Hi Vista, California

Unincorporated community in California, United States

34°44′06″N 117°46′38″W / 34.73500°N 117.77722°W / 34.73500; -117.77722^[1]Country

United StatesState

CaliforniaCounty

Los AngelesElevation

^[1]

933 m (3,061 ft)Time zoneUTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)Area code661GNIS feature ID1660742^[1]

Hi Vista (or Hi-Vista) is an unincorporated community in northeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States.

Geography

Hi Vista is located in the Antelope Valley, in the southwestern part of the Mojave Desert. This area is referred to as the "High Desert" due to its altitude. Edwards Air Force Base is located 22 miles (35 km) to the north, Adelanto is 31 miles (50 km) to the east, and Lake Los Angeles is 11 miles (18 km) to the south, and Lancaster is 21 miles (34 km) to the west.

History

Hi-Vista was founded about 1930 and named by the wife of the developer for its views of the San Bernardino and the Sierra Madres.^[2] Hi-Vista was formerly known for its spring wildflower celebrations.^[3]^[4] For example, in 1933, after a lunch and educational talk sponsored by the Hi-Vista Improvement Association, visitors would be able to see "coreopsis, hyacinth, lupine, purple sage, aster, primrose, heliotrope, larkspur, wild rhubarb and wild onion plant."^[5] The 1964 event was expected to show 150 kinds of flowers, as well as have "a ham dinner and turtle (tortoise) racing."^[6]

In 1985 Space Ordnance Systems requested permission to burn industrial waste, including magnesium and Teflon, near Hi-Vista, but residents protested, arguing that the fumes would make them sick and endanger the schoolchildren at Wilsona.^[7]

Parks and recreation

Calvary Baptist Church in Hi Vista was used as a filming location for Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill films, Vol. I & II (2003, 2004), as well as the music video for "Road to Nowhere" by Talking Heads.

Hi Vista is home to Saddleback Butte State Park, Butte Valley Wildflower Sanctuary, and the "Kill Bill" church. The Phacelia Wildlife Sanctuary, operated by Los Angeles County, was dedicated in 1961.^[8]^[9] Plant life at the sanctuary includes "creosote bush scrub [and] small Joshua trees," and zebra-tailed lizards and roadrunners are just two of the many animals.^[9]

Education

Local students now attend Eastside High School in Lancaster, about 20 miles (32 km) to the west-southwest, rather than Littlerock High School in Littlerock, which was nearly 30 miles (48 km) southwest.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Hi Vista, California
^ Gudde, Erwin G. (1998). California Place Names: The Origin and Etymology of Current Geographical Names. Univ of California Press. p. 165. ISBN 978-0-520-26619-3.
^ "Calendar of Events". The Los Angeles Times. March 29, 1963. p. 102. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
^ "Wildflower Fete Is Planned at Hi-Vista". News-Pilot. April 21, 1937. p. 12. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
^ "Lancaster Bloom Fete Due Today". The Los Angeles Times. May 14, 1933. p. 60. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
^ "Spring Wildflower Festival". Pasadena Independent. April 21, 1964. p. 13. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
^ Kay, Lauren (March 15, 1985). "AQMD continues SOS hearing again". The Signal. p. 1. Retrieved January 25, 2024. & "SOS: Hearing continued". The Signal. March 15, 1985. p. 14. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
^ "Hi Vista, April 15-16". Press-Telegram. April 9, 1961. p. 103. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
^ ^a ^b "Los Angeles County - Parks & Recreation". Los Angeles County - Parks & Recreation. August 17, 2023. Retrieved January 25, 2024.