Lake Elsinore
| Lake Elsinore | |
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| Nickname : LE | |
 View of Lake Elsinore and the surrounding area from Highway 74 from |
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| Location in California | |
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| Basic data | |
| Foundation : | April 9, 1888 |
| State : | United States |
| State : | California |
| County : | Riverside County |
| Coordinates : | 33 ° 40 ′ N , 117 ° 20 ′ W |
| Time zone : | Pacific ( UTC − 8 / −7 ) |
| Residents : | 51,821 (as of 2010) |
| Population density : | 552.6 inhabitants per km 2 |
| Area : | 107,970 km 2 (approx. 42 mi 2 ) of which 93,779 km 2 (approx. 36 mi 2 ) is land |
| Height : | 395 m |
| Structure: | 11 districts |
| Postcodes : | 92530-92532 |
| Area code : | +1 951 |
| FIPS : | 06-39486 |
| GNIS ID : | 1652704 |
| Website : | www.lake-elsinore.org |
| Mayor : | Robert "Bob" Magee |
Lake Elsinore is a city in Riverside County in the US state of California with 51,821 inhabitants (as of 2010) and a size of 107.970 km². The eponymous Lake Elsinore is located within the city limits .
Named after the Danish city of Helsingør , made famous by William Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet , Lake Elsinore has developed from a small waterfront town into a satellite town .
geography
Lake Elsinore is located west of Riverside County in California , USA . The city is bordered by Menifee to the east, Canyon Lake to the northeast, Wildomar to the southeast, and Lakeland Village to the south . Lake Elsinore is surrounded by unincorporated land to the north and west.
Located within the city limits, Lake Elsinore is the largest natural freshwater lake in Southern California and is located at the lowest point in the city. Originally it was called Laguna Grande . The San Jacinto River in California flows into it ; the Temescal Creek flows out of it .
In the west of the city rise the Elsinore Mountains , which are part of the larger Santa Ana Mountains . Snow falls here a few days a year.
Interstate 15 runs right across the city .
Lake Elsinores population is 51,821 (as of 2010), the urban area extends over an area of 107.970 km², of which 93.779 km² are land and 14.19 km² are water.
climate
Lake Elsinore has a semi-arid climate with hot, almost rainless summers and cold, humid winters. It usually gets warmest in July, the highest temperature ever recorded in Lake Elsinore is 48 ° C and dates back to 1960. December is the coldest on average. The coldest temperature could be measured in 1974 and found to be -12 ° C . Most of the rain usually falls in February.
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Monthly average temperatures and rainfall for Lake Elsinore, California
Source: www.weathercurrents.com
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history
Indians have long lived in the area around what is now Lake Elsinore; the oldest traces lead back to the Luiseño tribe , whose pictograms have been preserved on rocks in the Santa Ana Mountains and Temescal Valley . More artifacts could be found around Lake Elsinore.
The lake of the same name, Lake Elsinore , on which the city is located today, was overlooked by Juan Bautista de Anza's expedition in California, so the team around the Franciscan Father Juan Santiago was the first European to see Lake Elsinore in 1797. In the early 19th century, the area on the lake was used by Mexican farmers, American trappers , the expedition of John C. Frémont and immigrants attracted by the California gold rush to camp and water their animals.
On January 7, 1844, Julian Manriquez acquired Rancho La Laguna , an area of 81 km², which also included Lake Elsinore and an adobe house at the southern end of the lake. In 1851 Abel Stearns bought the land from him and in 1858 sold it in turn to Augustin Machado. He built an adobe ranch at the southwest end of the lake. A little later, Rancho La Laguna became a station of the Butterfield Overland Mail , which Manriquez's building used as a stop. From 1898 to 1902 it was used as a post office for the small community of Willard , which is now a ghost town . The building itself was demolished in 1964.
