song 'Broken Parakeet Blues' written by Ike Riley and
appearing on the album titled "We Belong to the Staggering Evening," by the Ike Reilly Assassination (2007).
The city is the smallest in America with a Polynesian non profit organization (Samoan
American Association).[citation needed]
There is a Samoan language branch (similar to a Ward) in The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints designated the Buena Vista branch.
The hispanic population has increased 50% since the 2000 census.
29 Palms High School is home to the 2007 Division IV-A Boys Basketball CIF Southern Section
Champions. This was their first team CIF championship since 1982 (Small Schools Girls Basketball) and their eight CIF
championship overall (the other 6 were in track and field).
It was briefly mentioned in the movie Independence day
See also
Footnotes
External links
Coordinates:
34.138277° N 116.072409°
W
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