Alpine, more fully Alpine Springs and also called Harold, was an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
in
Los Angeles County,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
located 2 miles south of where
Palmdale
Palmdale is a city in northern Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California. The city lies in the Antelope Valley region of Southern California. The San Gabriel Mountains separate Palmdale from the Los Angeles Basin to the south.
On Aug ...
is now.
The Trego Post Office was located at the Alpine Station stop on the
Southern Pacific Railroad which stood at what is today the intersection of Sierra Highway and Barrel Springs Road (previously Fort Tejon Road).
The Trego post office was in operation from July 1, 1884, until December 18, 1884, when the name was changed to Harold.
The first Harold post office was established on December 19, 1890, and was discontinued on September 16, 1894. A second post office named Harold was in operation from July 13, 1895, until June 15, 1901, when the papers were moved to Palmdale.
[
Alpine Station was mostly populated by railway employees, and Harold/Alpine dwindled as New Palmdale grew alongside it.
Originally the major rail transport hub for Palmdale, Harold lost its railway depot to the latter in 1892, having shrunk at that point to a hotel-cum-saloon and a few houses.
Similarly, the reservoir to the south of Palmdale, constructed in 1897 by the Antelope Valley Irrigation Company and known as the Alpine or Harold Reservoir, as well as Yuna Lake (now ]Lake Palmdale
Lake Palmdale is an artificial lake completed in 1924 along with the nearby Little Rock Reservoir created by Little Rock Dam. Its source of water is the California State Water Project and it is fed by the California Aqueduct. It is located in t ...
), lost its importance when Little Rock Creek river was dammed (by Little Rock Dam
Little Rock Dam, also known as Littlerock Dam, or officially as Little Rock-Palmdale Dam, is a concrete gravity dam on Little Rock Creek in Los Angeles County, California, about south of Palmdale. The dam and Little Rock Reservoir are owned by ...
) in the 1920s, creating a reservoir with a greater capacity to serve Palmdale.
Investors hoped to revive the area's fortunes and turn it into a resort; construction was started on the Alpine Springs Hotel and Sanatorium in 1908 on the west side of Sierra Highway.
However, the construction was never finished.
By 1926 only a few shacks and the Harold Square Deal Garage remained, and in the 21st century it is the site of the Alpine Springs Mobile Home Park.
In addition to the mobile home park, some vestiges of the settlement remain in local names, including streets named Harold Second, Harold Third, Harold Beech, and Harold Ash.
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Unincorporated communities in Los Angeles County, California
Unincorporated communities in California
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