Lompoc, California

City of Lompoc
City

Historic downtown Lompoc at East Ocean Avenue and North H Street

Logo
Nickname(s): Flower Seed Capital of the World, The City of Arts and Flowers

Location in Santa Barbara County and the state of California
City of Lompoc

Location in the United States

Coordinates: 34°38′46″N 120°27′37″W / 34.64611°N 120.46028°W / 34.64611; -120.46028Coordinates: 34°38′46″N 120°27′37″W / 34.64611°N 120.46028°W / 34.64611; -120.46028
Country United States
State California
County Santa Barbara
Incorporated August 13, 1888[1]
Named for Chumash: Lompo': "Stagnant Water"[2]
Government
 • City council[3] Mayor Bob Lingl,
DeWayne Holmdahl,
Dirk Starbuck,
Victor Vega, and
James Mosby
 • State senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D)[4]
 • Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham (R)[4]
 • U. S. rep. Salud Carbajal (D)[5]
Area[6]
 • Total 11.67 sq mi (30.23 km2)
 • Land 11.59 sq mi (30.03 km2)
 • Water 0.08 sq mi (0.20 km2)  0.66%
Elevation[7] 105 ft (32 m)
Population (2010)[8]
 • Total 42,434
 • Estimate (2016)[9] 43,712
 • Density 3,770.23/sq mi (1,455.70/km2)
Demonym(s) Lompocan
Time zone PST (UTC-8)
 • Summer (DST) PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP codes 93436–93438
Area code 805
FIPS code 06-42524
GNIS feature ID 1652745
Website www.cityoflompoc.com
La Purisima Mission, Lompoc
Temple Baptist Church, Lompoc

Lompoc (/ˈlɒmpoʊk/, LOM-poke) is a city in Santa Barbara County, California, on the west coast of the United States. The city was incorporated on August 13, 1888. The population was 42,434 at the 2010 census, up from 41,103 at the 2000 census.

Before European settlers arrived, the area around Lompoc was inhabited by the Chumash people. The name of the city is derived from a Chumashan term, "Lum Poc", which means "stagnant waters" or "lagoon". The Spanish called it "Lumpoco". In 1837, the Mexican government sold the area as the Rancho Lompoc land grant. After the United States gained control of California in the Mexican–American War (1846–48), the valley was acquired by Thomas Dibblee, Albert Dibblee and William Welles Hollister. Hollister sold his share to the Lompoc Valley Land Company, and it was on that portion of the land that the present-day Lompoc was established as a temperance colony.

Lompoc was originally intended to be named New Vineland, after the temperance colony in New Jersey. It then became a military town with the completion of nearby Camp Cooke (now Vandenberg Air Force Base). The city is known as the flower seed capital of the world.

History

Prior to the Spanish conquest, the area around Lompoc was inhabited by the Chumash people. La Purisima Mission was established in 1787 near what is now the southern edge of the city. Purisimeño, a Chumashan language, was spoken in the region during the mission period.[10] After an earthquake destroyed the mission in 1812, it was relocated to its present location 1 mile (1.6 km) northeast of the present city. After independence from the Spanish Empire, the First Mexican Empire was established in 1821. The Mexicans secularized the Spanish missions in 1833, and La Purisima Mission gradually fell into ruins.

The coastal branch of the Southern Pacific Railroad replaced ship transportation around 1900. In 1893, a diatomaceous earth mine opened in the southern hills in Miguelito Canyon. It became (and still is) the largest marine diatomite mine in the world, and at one time was the largest employer in the valley. In the 1940s, Grefco, another diatomaceous earth company, moved to Lompoc. It ceased operations in 1998, but the remnants of its mine can still be seen at the northeast end of town. In 1909, the Sibyl Marston—at the time, the largest steam schooner built on the West Coast—sank nearby while carrying 1,100,000 board feet (2,600 m3) of lumber. Many of the older Lompoc homes were built with lumber from the shipwreck. The wreckage can still be seen south of Surf Beach.[11]

A paved road linked Lompoc to Buellton and the rest of California around 1920. In 1923, the Honda Point disaster, the U.S.'s largest peacetime naval accident, occurred just off the coast; nine U.S. destroyers ran aground, killing 23 people. During the Great Depression, La Purisima Mission was restored by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). During World War II, the coast west of Lompoc was the site of Camp Cooke, a United States Army training camp where large units could practice maneuvers.

Lompoc grew slowly until 1958, when the United States Air Force announced that the former Camp Cooke would be a test site for the Thor family of intermediate-range ballistic missiles and the first operational base for the SM-65 Atlas, an intercontinental ballistic missile. The city then began to grow rapidly to provide housing for thousands of civilians and contractors employed at what was soon renamed Vandenberg Air Force Base. It was the first missile base of the United States Air Force.

