Ranchita, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ranchita, California
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 Ranchita, California
Location in California
Ranchita, California
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County |  San Diego |
| Elevation | 1,239 m (4,065 ft) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code |
92066
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| Area code(s) | 442 & 760 |
| GNIS feature ID | 247950 |
Ranchita is a small, quiet community in San Diego County, California. Its name means "small ranch" in Spanish. It is an unincorporated community, meaning it is not part of an official city. Ranchita is located about 9 miles (14 km) southwest of Borrego Springs. The area uses the ZIP code 92066.
A fun fact about Ranchita is the "Rancheti" statue. This is an 11-foot-tall (3.35 meter) fiberglass Yeti statue. It weighs 300 pounds (136.08 kg) and was put up on Montezuma Valley Road in December 2007. The Rancheti even appeared in the comic strip Zippy on March 4, 2016!
History of Ranchita
Before Ranchita became what it is today, the area had a different name. Spaniards and Native Americans called it "Cañada de la Verruga." This Spanish name means "Valley of the Wart."
Later, the area was known as "Wid Helm's place." This was named after a homesteader named William Johnson Helm. When Helm arrived, he built an adobe house just west of where Ranchita is now. Helm's property was very popular with deer hunters. They would travel long distances to hunt deer in the area.
Founding of Ranchita
After Helm left, people called "land locators" from Los Angeles brought new homesteaders. These new settlers moved to the area freely under the Homestead Acts. This is how Ranchita informally began.
The first post office in Ranchita was called the Verruga Post Office. It opened on September 22, 1917. Around this time, the local population grew. Several houses, a mine, and a school also opened. However, many new residents left within ten years. This was mainly because there was not enough water. The post office then moved to Warner Springs on February 27, 1926.
Building Montezuma Valley Road
For a long time, people wanted to build a road connecting Borrego Springs in the east to western towns. These towns included San Felipe and Warner Springs, passing through Ranchita. But Hellhole Canyon was a big obstacle, making the road difficult to build.
On April 5, 1937, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors said no to building the road. However, construction crews finally started working on the road in 1955. The project took many years and was not finished until 1964.
The road officially opened on June 24, 1964. People celebrated because it made the trip from Escondido to Borrego Springs 14 miles shorter. This highway is County Route S22. The part of the road that goes through Ranchita is known as Montezuma Valley Road.
See also
In Spanish: Ranchita para niños
