Duarte, California
Encyclopedia
Duarte (ˈdwɑrtiː or /duːˈɑrteɪ/, from Portuguese
/ˈdwaɾte/) is a city in Los Angeles County
, California
, United States
. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 21,321, down from 21,486 at the 2000 census.
It is bounded to the north by the San Gabriel Mountains
, to the north and west by the cities of Bradbury
and Monrovia
, to the south by the city of Irwindale
, and to the east by the cities of Irwindale and Azusa
.
Duarte is located on historic U.S. Route 66
which today follows Huntington Drive
through the middle of the city. The town holds an annual Salute to Route 66 Parade on the third weekend in September on Huntington Drive, which is part of the Historic U.S. Route 66.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 6.7 square miles (17.4 km²), all land.
was 3,186.8 people per square mile (1,230.4/km²). The racial makeup of Duarte was 11,076 (51.9%) White, 1,587 (7.4%) African American, 179 (0.8%) Native American, 3,361 (15.8%) Asian, 26 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 4,108 (19.3%) from other races
, and 984 (4.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10,190 persons (47.8%).
The Census reported that 20,914 people (98.1% of the population) lived in households, 19 (0.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 388 (1.8%) were institutionalized.
There were 7,013 households, out of which 2,458 (35.0%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 3,597 (51.3%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 1,004 (14.3%) had a female householder with no husband present, 363 (5.2%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 285 (4.1%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 66 (0.9%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,666 households (23.8%) were made up of individuals and 888 (12.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.98. There were 4,964 families
(70.8% of all households); the average family size was 3.54.
The population was spread out with 4,737 people (22.2%) under the age of 18, 1,863 people (8.7%) aged 18 to 24, 5,567 people (26.1%) aged 25 to 44, 5,776 people (27.1%) aged 45 to 64, and 3,378 people (15.8%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.9 years. For every 100 females there were 89.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males.
There were 7,254 housing units at an average density of 1,084.3 per square mile (418.6/km²), of which 4,703 (67.1%) were owner-occupied, and 2,310 (32.9%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.4%. 14,796 people (69.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 6,118 people (28.7%) lived in rental housing units.
of 2000, there are 21,486 people, 6,635 households, and 4,889 families residing in the city. The population density
is 3,215.7 inhabitants per square mile (1,241.9/km²). There are 6,805 housing units at an average density of 1,018.5 per square mile (393.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city is 52.02% White
, 9.08% Black
or African American
, 0.94% Native American
, 12.62% Asian
, 0.11% Pacific Islander
, 19.99% from other races
, and 5.23% from two or more races, while 43.41% of the population are Hispanic or Latino
of any race.
There are 6,635 households out of which 38.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% are married couples
living together, 13.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 26.3% are non-families. 21.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.16 and the average family size is 3.70.
In the city the population is spread out with 28.2% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 85.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $50,744, and the median income for a family is $56,556. Males have a median income of $39,812 versus $33,045 for females. The per capita income
for the city is $19,648. 11.3% of the population and 8.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 13.3% of those under the age of 18 and 10.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
A Sept. 27, 2010 article in Forbes Magazine described Duarte's 91008 zip code as the most expensive housing market in the country.(even though that ZIP code actually belonged to the City of Bradbury, Forbes refused to admit the error)
Duarte is in the 24th Senate
District, represented by Democrat Gloria J. Romero, and in the 44th and 59th Assembly
Districts, represented by Democrat Anthony J. Portantino
and Republican Tim Donnelly
respectively. Federally, Duarte is in California's 32nd congressional district
, which has a Cook PVI
of D +17 and is represented by Democrat Judy Chu
.
The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services
operates the Monrovia Health Center in Monrovia
, serving Duarte.
an-speaking Indians established settlements in what is now the San Gabriel Valley
. These native Americans
came to be called the Gabrieliño Indians (after San Gabriel, the local mission) by early Spanish
explorers, but now prefer to be called the Tongva. The Tongva did not practice agriculture, but instead relied upon the wild seeds, berries, and plants that grew near the rivers and marshlands. Since the San Gabriel Valley area was home to large numbers of oak trees such as coast live oak
and interior live oak
, a staple of the Tongva diet was an acorn
mush made by boiling acorn flour.
