Oro Grande, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Oro Grande
|
|
|---|---|
 Oro Grande
Location in California
Oro Grande
Location in the United States
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | San Bernardino |
| Elevation | 3,000 ft (900 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code |
92368
|
| Area codes | 442/760 |
| FIPS code | 06-54330 |
| GNIS feature ID | 246972 |
Oro Grande is a small community in the Mojave Desert of California. Its name means "Large Gold" in Spanish. It is not an official city, but an unincorporated community. This means it's a place where people live, but it doesn't have its own local government like a city does.
Oro Grande is located in San Bernardino County. It sits right on the edge of the cities of Victorville and Adelanto. You can find it about 3,000 feet (914 meters) above sea level in the Victor Valley. This area is north of the San Bernardino mountain range.
The community is found along the historic Route 66 and near Interstate 15. It is located between Victorville and Barstow. The ZIP code for Oro Grande is 92368, and it uses area codes 442 and 760. Less than 1,000 people live in this quiet desert community.
Nearby towns include Silver Lakes, Helendale, Adelanto, and Victorville.
A Look Back: Oro Grande's History
For hundreds of years, the area around Oro Grande was home to Native Americans. This was because of the Mojave River, which flows nearby. The river was also part of an important trade route. This route connected tribes from the Colorado River area with those living on the coast of Southern California. It was known as the Mohave Trail.
Later, Spanish explorers and American fur trappers used this trail. It became part of the Old Spanish Trail in 1830. This trail linked New Mexico and California. After the United States took over California, Mormon pioneers created a wagon road. This road went from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles. It followed the western part of the Old Spanish Trail. It crossed the Mojave River right here, just below the Lower Narrows.
In 1859, a man named Aaron G. Lane started a ranch and a store. This was for travelers using the road at the river crossing. People began to call this spot Lane's Crossing. It was the very first settlement along the Mojave River. Aaron Lane sold his ranch in 1865. He then moved further down the river to start a new ranch in Bryman. Other people took over his old ranch.
In January 1873, gold and silver were found at Silver Mountain. This led to the creation of the Silver Mountain Mining District. In 1880, even more valuable gold and silver were discovered to the southwest. This led to the start of the Red Mountain Gold and Silver Mining District. A new mining town called Oro Grande was built almost two miles below Lane's old crossing. It was named after the first mine found there, the Oro Grande Mine.
The first houses were built, and a post office opened in January 1881. It was first called Halleck. A special machine called a stamp mill was set up by the river. It was used to crush rocks and get out the valuable metals. This mill was later used for mines in Calico, too.
Starting in 1887, people began to open limestone quarries in Oro Grande. They used two kilns to make lime, which is used to create cement. By 1907, cement was being made right in Oro Grande. Marble was also mined in the area. On May 25, 1927, the post office was officially renamed Oro Grande. Nearby, you can also find the World War II Silver Peak Light Annex.
Fun Places to Visit
Oro Grande and its surrounding areas offer some interesting places to explore:
- Calico Ghost Town: A historic mining town that is now a popular tourist attraction.
- Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch: A unique art installation made of thousands of glass bottles.
- Roy Rodgers Ranch: The former home of famous cowboy actor and singer Roy Rogers.
- Caroli Lake Club: A local spot for outdoor activities.
Climate and Weather
Oro Grande has a semi-arid climate. This means it's generally dry, but not quite a full desert. It has hot summers and mild winters.
| Climate data for Oro Grande, California | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 59 (15) |
62 (17) |
67 (19) |
74 (23) |
82 (28) |
92 (33) |
98 (37) |
97 (36) |
91 (33) |
80 (27) |
67 (19) |
59 (15) |
77 (25) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 30 (−1) |
33 (1) |
37 (3) |
41 (5) |
48 (9) |
54 (12) |
61 (16) |
60 (16) |
54 (12) |
44 (7) |
34 (1) |
29 (−2) |
44 (7) |
| Average precipitation inches (cm) | 1 (2.5) |
1.1 (2.8) |
0.8 (2.0) |
0.4 (1.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0 (0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.3 (0.76) |
0.5 (1.3) |
0.8 (2.0) |
5.6 (14) |
| Source: Weatherbase | |||||||||||||