After the Great Flood of 1862 , the water level of Lake Elsinores was very high and the United States Army let their horses drink and graze here. From 1826 to 1865, however, a severe drought followed, as a result of which most of the cattle in southern California died and the water levels fell. This continued into 1866 and 1867 when virtually no rain fell. In 1872 the amount of water in the lake was back to normal. In contrast to many other landowners, the Machado family was able to hold their Rancho La Laguna through the drought until 1873, when the majority was sold to the Englishman Charles A. Sumner. Only a 2 km area around their adobe ranch remained in the family's possession.
After 1872 Lake Elsinore again lost a lot of water due to the heat, but in the winter of 1883/1884 only three weeks were enough to flood the lake again during a heavy rain phase. According to reports at the time, willow trees that previously stood on the banks of the receding lake are said to have stood six meters or more below the water level after the rains.
On October 5, 1883, Franklin H. Heald and his partners Donald Graham and William Collier acquired the rest of the Rancho La Laguna to establish a settlement in this area. In 1884 the California Southern Railroad built a line from Colton to San Diego , with a station called La Laguna being built in what is now Lake Elsinore. On April 9, 1888, Lake Elsinore became the 73rd city in California. With the establishment of Riverside County in 1893, Lake Elsinore was spun off from San Diego County . The name comes from the Danish city of Helsingør , which appears in William Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet .
After rains again led to high water levels at Lake Elsinore in 1893, the Temescal Water Company acquired rights to the water of the lake in order to irrigate land in Corona . The Temescal Creek outlet channel was deepened so that water could flow through the Temescal Canyon to Corona. When the water in the lake receded, a pumping station was built, but evaporation and the absence of rain caused the salinity of the water to rise so significantly that it could no longer be used for irrigation and the project was therefore terminated.
Mineral springs not far from the lake quickly attracted visitors, so a bathhouse was built in 1887. This is known today as "The Chimes". It is located in the old town and is listed in the NRHP . From 1888 onwards, new industries came to Lake Elsinore through coal, clay and gold mining, as well as livestock and cultivation, and fruits and nuts. After 1893 the water level of the lake sank continuously, apart from slight recoveries in the winters; From 1903 onwards, heavy rains caused the water to rise again, which ended with flooding in January 1916.
In the first half of the 20th century, Lake Elsinore became a popular getaway for Hollywood celebrities . Many of their houses still stand on hills around the lake, including the famous Aimee's Castle by Aimee Semple McPherson . Another home owner was Bela Lugosi , best known for the 1931 film Dracula . Teams also trained for the city's Olympic Games . In the mid-1930s, Lake Elsinore dried up completely, but filled with water again in 1938.
During World War II , seaplanes were tested on the lake and wings were produced for the Boeing B-17 bomber at a Douglas Aircraft Company plant in the city .
For much of the 1950s through the early 1960s, Lake Elsinore again became dry. Tom Yarborough was elected Mayor of Lake Elsinore in 1966 , despite the small African American population in the city. He was the first colored mayor in all of California. In 1980, Lake Elsinore was hit again by floods that destroyed the surrounding homes and factories. Since then, several million dollars have been spent on a project that aims to keep the lake level constant and enables construction right on the shore. If there is too much water, it can be drained via Alberhill Creek . In 2007 a ventilation system was put in place with the aim of protecting the existing ecosystem.
Strong population growth in the mid-2000s changed the character of the place from a small riverside town with 3800 inhabitants in 1976 to a satellite town for the upper middle class. Between 2000 and 2008, Lake Elsinore was the 12th fastest growing city in California. In 2010 it already had 51,821 inhabitants, as a result of which previously open hilly landscapes had to give way to new residential areas.
City structure
Lake Elsinore covers a relatively large urban area. In order to differentiate the different parts of the village, the city is divided into 11 districts. Each of the individual districts has its own geography, history and culture, which makes the city as a whole extremely diverse.
- The Alberhill district is characterized by hilly and undeveloped land. With Alberhill Ranch, a new residential area is being built here. Alberhill has a long history as a mining site that began around 1880. Parts of an old railway line still run through the district today.
- In Ballpark is the Lake Elsinore Diamond baseball stadium, which opened in 1994 . Ballpark used to be the location of the city's first railway depot .