Duarte's history with Europe
ans dates back to 1769, when all land in California
was claimed by the king of Spain
. The first Europeans visited the San Gabriel Valley, including Duarte, during a 1769 expedition from San Diego
to Monterey Bay
commanded by Don Gaspar de Portolà
. Accompanying Portolà was a Franciscan
priest from Father Junipero Serra's
order in Mexico
, Juan Crespi
, who served as the diarist of the expedition. Much of what is known of early California is known only from the detailed descriptions recorded by Crespi.
On September 8, 1771, the Franciscans established the Mission San Gabriel Arcangel
in the San Gabriel Valley. The mission was a resting point for early California travelers and gathered most of the native Tongva into an agricultural lifestyle. Following Mexican independence
in 1821, the mission lands were nationalized.
On May 10, 1841, the governor of Alta California
, Juan Bautista Alvarado
, granted to former Mexican corporal Andrés Duarte and his wife nearly 7000 acres (28 km²) of prime land in the central-northern San Gabriel Valley. Duarte named his new holdings "Rancho Azusa de Duarte
". The name Azusa was derived from Asuksa-gna, the name of the Tongva settlement on the Foothills of California
, on the western side of the alluvial fan where the San Gabriel River
exits the San Gabriel Mountains; a portion of this area forms the northeastern-most corner of Duarte. That land grant now comprises portions of Arcadia
, portions of Monrovia
, all of Bradbury
, all of Duarte, portions of Irwindale
, portions of Azusa
and a portion of Baldwin Park
. Corporal Duarte had the local Indians build a small hut for his family and help him plant a kitchen garden and orchards near "the Indian Springs of the Asuksas" in Fish Canyon.
Mexico ceded Alta California to the United States in 1848. In 1851, the American Congress passed a bill that established a Board of Land Commissioners
whose duty was to determine the validity of all grants of Alta California land by Spanish and Mexican authorities.
Corporal Duarte began incurring legal expenses and other debts, which he defrayed by selling portions of his Rancho. This first sale was a 225 acre (0.9105435 km²) parcel at the southern end of the Rancho to Michael Whistler and two unidentified colleagues. Whistler later bought out his colleagues and sold the entire parcel to Dr. Nehemiah Beardslee, who started the first school in Duarte (which now bears his surname) and laid out the first section of Duarte’s water lines. Corporal Duarte divided much of the Rancho's remainder into 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) plots and sold them individually. Corporal Duarte finally won a favorable ruling from the Supreme Court
for his land grant case in 1878, but by then he had sold the entire Rancho.
Many of Duarte’s earliest pioneer families came to Duarte in the mid-19th century for their health, the pleasant climate, and the fertile soil. English settlers, Americans from the Midwest and Deep South
, Latino
s who remained from the Rancho and Japanese immigrants enabled Duarte to grow into a thriving agricultural community specializing in citrus production.
Two medical institutions were started in Duarte in the early part of the 20th century. In 1928, the Jewish Consumptive Relief Association started a tuberculosis sanitarium in the form of a small tent city
on 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) of land south of Duarte Road. This later evolved into the world-renowned City of Hope National Medical Center
, a recognized leader in fighting cancer and other catastrophic diseases. In 1930, a group of Carmelite nuns known as the Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles
established the Santa Teresita Rest Home, known until recently as Santa Teresita Medical Center. After decades as a full-service hospital, Santa Teresita was downgraded to "medical center" in the early 21st century, after financial problems, caused both by administrative missteps as well as the costs of providing medical coverage to the uninsured, forced the hospital to close its emergency room. Santa Teresita now operates as an "outpatient services only" facility.
In 1957, a dedicated group of community members, fearing annexation by neighboring cities, led a fight for incorporation. Indeed, parts of the original Rancho had already been annexed by neighboring Monrovia, Azusa, Irwindale, and Baldwin Park. At the same time, a rival group representing an affluent enclave in the foothills started a competing drive for incorporation, and broke off to form the separate City of Bradbury. A 2001 Los Angeles Times
article stated that their petition for incorporation arrived in Sacramento
on August 22, 1957, "mere moments" before the petition that would have included them in the City of Duarte. Still, many ties between the two communities remain in that they both form the Duarte Unified School District; they both share the same post office and(until October 2008) a ZIP code(91010); and they both share combined public services such as the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
and Los Angeles County Fire Department
, and garbage pickup(provided by Burrtec Waste Services).
The original city logo was created by Bill Botts Sr. in 1957.It consisted of a double-circular seal, with the inner circle containing an adobe arch featuring the Rancho Azusa de Duarte "d" brand (inside the arch is the original date of the Rancho's establishment, 1841) while the outer circle features the year of Duarte's incorporation (1957). The current city logo was created in early 1982 to mark Duarte's 25th anniversary of cityhood.
