Wonder Acres, Kern County, California facts for kids
Wonder Acres is a small community located in the western part of the Mojave Desert in Kern County, California, United States.
It's found northeast of the city of Mojave. You can find it right on California State Route 14 where it meets California City Boulevard. Wonder Acres is about 5 miles (8 km) west of California City and 4 miles (6 km) east of Cache Creek.
How Wonder Acres Began: A Water Story
The story of Wonder Acres started around 1950. A man named Mr. Wonder was drilling for oil, hoping to find black gold. Instead, he struck something even more valuable in the desert: water!
After finding this important water source, Mr. Wonder decided to divide the land into many smaller pieces. He created lots that were each about 5 acres in size. He then made sure these lots had piped water, which was a big deal in the desert, and sold them to people looking for a new home.
Naming the Community: A Splash of Paint
In the 1960s, the name "Wonder Acres" became much more widely known. This was thanks to a person named Robert W. Shaneyfelt. He painted the name of the community on the local water tank, which was located on California City Boulevard. This made the settlement's name visible to everyone passing by.
The main street in Wonder Acres is called "Janice Street." This name came about because Margaret Shaneyfelt worked hard to talk with everyone involved. She helped them agree on "Janice Street" as a good name for the main road.
Community Connections and Services
Even though Wonder Acres is its own community, it gets its mail services from the Mojave Post Office. For many other services, Wonder Acres is closely connected to the larger town of Mojave.
The phone area code for Wonder Acres is 760. This is the same area code used by nearby California City. For a long time during the late 1900s, children living in Wonder Acres attended schools in the Mojave Unified School District. The community was also part of the Tehachapi Cemetery District.