- Business is a comparatively new part of the city and is mainly used industrially and commercially. The townscape is characterized by large shopping centers, especially the 34,281 m² shopping center Lake Elsinore Outlets, Temescal Creek and marshland.
- Country Club Heights is particularly noticeable for its steep mountainsides and offers views of Lake Elsinore and the rest of the city. The district's history began in 1912 when 8x30 m fields in Los Angeles were sold to anyone interested. The cost of this was only ten dollars a month for five years. In 1923 further areas were sold, in 1926 Henry Schultz built the 836 m high Bredlau Castle. The evangelicals Aimee Semple McPherson was in October 1928 luxurious house in Country Club Heights building, known today under the name Aimee's Castle.
- The East Lake District consists of flat land that was formerly used by Indians . In the past, various activities were offered here, including motocross , skydiving , gliding and hang gliding . Because of its location in a former floodplain area, the district is often affected by floods; particularly severe floods hit East Lake in 1884 and 1916. In 1969, 18 cm of rain fell within 11 days. In the meantime, the risk of flooding has been reduced through several projects.
- The Historic District has been the center of the city since Lake Elsinore was founded in 1888. Today several buildings in the district are protected. The settlements here are the oldest in the city. With its Main Street, Historic District represents the Downtown Lake Elsinores.
- With the lake as its focal point, the Lake Edge District has played a key role for all residents of the city and is now used specifically for recreational and entertainment purposes. Many developments from the end of the 19th to the beginning of the 20th century went hand in hand with the favorable location on Lake Elsinore. The Lake Edge District includes both old homes and newly opened recreational facilities.
- Lake Elsinore Hills is characterized above all by its large and varied area, which includes wide plains, hills with partly steep slopes, sensitive habitats and various watercourses. The heights are between almost 400 and 660 m. From some points there are views of Lake Elsinore and the Santa Ana Mountains . Even if there are several housing developments, areas of the city are difficult to access and therefore uninhabited.
- Lake View includes higher elevation, hilly areas with some canyons . The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad and mining operations brought the district's attention to both new residents and tourists in the late 19th century. The low-lying parts of the district have only recently developed into a residential area with many single-family homes. Some settlements are located where orange plantations used to be planted.
- North Peak lies at the foot of the San Jacinto Mountains and shows three different conditions: While the southern parts of California State Route 74 are rather hilly, the central part is in a valley, the northern part is almost flat. Even if most of the district remained untouched, mining and cattle breeding were practiced in some places. However, with the construction of new residential areas planned in North Peak, the character of the district could change soon.
- The Riverview District combines steep slopes with flat landscapes shaped by the San Jacinto River . It flows from Canyon Lake in the town of the same name to this point and flows into Lake Elsinore.
politics
Lake Elsinore is part of the 37th District in the California Senate , currently represented by Republican Mimi Walters, and the 66th District of the California State Assembly , represented by Democrat Al Muratsuchi. Lake Elsinore is also a member of California's 42nd congressional constituency , which has a Cook Partisan Voting Index of R + 10 and is represented by Republican Ken Calvert .
Sports
Lake Elsinore is home to the Lake Elsinore Diamond baseball stadium , where Lake Elsinore Storm plays its home games. The club plays in the California League and belongs to the San Diego Padres .
The Lake Elsinore Grand Prix is a dirt bike race that takes place annually in Lake Elsinore in mid-November. It was at the height of its popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s when celebrity athletes such as Malcolm Smith and Steve McQueen took part. The race is open to everyone. The documentary Devil Guys on Hot Fire Chairs contained scenes from the Lake Elsinore Grand Prix. In the mid-1970s, none of the big drivers took part, but instead violent groups, which is why the race was no longer held. In 1996 the first Grand Prix took place again.
Lake Elsinore is a key stop for motorcyclists traveling east on California State Route 74 from San Juan Capistrano .
Web links
- Official Website of Lake Elsinore (English)
- Further information at City-Data.com (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Lake Elsinore website: City Council ( Memento of the original from December 16, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (English)
- ↑ foursquare.com: Lake Elsinore Outlets (English)