Like many of its neighbors, modern Duarte is a bedroom community. The City of Duarte is geographically isolated from population centers to the east and south due to the San Gabriel River
and rock quarry operations in Irwindale and Azusa
. These factors have proven to be an ongoing economic challenge for local businesses as the city attracts little outside spending, and most residents spend their money elsewhere. Due to air quality and noise concerns, the City of Duarte has sought repeatedly to halt expansion of neighboring quarry operations, but has had no success against the monied interests behind the quarries and the neighboring city governments beholden to them. Still, over the past few decades, the city leadership has succeeded in bringing retail development to the western portion of Duarte beginning, notably, with the redevelopment of the Big Sky Drive-in Theater as a shopping plaza with a Gemco
superstore (which is now a Target
). Later, the city's obsolete municipal pool, known as Aqualand, and a well known Route-66 diner (known as the "Boulevard Cafe") were replaced with a Ralphs shopping center. In the early 21st century, Wal-Mart
opened on the western edge of the city, as did a CarMax
used-car superstore. In 2009, the city welcomed a new mini-shopping center, including a Best Buy
, around the site of its Staples store, as well as a Tesco Fresh & Easy
Neighborhood Market further east at the former Pantry Market site. As of January 2010, a Sonic Drive-In
opened in the Target Shopping Center.
) and one continuation high school (Mt. Olive Alternative High School). There are also at least two private elementary schools.
(LASD) operates the Temple Station in Temple City
, serving not only Duarte, but also neighboring Bradbury
, while fire protection services are provided by the Los Angeles County Fire Department
through Station 44(paramedic services are provided by nearby Stations 29[Baldwin Park] and 32[Azusa]).
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
/ˈdwaɾte/) is a city in Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 21,321, down from 21,486 at the 2000 census.
It is bounded to the north by the San Gabriel Mountains
San Gabriel Mountains
The San Gabriel Mountains Range is located in northern Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County, California, United States. The mountain range lies between the Los Angeles Basin and the Mojave Desert, with Interstate 5 to the west and Interstate 15 to the east...
, to the north and west by the cities of Bradbury
Bradbury, California
Bradbury is a small, affluent city in the San Gabriel Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is located in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains below Angeles National Forest. Bradbury is bordered by the city of Monrovia to the west, and Duarte to the south and...
and Monrovia
Monrovia, California
Monrovia is a city located in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 36,590 at the 2010 census, down from 36,929 at the 2000 census...
, to the south by the city of Irwindale
Irwindale, California
Irwindale is a city in the San Gabriel Valley, in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 1,422 at the 2010 census, down from 1,446 at the 2000 census....
, and to the east by the cities of Irwindale and Azusa
Azusa, California
Azusa is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 46,361 at the 2010 census, up from 44,712 at the 2000 census. Though sometimes assumed to be a compaction of the phrase "everything from A to Z in the USA" from an old Jack Benny joke, the place name "Azusa"...
.
Duarte is located on historic U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66 was a highway within the U.S. Highway System. One of the original U.S. highways, Route 66 was established on November 11, 1926 -- with road signs erected the following year...
which today follows Huntington Drive
Huntington Drive
Huntington Drive is a major east–west street in Southern California. It runs from the merge of Soto Street and Mission Road near the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Los Angeles east through the El Sereno section of Los Angeles, South Pasadena, San Marino, Alhambra, San Gabriel, Arcadia,...
through the middle of the city. The town holds an annual Salute to Route 66 Parade on the third weekend in September on Huntington Drive, which is part of the Historic U.S. Route 66.
Geography
Duarte is located at 34.140416°N 117.961678°W.According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 6.7 square miles (17.4 km²), all land.
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Duarte had a population of 21,321. The population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 3,186.8 people per square mile (1,230.4/km²). The racial makeup of Duarte was 11,076 (51.9%) White, 1,587 (7.4%) African American, 179 (0.8%) Native American, 3,361 (15.8%) Asian, 26 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 4,108 (19.3%) from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 984 (4.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10,190 persons (47.8%).
The Census reported that 20,914 people (98.1% of the population) lived in households, 19 (0.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 388 (1.8%) were institutionalized.
