Gorman, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gorman, California
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Gorman, California, in 2008, from the west side of Interstate 5, which is marked by the white truck
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Location of Gorman in Los Angeles County, California
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 Gorman, California
Location in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Gorman, California
Location in California
Gorman, California
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County | Los Angeles |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6.19169 km2 (2.390625 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,167 m (3,829 ft) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (Pacific Daylight Time) |
| ZIP code |
93243
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| Area code(s) | 661 |
Gorman is a small, unincorporated community in northwestern Los Angeles County, California. It is located in a place called Peace Valley. This area is just south of the Tejon Pass, which connects Southern California with the San Joaquin Valley and Northern California. Because of its location, Gorman has been a popular travel stop for a very long time. Even the Native Americans used it as a resting place. Today, many thousands of drivers travel through Gorman daily on the Golden State Freeway (Interstate 5).
Gorman's Location and Landscape
Gorman covers an area of about 1,530 acres (about 6.2 square kilometers). It sits where three large mountain ranges meet. These are the Sierra Pelona Mountains, the Tehachapi Mountains, and the San Emigdio Mountains.
Gorman is part of the Mountain Communities of the Tejon Pass. It is located southeast of Frazier Park and south of Lebec. The main highway, Interstate 5, runs right through Gorman. Also, State Route 138 connects to Interstate 5 a few miles south of town.
In the springtime, if there has been enough rain, the hills around Gorman become very colorful. They are covered in beautiful wildflowers like California poppies and lupines.
Gorman is also near where two of California's largest fault systems meet. The San Andreas Fault goes right through Gorman. The Garlock Fault meets the San Andreas Fault about 3 miles (5 km) northwest of town.
Who Lives in Gorman?
The U.S. Census Bureau does not count Gorman's population separately because it is so small. In 2005, Gorman had only 15 homes. There were also about a dozen registered voters living there.
Gorman's Past
Early History and Native Americans
Gorman is known as one of California's oldest continuously used rest stops. Long ago, the Native Americans of California stopped here. It was once the Tataviam village called Kulshra'jek.
Later, Spanish and Mexican travelers used a route called El Camino Viejo. This old road passed through the Gorman area on its way to Old Tejon Pass. After 1852, the Stockton–Los Angeles Road also went through Tejon Pass.
19th Century: Settlers and Stations
The Gorman area was once part of a large land grant called Rancho Los Alamos y Agua Caliente. This grant was made in 1846 by the Mexican government.
The first American settler in the area was Charles Johnson, who arrived after 1853. After Johnson passed away, his wife, Soledad Girado, took over. By 1855, the place was known as Rancho la Viuda (Widow's Station).
Reed's Station
Next, a man named Reed took over the ranch, calling it Reed's Ranch. In 1857, a big earthquake, the 1857 Fort Tejon earthquake, hit the area. It caused the roof of Reed's adobe house to collapse, and a woman was killed.
Reed then built a strong log house. This became Reed's Station in 1858. It was a stop for the Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoach. This postal service stopped in 1861. However, the Telegraph Stage Line later used many of the same stops, including Gorman's. Horses were changed here for the tough pull up Tejon Pass.
How Gorman Got Its Name
The property was later bought by David W. Alexander, who was the sheriff of Los Angeles County. He sold the place to James Gorman Sr. in 1867 or 1868. The log "public house" offered food, rooms, and drinks. It soon became known as Gorman's Station. James Gorman Sr. died in 1873 after falling from his wagon.
The first post office at Gorman Station opened around 1877 or 1878. Mary E. Wilson, likely James Gorman's sister-in-law, was the first postmaster. James's sons, Henry and Edward, later took over the postmaster role. Today, mail delivery for Gorman comes from the Lebec post office. James Gorman's wife, Johanna, continued to run the family farm and the roadside stop until she died in 1889.
Around 1898, Oscar Ralphs bought the ranch. His brother, George, had already started a business in Los Angeles in 1872. This business eventually grew into the well-known Ralphs supermarket chain.
20th Century: Roads and Art
In 1901, Oscar Ralphs married Mary McKenzie. As Mary Ralphs, she served for 57 years on the Gorman School Board, from 1908 to 1965. She was even honored for her service by Vice President Hubert Humphrey.
The famous 1960 movie Psycho also included some scenes filmed in Gorman.
Ridge Route and Highway 99
The Ridge Route road through Gorman was paved in 1919. In 1923, the first gasoline station in California not located next to a railroad track was built in Gorman by Standard Oil. Gorman became a popular stop on the Ridge Route, and later on Highway 99 after 1926. It was a rest stop for Greyhound buses until 1977 and for long-distance truck drivers.
Gorman residents knew how important an ambulance was because many injured people were brought to their homes. An ambulance service started in 1932. They bought an old Packard car and turned it into an emergency vehicle with a stretcher.
The famous aviator Charles Lindbergh set up a camp near Gorman in 1930. He tested and flew a special folded-wing glider there called the Albatross.
Interstate 5 and "The Umbrellas"
Interstate 5 replaced U.S. Route 99 through Gorman and over Tejon Pass in 1964.
