Walnut is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population is 30,004 and its current mayor is Tom King, a former Detective from the Los Angeles Police Department.
The city of Walnut obtained its name from the Rancho Los Nogales Mexican land grant, nogales being the Spanish word for walnut. With exceptions to some busy intersections (such as near Mt. San Antonio College), the hilly and affluent city is considerably more relaxed in comparison to most nearby neighborhoods. The city covers nearly nine square miles (23 sq. km) and is home to more than 32,000 people and 600 businesses.
Walnut placed 70th on Money's 2009 Best Places to Live list, being the top ranked city in California to make the list.[6]
Geography
Los Angeles is 24 miles (39 km) West
- Pomona is 7 miles (11 km) East
- Anaheim is 20 miles (32 km) South
- Covina is 5 miles (8.0 km) North
History
The history of Walnut dates back to the Indians who were of Shoshone origin. They were called Gabrielino Indians by the Spaniards,who arrived here in the early 1800s, because they lived in an area controlled by the San Gabriel Mission. Walnut grown in the area was primarily used for the grazing of cattle and sheep by the Mission.
The first Mexican land grants in the Walnut area were those of Rancho San Jose granted to Ricardo Vejar and Ygnacio Palomares in 1837; Rancho Los Nogales granted to Jose De La Cruz Linares in 1840; and Rancho La Puente granted to John Rowland and William Workman in 1842. In 1868, John Rowland and William Workman divided Rancho La Puente, leaving Rowland the eastern half and Workman the western half. Rowland’s land included the western portion of Walnut. The land was used for raising cattle and growing wheat, grapes, and fruit trees.
The City of Walnut’s Bicentennial Commission selected the construction of Lemon Creek Park and the restoration of the William R. Rowland Adobe Redwood Ranch House as Walnut’s bicentennial project. In 1871, the Lemon Creek Park area became the property of Sheriff William Rowland, who inherited the 29,000-acre (120 km2) ranch from his father, John Rowland. The modest structure built in 1883, served as the home of Mr. Meridith, ranch foreman for William Rowland. The adobe redwood ranch house is one of the few remaining original ranch style redwood and adobe structures in the area. On October 1, 1975, the State Landmark Committee placed the W.R. Rowland ranch house in the National Registry of Historical Places.
Walnut Family Festival
One of the most notable aspects of Walnut is the Walnut Family Festival. For one day each year during the fall, several larger streets are closed in the early hours of the morning and a parade is held in which many local clubs and groups participate. Later in the afternoon, a fair with booths, games, food, and activities is held in Suzanne Park, adjacent to Suzanne Middle School.
Demographics
As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 30,004 people, 8,260 households, and 7,582 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,290.0/km² (3,340.5/mi²). There were 8,395 housing units at an average density of 360.9/km² (934.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 55.75% Asian, 28.37% White, 4.20% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 7.65% from other races, and 3.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 19.34% of the population.
There were 8,260 households out of which 50.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 77.1% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 8.2% were non-families. 5.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 1.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.63 and the average family size was 3.74.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.8% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 28.4% from 45 to 64, and 6.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 96.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.5 males.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $100,360, and the median income for a family was $105,387.[8] Males had a median income of $51,944 versus $36,197 for females. The per capita income for the city was $31,196. About 5.8% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.8% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.
The city was recognized in 1999 by CNN as a model of diversity.[9]
Politics
In the state legislature Walnut is located in the 29th Senate District, represented by Republican Bob Huff, and in the 60th Assembly District, represented by Republican Curt Hagman. Federally, Walnut is located in California's 26th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of R +4[10] and is represented by Republican David Dreier.
While the political districts that Walnut is located in may have tendencies to vote for Republican candidates, over the last decade Walnut has mostly voted for Democratic presidential, gubernatorial, and senatorial candidates, with the exceptions of 2003 and 2006 when they voted for Arnold Schwarzenegger.[11]
Education
Primary education in Walnut is generally served by the Walnut Valley Unified School District (WVUSD), which also serves parts of the city of Diamond Bar. Schools located in Walnut are:
- C.J. Morris Elementary School
- Collegewood Elementary School
- Oswalt Elementary School (Rowland Unified School District)
- Vejar Elementary School
- Walnut Elementary School
- Westhoff Elementary School
- Suzanne Middle School
- Southlands Christian Schools
- Ronald Hockwalt Academies - Continuation School (Formerly known as Del Paso High School)
- Walnut High School
Portions of the western side of Walnut are also served by the Rowland Unified School District.
In addition, Mt. San Antonio College, one of the California Community Colleges, is also located in Walnut near its border with Pomona.
Proposed NFL Stadium
In April 2008, billionaire-land developer and co-owner of the Los Angeles Lakers and Kings, Edward P. Roski, unveiled plans for the construction of an $800 million NFL stadium in the neighboring City of Industry.[27] In March 2009, Walnut filed a lawsuit opposing construction of the stadium, but dropped those charges in September.[28][29]
On October 23, 2009, California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill allowing the 75,000-seat stadium to be built in neighboring Industry in hopes of attracting an NFL team there.[30] This bill would also nullify a lawsuit filed by local residents over the project's environmental impact report.
Notable natives/residents
- Evelyn Ashford, 1984 Olympic champion in the 100 m; arguably the greatest female sprinter ever, with a career that spanned an unprecedented five Olympic Games
- Paul Caligiuri, retired soccer player; formerly with the Los Angeles Galaxy, inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2004
- Gerardo, rapper and singer who later became a recording-industry executive
- Jim Hall, 1996 Special Olympics table tennis Gold medalist
- Alan Haskvitz, National Teachers Hall of Fame, Reader's Digest Hero in Education, NCSS National Teacher of the Year, International Teacher of the Year (Cherry Award), Learning Magazine Best Teacher in America, three Golden Bell Award, George Washington Medal
- Tod McBride, former NFL player with the Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons and St. Louis Rams; standout wide receiver at Walnut High School and defensive back at UCLA
- Darius McCrary, actor; known most for playing Eddie Winslow on the television show Family Matters
- Lance Parrish, eight-time All-Star (1980, 1982-86, 1988, 1990) who won three Gold Glove Awards (1983-85). He ranks fifth in Major League history in home runs as a catcher with 299.
- Taboo, rapper best known for being in the group Black Eyed Peas
- Gia Paloma, former American pornographic actress.
- Gary Zimmerman, retired NFL player; played for the Los Angeles Express (USFL), the Minnesota Vikings from 1986-1992 and the Denver Broncos from 1993-1997. Was selected to the Pro Bowl 7 times and was an All-Pro selection 8 times. Inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame on February 2, 2008. Attended Walnut High School and the University of Oregon.
- Ricky Lawson, famous drummer of such artists as: Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Eric Clapton, etc.
Sister cities
References
External links