There were 7,013 households, out of which 2,458 (35.0%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 3,597 (51.3%) were opposite-sex married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 1,004 (14.3%) had a female householder with no husband present, 363 (5.2%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 285 (4.1%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
POSSLQ
POSSLQ is an abbreviation for "Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters," a term coined in the late 1970s by the United States Census Bureau as part of an effort to more accurately gauge the prevalence of cohabitation in American households....
, and 66 (0.9%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,666 households (23.8%) were made up of individuals and 888 (12.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.98. There were 4,964 families
Family (U.S. Census)
A family or family household is defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes as "a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. They do not include same-sex married couples even if the marriage was performed in a state...
(70.8% of all households); the average family size was 3.54.
The population was spread out with 4,737 people (22.2%) under the age of 18, 1,863 people (8.7%) aged 18 to 24, 5,567 people (26.1%) aged 25 to 44, 5,776 people (27.1%) aged 45 to 64, and 3,378 people (15.8%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.9 years. For every 100 females there were 89.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males.
There were 7,254 housing units at an average density of 1,084.3 per square mile (418.6/km²), of which 4,703 (67.1%) were owner-occupied, and 2,310 (32.9%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.4%. 14,796 people (69.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 6,118 people (28.7%) lived in rental housing units.
2000
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there are 21,486 people, 6,635 households, and 4,889 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
is 3,215.7 inhabitants per square mile (1,241.9/km²). There are 6,805 housing units at an average density of 1,018.5 per square mile (393.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city is 52.02% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 9.08% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.94% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 12.62% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.11% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 19.99% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 5.23% from two or more races, while 43.41% of the population are Hispanic or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race.
There are 6,635 households out of which 38.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% are married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 13.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 26.3% are non-families. 21.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.16 and the average family size is 3.70.
In the city the population is spread out with 28.2% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 85.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $50,744, and the median income for a family is $56,556. Males have a median income of $39,812 versus $33,045 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city is $19,648. 11.3% of the population and 8.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 13.3% of those under the age of 18 and 10.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
A Sept. 27, 2010 article in Forbes Magazine described Duarte's 91008 zip code as the most expensive housing market in the country.(even though that ZIP code actually belonged to the City of Bradbury, Forbes refused to admit the error)
Government and infrastructure
In the state legislatureCalifornia State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
Duarte is in the 24th Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
District, represented by Democrat Gloria J. Romero, and in the 44th and 59th Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
Districts, represented by Democrat Anthony J. Portantino
Anthony J. Portantino
Anthony J. Portantino , has represented California's 44th assembly district since December 2006. He is a Democrat.- Entertainment career :...
and Republican Tim Donnelly
Tim Donnelly (politician)
Tim Donnelly is a member of the California State Assembly, representing the 59th District. He is a Republican, and is vice chairman of the Higher Education Committee. Before his election to the Assembly in November, 2010, Donnelly was a small businessman in Southern California...
respectively. Federally, Duarte is in California's 32nd congressional district
California's 32nd congressional district
California's 32nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California based in Los Angeles County. The district covers East Los Angeles and includes El Monte, Monterey Park and West Covina in Greater Los Angeles....
, which has a Cook PVI
Cook Partisan Voting Index
The Cook Partisan Voting Index , sometimes referred to as simply the Partisan Voting Index , is a measurement of how strongly an American congressional district or state leans toward one political party compared to the nation as a whole...
of D +17 and is represented by Democrat Judy Chu
Judy Chu
Judy May Chu, Ph.D. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. She is a member of the Democratic Party....
.
The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services
Los Angeles County Department of Health Services
Health services to over 10 million residents in the Los Angeles County are provided by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Mental health services are provided by the County Department of Mental Health...
operates the Monrovia Health Center in Monrovia
Monrovia, California
Monrovia is a city located in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 36,590 at the 2010 census, down from 36,929 at the 2000 census...
, serving Duarte.
Background/history
Around 500 B.C., a band of ShoshoneShoshone
The Shoshone or Shoshoni are a Native American tribe in the United States with three large divisions: the Northern, the Western and the Eastern....
an-speaking Indians established settlements in what is now the San Gabriel Valley
San Gabriel Valley
The San Gabriel Valley is one of the principal valleys of Southern California, United States. It lies to the east of Los Angeles, to the north of the Puente Hills, to the south of the San Gabriel Mountains, and west of the Inland Empire. It derives its name from the San Gabriel River that flows...