In late September and early October 1991, Gorman and Tejon Pass were surrounded by an art project called "The Umbrellas". This art installation by Christo and Jeanne-Claude featured 1,760 large yellow umbrellas. They were placed from the roadsides up to the mountainsides. A similar installation with blue umbrellas was created in Japan at the same time. Thousands of visitors came to Gorman from all over the world to see this unique art.
21st Century: Recent Events
In January 2006, some property owners in Gorman wanted the community to join Kern County. They felt that Los Angeles County's rules made it hard to develop the area. However, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors said no. They did not want to lose the tax money they collected from Gorman businesses.
On June 15, 2024, a wildfire called the Post Fire started in Gorman. It quickly burned about 22 square miles (57 square kilometers) of land near Interstate 5. Over a thousand firefighters worked to put out the fire, especially near the Pyramid Lake recreation area. The fire was fully put out on June 26, after burning for 11 days. The cause of the fire is still being investigated.
Education in Gorman
| Gorman Joint School District |
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Gorman Joint School District
Gorman Elementary School
The history of Gorman Elementary School has different stories. However, the pioneer Ralphs family was definitely involved in starting it. One story says the first school was the one-room Manzana School, a mile south of Gorman. In 1925, it had only four students, all from the Ralphs family. After that school was taken down, the children went to Quail Lake School, another one-room schoolhouse.
Gorman Elementary School was built in 1939 by the federal government's Works Progress Administration. The first teacher's name is not clear, but Martha Forth taught there from 1941 to 1943. Ruth Ralphs, a family member, later confirmed that the first teacher lived with her grandparents, Oscar and Mary Ralphs. Her name was Mary "May" Barto Mertz. She taught in the Ralphs' family living room before the school was built.
Another account says the Ralphs family started the school as the Quail Lake District. Classes were held in their living room. The school was later moved to its current location and built on land donated by the Ralphs family. It then became known as the Gorman School District.
In 1990, Gorman had the smallest school district and the smallest school in Los Angeles County. It had only three classrooms, each with combined grades.
Challenges for the School District
The Gorman School District is the smallest in Los Angeles County. Over the years, it has faced challenges to stay open. In 1971, the state Legislature almost passed a law that would have closed school districts with fewer than 50 students. Gorman's attendance dropped to 32 students. The townspeople quickly found 11 more children from other areas to keep the enrollment up.
In 1978, the district was threatened again when funding was cut. This happened after California Proposition 13 passed, which limited how much property taxes could be raised. The district saved itself by reducing salaries and cutting other costs.
By fall 2008, only one child from Gorman attended the elementary school. Most of the 40 students came from the El Tejon Unified School District. The Los Angeles County Office of Education had warned that the district might close if it didn't solve its problems.
However, a land developer called Centennial Founders stepped in. They wanted to save the school district. They planned to build a large planned city with 23,000 houses east of Interstate 5. The developer agreed to pay for a consultant to help the district financially until the new houses and schools could be built.
Student Enrollment
In September 2008, Gorman Joint School District had just one elementary school for grades K-8. It had 42 students, but only one lived in Gorman. The others were transfers from nearby school districts.
By December 2010, the school's enrollment had more than doubled to 98 students. Its Academic Performance Score also improved. In August 2011, attendance grew to 101 students with five teachers. More students meant more money from the state.
To get more funding, the district also took on the Gorman Learning Center charter school in Redlands. This center was about 129 miles (208 km) away and had about 800 home-school students.
Honoring Ruth Ralphs
In January 2008, Ruth Ralphs was honored for her 33 years of service to the Gorman School District. She was a key person in the Ralphs family businesses in Gorman. Ruth Ralphs passed away at age 90 on December 30, 2010.
She managed family businesses like gas stations, motels, and a cafe. She also served as the postmistress of the Gorman Post Office for many years.
High Schools for Gorman Students
The Gorman area is part of the Antelope Valley Union High School District. In 1996, only four of Gorman's 24 high school students traveled the 40 miles (64 km) to attend Quartz Hill High School in Lancaster. This was the closest high school in that district. The other students attended nearby Frazier Mountain High School with special permission.
Community Colleges
Gorman is also part of the Antelope Valley Community College District. The main campus of Antelope Valley College is about 45.6 miles (73.4 km) away.
Getting Around Gorman
About 74,000 people pass through Gorman daily on the Interstate 5 freeway. However, local residents have other roads to use to avoid the freeway. Peace Valley Road runs next to the freeway on the west side, north of town. It can be used to travel to Frazier Park and Lebec. Gorman Post Road is on the east side, south of town, and is a direct route to State Route 138.
Kern Transit provides bus service from Gorman to nearby towns. These include Lebec, Frazier Park, Lake of the Woods, Pinon Pines, and Pine Mountain Club. They also offer a dial-a-ride service all year. From Frazier Park or Lebec, you can connect to scheduled bus services to Grapevine, Santa Clarita, and Bakersfield. From Bakersfield, you can connect to Greyhound Lines and Amtrak for longer trips.
Images for kids
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Gorman, California, in 2008, from the west side of Interstate 5, which is marked by the white truck
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Location of Gorman in Los Angeles County, California
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Wildflowers near Gorman
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James Gorman Sr. gave his name to the rest stop in the Tejon Pass.
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Gorman Elementary School, shown here in 2008, has two classrooms.
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Gorman Post Road, looking north, on the east side of Interstate 5
