Highline, California facts for kids

Highline was once a small community, or "settlement," located in Imperial County, California. It was about 12 miles (or 19 kilometers) northeast of a town called Holtville. Today, Highline is no longer an active town; it's what we call a "former settlement."

What Was Highline?

A "settlement" is a place where people live and build homes and businesses. Highline was one of these places, but it didn't grow into a large city. Instead, it remained a small community. Its location in Imperial County, a desert region in southeastern California, meant it was in an area with unique challenges and opportunities for early settlers.

Highline's Short History

For a few years, Highline had an important service: its own post office. A post office is where people send and receive mail, and it was often a central part of a community.

The Post Office Years

The post office in Highline opened in 1914. This meant people living there could easily send letters and get news from other places. It closed for a short time between 1918 and 1919, perhaps due to fewer people living there or changes in mail routes. It then reopened briefly before closing permanently in 1920. When a post office closes, it often signals that a community is shrinking or that people are moving away.

Why Did Highline Disappear?

Many small settlements like Highline eventually disappear. This can happen for several reasons. Sometimes, the main reason people settled there, like a specific job or resource, goes away. Other times, new roads or transportation methods make it easier to live in bigger towns nearby. For Highline, the closing of its post office suggests that the community became too small to support it, and people likely moved to other, larger towns in the area.