. These native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
came to be called the Gabrieliño Indians (after San Gabriel, the local mission) by early Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
explorers, but now prefer to be called the Tongva. The Tongva did not practice agriculture, but instead relied upon the wild seeds, berries, and plants that grew near the rivers and marshlands. Since the San Gabriel Valley area was home to large numbers of oak trees such as coast live oak
Coast Live Oak
Quercus agrifolia, the Coast Live Oak, is an evergreen oak , native to the California Floristic Province. It grows west of the Sierra Nevada from Mendocino County, California, south to northern Baja California in Mexico. It is classified in the red oak section Quercus agrifolia, the Coast Live Oak,...
and interior live oak
Interior Live Oak
Quercus wislizeni, known by the common names Interior Live Oak, and Sierra Live Oak, is an evergeen oak, highly variable and often shrubby, found in areas of California in the United States. It also occurs south into northern Baja California in Mexico...
, a staple of the Tongva diet was an acorn
Acorn
The acorn, or oak nut, is the nut of the oaks and their close relatives . It usually contains a single seed , enclosed in a tough, leathery shell, and borne in a cup-shaped cupule. Acorns vary from 1–6 cm long and 0.8–4 cm broad...
mush made by boiling acorn flour.
Duarte's history with Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
ans dates back to 1769, when all land in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
was claimed by the king of Spain
Spanish monarchy
The Monarchy of Spain, constitutionally referred to as The Crown and commonly referred to as the Spanish monarchy or Hispanic Monarchy, is a constitutional institution and an historic office of Spain...
. The first Europeans visited the San Gabriel Valley, including Duarte, during a 1769 expedition from San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
to Monterey Bay
Monterey Bay
Monterey Bay is a bay of the Pacific Ocean, along the central coast of California. The bay is south of San Francisco and San Jose, between the cities of Santa Cruz and Monterey....
commanded by Don Gaspar de Portolà
Gaspar de Portolà
Gaspar de Portolà i Rovira was a soldier, governor of Baja and Alta California , explorer and founder of San Diego and Monterey. He was born in Os de Balaguer, province of Lleida, in Catalonia, Spain, of Catalan nobility. Don Gaspar served as a soldier in the Spanish army in Italy and Portugal...
. Accompanying Portolà was a Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
priest from Father Junipero Serra's
Junípero Serra
Blessed Junípero Serra, O.F.M., , known as Fra Juníper Serra in Catalan, his mother tongue was a Majorcan Franciscan friar who founded the mission chain in Alta California of the Las Californias Province in New Spain—present day California, United States. Fr...
order in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Juan Crespi
Juan Crespi
Father Juan Crespí was a Majorcan missionary and explorer of Las Californias. He entered the Franciscan order at the age of seventeen. He came to America in 1749, and accompanied explorers Francisco Palóu and Junípero Serra. In 1767 he went to the Baja Peninsula and was placed in charge of the...
, who served as the diarist of the expedition. Much of what is known of early California is known only from the detailed descriptions recorded by Crespi.
On September 8, 1771, the Franciscans established the Mission San Gabriel Arcangel
Mission San Gabriel Arcángel
The Mission San Gabriel Arcángel is a fully functioning Roman Catholic mission and a historic landmark in San Gabriel, California. The settlement was founded by Spaniards of the Franciscan order on "The Feast of the Birth of Mary," September 8, 1771, as the fourth of what would become 21 Spanish...
in the San Gabriel Valley. The mission was a resting point for early California travelers and gathered most of the native Tongva into an agricultural lifestyle. Following Mexican independence
Mexican War of Independence
The Mexican War of Independence was an armed conflict between the people of Mexico and the Spanish colonial authorities which started on 16 September 1810. The movement, which became known as the Mexican War of Independence, was led by Mexican-born Spaniards, Mestizos and Amerindians who sought...
in 1821, the mission lands were nationalized.
On May 10, 1841, the governor of Alta California
Alta California
Alta California was a province and territory in the Viceroyalty of New Spain and later a territory and department in independent Mexico. The territory was created in 1769 out of the northern part of the former province of Las Californias, and consisted of the modern American states of California,...
, Juan Bautista Alvarado
Juan Bautista Alvarado
Juan Bautista Valentín Alvarado y Vallejo was a Californio and twice Governor of Alta California from 1836 to 1837, and 1838 to 1842.-Early years:...
, granted to former Mexican corporal Andrés Duarte and his wife nearly 7000 acres (28 km²) of prime land in the central-northern San Gabriel Valley. Duarte named his new holdings "Rancho Azusa de Duarte
Rancho Azusa de Duarte
Rancho Azusa de Duarte was a Mexican land grant in present day Los Angeles County, California given in 1841 by Governor Juan Alvarado to Andres Duarte, a former Mexican corporal...
". The name Azusa was derived from Asuksa-gna, the name of the Tongva settlement on the Foothills of California
Foothills of California
The Foothills of California, or the Foothills and Hills of the San Gabriel Valley in Southern California, are limited in this article to the Southern California foothills and hills in the San Gabriel Valley area that are part of the Transverse Ranges in Los Angeles County, California...
, on the western side of the alluvial fan where the San Gabriel River
San Gabriel River (California)
The San Gabriel River flows through southern Los Angeles County, California in the United States. Its main stem is about long, while its farthest tributaries extend almost altogether...
exits the San Gabriel Mountains; a portion of this area forms the northeastern-most corner of Duarte. That land grant now comprises portions of Arcadia
Arcadia, California
Arcadia is an affluent city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, and located approximately northeast of downtown Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley and at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains....
, portions of Monrovia
Monrovia, California
Monrovia is a city located in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 36,590 at the 2010 census, down from 36,929 at the 2000 census...
, all of Bradbury
Bradbury, California
Bradbury is a small, affluent city in the San Gabriel Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is located in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains below Angeles National Forest. Bradbury is bordered by the city of Monrovia to the west, and Duarte to the south and...
, all of Duarte, portions of Irwindale
Irwindale, California
Irwindale is a city in the San Gabriel Valley, in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 1,422 at the 2010 census, down from 1,446 at the 2000 census....
, portions of Azusa
Azusa, California
Azusa is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 46,361 at the 2010 census, up from 44,712 at the 2000 census. Though sometimes assumed to be a compaction of the phrase "everything from A to Z in the USA" from an old Jack Benny joke, the place name "Azusa"...
and a portion of Baldwin Park
Baldwin Park, California
Baldwin Park is a city located in the central San Gabriel Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 75,390, down from 75,837 at the 2000 census.- History :...
. Corporal Duarte had the local Indians build a small hut for his family and help him plant a kitchen garden and orchards near "the Indian Springs of the Asuksas" in Fish Canyon.
Mexico ceded Alta California to the United States in 1848. In 1851, the American Congress passed a bill that established a Board of Land Commissioners
Public Land Commission
The Public Land Commission, a former agency of the United States government, was created following the admission of California as a state in 1850 . The Commission's purpose was to determine the validity of prior Spanish and Mexican land grants in California.California Senator William M...
whose duty was to determine the validity of all grants of Alta California land by Spanish and Mexican authorities.
Corporal Duarte began incurring legal expenses and other debts, which he defrayed by selling portions of his Rancho. This first sale was a 225 acre (0.9105435 km²) parcel at the southern end of the Rancho to Michael Whistler and two unidentified colleagues. Whistler later bought out his colleagues and sold the entire parcel to Dr. Nehemiah Beardslee, who started the first school in Duarte (which now bears his surname) and laid out the first section of Duarte’s water lines. Corporal Duarte divided much of the Rancho's remainder into 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) plots and sold them individually. Corporal Duarte finally won a favorable ruling from the Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
for his land grant case in 1878, but by then he had sold the entire Rancho.
Many of Duarte’s earliest pioneer families came to Duarte in the mid-19th century for their health, the pleasant climate, and the fertile soil. English settlers, Americans from the Midwest and Deep South
Deep South
The Deep South is a descriptive category of the cultural and geographic subregions in the American South. Historically, it is differentiated from the "Upper South" as being the states which were most dependent on plantation type agriculture during the pre-Civil War period...
, Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
s who remained from the Rancho and Japanese immigrants enabled Duarte to grow into a thriving agricultural community specializing in citrus production.
Two medical institutions were started in Duarte in the early part of the 20th century. In 1928, the Jewish Consumptive Relief Association started a tuberculosis sanitarium in the form of a small tent city
Tent City
A tent city is a temporary housing facility made using tents. Informal tent cities may be set up without authorization by homeless people or protesters. As well, state governments or military organizations set up tent cities to house refugees, evacuees, or soldiers...
on 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) of land south of Duarte Road. This later evolved into the world-renowned City of Hope National Medical Center
City of Hope National Medical Center
City of Hope National Medical Center, is a private, not-for-profit clinical research center, hospital and graduate medical school located in Duarte, California, United States...
, a recognized leader in fighting cancer and other catastrophic diseases. In 1930, a group of Carmelite nuns known as the Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles
Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles
The Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles is a religious community of the Carmelite Order founded by Venerable Mother Maria Luisa Josefa of the Most Blessed Sacrament.-Patrons of the Order:* Saint Teresa of Avila* Saint John of the Cross...
established the Santa Teresita Rest Home, known until recently as Santa Teresita Medical Center. After decades as a full-service hospital, Santa Teresita was downgraded to "medical center" in the early 21st century, after financial problems, caused both by administrative missteps as well as the costs of providing medical coverage to the uninsured, forced the hospital to close its emergency room. Santa Teresita now operates as an "outpatient services only" facility.
In 1957, a dedicated group of community members, fearing annexation by neighboring cities, led a fight for incorporation. Indeed, parts of the original Rancho had already been annexed by neighboring Monrovia, Azusa, Irwindale, and Baldwin Park. At the same time, a rival group representing an affluent enclave in the foothills started a competing drive for incorporation, and broke off to form the separate City of Bradbury. A 2001 Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
article stated that their petition for incorporation arrived in Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
on August 22, 1957, "mere moments" before the petition that would have included them in the City of Duarte. Still, many ties between the two communities remain in that they both form the Duarte Unified School District; they both share the same post office and(until October 2008) a ZIP code(91010); and they both share combined public services such as the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is a local county law enforcement agency that serves Los Angeles County, California. It is the fourth largest local policing agency in the United States, with the New York City Police Department being the first. The second largest is the Chicago Police...
and Los Angeles County Fire Department
Los Angeles County Fire Department
The Los Angeles County Fire Department , serves unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County, as well as 58 cities and towns that choose to have the county provide fire and EMS services, including La Habra. It should not be confused with the Los Angeles City Fire Department, which serves the city of...
, and garbage pickup(provided by Burrtec Waste Services).
The original city logo was created by Bill Botts Sr. in 1957.It consisted of a double-circular seal, with the inner circle containing an adobe arch featuring the Rancho Azusa de Duarte "d" brand (inside the arch is the original date of the Rancho's establishment, 1841) while the outer circle features the year of Duarte's incorporation (1957). The current city logo was created in early 1982 to mark Duarte's 25th anniversary of cityhood.
Like many of its neighbors, modern Duarte is a bedroom community. The City of Duarte is geographically isolated from population centers to the east and south due to the San Gabriel River
San Gabriel River (California)
The San Gabriel River flows through southern Los Angeles County, California in the United States. Its main stem is about long, while its farthest tributaries extend almost altogether...
and rock quarry operations in Irwindale and Azusa
Azusa
Azusa is a Japanese feminine given name.Azusa may also refer to:*Azusa, California, a city in the United States*Azusa Street Revival, a Christian movement that began in Los Angeles*AZUSA - Radar interferometer*Azusa Yamamoto, a Japanese model and actress...
. These factors have proven to be an ongoing economic challenge for local businesses as the city attracts little outside spending, and most residents spend their money elsewhere. Due to air quality and noise concerns, the City of Duarte has sought repeatedly to halt expansion of neighboring quarry operations, but has had no success against the monied interests behind the quarries and the neighboring city governments beholden to them. Still, over the past few decades, the city leadership has succeeded in bringing retail development to the western portion of Duarte beginning, notably, with the redevelopment of the Big Sky Drive-in Theater as a shopping plaza with a Gemco
Gemco
Gemco was an American, particularly California chain of membership department stores that was owned by San Leandro-based Lucky Stores, a California supermarket company which has since been acquired in the 1980s by American Stores Company, which was later acquired by Albertsons in 1999. It operated...
superstore (which is now a Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
). Later, the city's obsolete municipal pool, known as Aqualand, and a well known Route-66 diner (known as the "Boulevard Cafe") were replaced with a Ralphs shopping center. In the early 21st century, Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
opened on the western edge of the city, as did a CarMax
CarMax
CarMax is the United States' largest used-car retailer and a Fortune 500 company. The first CarMax used car auto superstore was opened in September 1993. In the fiscal year ending February 28, 2009, more than 350,000 cars were sold; as of August 2010 the company has 103 locations.- Concept :The...
used-car superstore. In 2009, the city welcomed a new mini-shopping center, including a Best Buy
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
, around the site of its Staples store, as well as a Tesco Fresh & Easy
Fresh & Easy
Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market is a chain of grocery stores in the western United States, headquartered in El Segundo, California. It is a subsidiary of Tesco, the world's third largest retailer...
Neighborhood Market further east at the former Pantry Market site. As of January 2010, a Sonic Drive-In
Sonic Drive-In
Sonic Drive-In is an American drive-in fast-food restaurant chain based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, complete with carhops who sometimes wear rollerskates. As of August 31, 2010, there were 3,500 restaurants in 43 U.S. states. Sonic serves approximately 3 million customers daily.-1950s:Following...
opened in the Target Shopping Center.
Schools
The Duarte Unified School District contains five elementary schools (Maxwell, Andres Duarte, Beardslee, Royal Oaks, and Valley View), one junior high school (Northview Intermediate School), one high school (Duarte High SchoolDuarte High School
Duarte High School is a public high school located in Duarte, California and is part of Duarte Unified School District. Duarte High School currently has 1227 students enrolled. Their mascot is the falcon...
) and one continuation high school (Mt. Olive Alternative High School). There are also at least two private elementary schools.
Public safety
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's DepartmentLos Angeles County Sheriff's Department
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is a local county law enforcement agency that serves Los Angeles County, California. It is the fourth largest local policing agency in the United States, with the New York City Police Department being the first. The second largest is the Chicago Police...
(LASD) operates the Temple Station in Temple City
Temple City, California
Temple City is a city in Los Angeles County, California. Temple City is part of a cluster of cities, along with Arcadia, Rosemead, Monterey Park, San Marino, and San Gabriel, in the west San Gabriel Valley with a rapidly growing Asian population. Temple City also has a Cuban and Puerto Rican...
, serving not only Duarte, but also neighboring Bradbury
Bradbury
-People:*Baron Bradbury, a peerage title in the United Kingdom*Bill Bradbury, American politician, the Oregon Secretary of State*Bettina F. Bradbury, American soap opera writer*Edward Kinder Bradbury, soldier and recipient of the Victoria Cross*Edward P...
, while fire protection services are provided by the Los Angeles County Fire Department
Los Angeles County Fire Department
The Los Angeles County Fire Department , serves unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County, as well as 58 cities and towns that choose to have the county provide fire and EMS services, including La Habra. It should not be confused with the Los Angeles City Fire Department, which serves the city of...
through Station 44(paramedic services are provided by nearby Stations 29[Baldwin Park] and 32[Azusa]).
Notable residents and births
Notable residents have included:- Hardiman CuretonHardiman CuretonHardiman Cureton is a former American football player.He played high school football for the Monrovia Wildcats. He played the tackle position....
, football, born in Duarte - Garrett K. GomezGarrett K. GomezGarrett Keith Gomez is an American thoroughbred jockey.-Early career:Gomez learned to ride by watching his father, Louie, who was a jockey at many tracks in the Southwest United States...
, thoroughbred jockey - Bill MeltonBill MeltonWilliam Edwin Melton , nicknamed "Beltin' Bill" or "Beltin' Melton", is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball who played from through for the Chicago White Sox, California Angels and Cleveland Indians...
, professional baseball player (1971 American League home run leader with 33 runs) - Carlos FisherCarlos FisherCharles Edward "Carlos" Fisher is a right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds.-Early life:Fisher graduated from Duarte High School in 2001...
, pitcher for the Cincinnati RedsCincinnati RedsThe Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890.... - Glenn MillerGlenn MillerAlton Glenn Miller was an American jazz musician , arranger, composer, and bandleader in the swing era. He was one of the best-selling recording artists from 1939 to 1943, leading one of the best known "Big Bands"...
, jazz musician/bandleader - Sam ShepardSam ShepardSam Shepard is an American playwright, actor, and television and film director. He is the author of several books of short stories, essays, and memoirs, and received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1979 for his play Buried Child...
, playwright/writer/actor, described Duarte as a "weird accumulation of things, a strange kind of melting pot – Spanish, Okie, Black, Midwestern elements all jumbled together. People on the move who couldn't move anymore, who wound up in trailer parks." - William A. SpinksWilliam A. Spinks, known professionally as or , and occasionally also referred to as ), was an American professional player of carom billiards in the late 19th and early 20th centuries...
(1865–1933), carom billiards player - Cary-Hiroyuki TagawaCary-Hiroyuki Tagawais a Japanese-American actor.In addition to his extensive film work, he has appeared on television in Star Trek: The Next Generation - "Encounter at Farpoint" , Thunder in Paradise , Nash Bridges , Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding , and Heroes . He also provided the voice of Sin Tzu for the video game...
, actor