The Space Shuttle program was slated to begin launches in the late 1980s, and the city experienced a boom in restaurant and hotel construction in anticipation of tourists coming to see shuttle launches. However, when the Challenger exploded during take-off from Cape Canaveral in 1986, the West Coast shuttle program was terminated, sending Lompoc into a severe recession.

Today, Lompoc is called "The City of Arts and Flowers" and is also becoming known for its wines. In 2010, Playboy named Jasper's, a local bar, one of the top 10 dive bars in the country.[12]

Geography

Lompoc from the air in 2007, looking SW. A large diatomaceous earth quarry in the Monterey Formation is just outside (south) of Lompoc. The nearly-dry Santa Ynez River flows west to the Pacific, at bottom of frame.

Lompoc is located at 34°38′46″N 120°27′37″W / 34.64611°N 120.46028°W / 34.64611; -120.46028 (34.646182, -120.460316).[13] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.7 square miles (30 km2), 99.34% of it land and 0.66% of it water.

Most of the city is in the valley of the Santa Ynez River, at an elevation of about 80–100 feet (25–30 meters); recent expansion has been to the north, on higher ground known as Vandenberg Village, with elevations of 150–300 feet (50–100 meters). Like most rivers in Southern California, the Santa Ynez River does not have a surface flow for most of the year. Underground flow in the sandy river bed recharges the aquifer beneath the city, from which nine wells (with a tenth one planned) supply the city with water. Unlike many other cities in Southern California, Lompoc is not connected to the State Water Project.

Climate

Lompoc has a cool Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csb), typical of coastal California. The city is mostly sunny, with an ocean breeze. Fog is common. Snow is virtually unknown. The highest recorded temperature was 110 °F (44 °C) in 1987, and the lowest recorded temperature was 15 °F (-9 °C) in 2013.

Climate data for Lompoc, California
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °F (°C) 64
(18)		 64
(18)		 66
(19)		 67
(19)		 68
(20)		 70
(21)		 72
(22)		 73
(23)		 74
(23)		 73
(23)		 68
(20)		 63
(17)		 68.5
(20.3)
Average low °F (°C) 42
(6)		 44
(7)		 46
(8)		 47
(8)		 50
(10)		 53
(12)		 56
(13)		 56
(13)		 55
(13)		 51
(11)		 46
(8)		 42
(6)		 49
(9)
Average rainfall inches (mm) 3.33
(84.6)		 3.71
(94.2)		 2.88
(73.2)		 1.01
(25.7)		 0.29
(7.4)		 0.04
(1)		 0.01
(0.3)		 0.03
(0.8)		 0.1
(3)		 0.74
(18.8)		 1.41
(35.8)		 2.56
(65)		 16.11
(409.2)
Source: Weather Channel[14]

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1880226—
18901,015349.1%
1900972−4.2%
19101,48252.5%
19201,87626.6%
19302,84551.7%
19403,37918.8%
19505,52063.4%
196014,415161.1%
197025,28475.4%
198026,2673.9%
199037,64943.3%
200041,1039.2%
201042,4343.2%
Est. 201643,712[9]3.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[15]

2010

Jalama Beach county park, south of Lompoc

In the 2010 United States Census,[16] Lompoc had a population of 42,434. The population density was 3,634.7 people per square mile (1,403.4/km²). The racial makeup was 25,950 (61.2%) White; 2,432 (5.7%) African American; 750 (1.8%) Native American; 1,615 (3.8%) Asian; 186 (0.4%) Pacific Islander; 9,020 (21.3%) from other races; and 2,481 (5.8%) from two or more races. There were 21,557 Hispanics or Latinos of any race (50.8%).

The Census reported that 38,778 people (91.4% of the population) lived in households, 99 (0.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 3,557 (8.4%) were institutionalized.

There were 13,355 households, of which 5,481 (41.0%) had children under the age of 18 living in them; 6,323 (47.3%) were opposite-sex married couples living together; 2,061 (15.4%) had a female householder with no husband present; and 913 (6.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 949 (7.1%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships and 75 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 3,304 households (24.7%) were made up of individuals, and 1,187 (8.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.9. There were 9,297 families (69.6% of all households); the average family size was 3.48.

The population included 11,188 people (26.4%) under the age of 18, 4,452 people (10.5%) aged 18 to 24, 12,233 people (28.8%) aged 25 to 44, 10,338 people (24.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 4,223 people (10.0%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 33.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 114.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 118.7 males.

There were 14,416 housing units at an average density of 1,234.8 per square mile (476.8/km²), of which 6,493 (48.6%) were owner-occupied and 6,862 (51.4%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.2%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.1%. 18,534 people (43.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units, and 20,244 people (47.7%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

As of the 2000 Census,[17] there were 43,284 people, 13,059 households and 9,311 families residing in Lompoc. The population density was 3,532.2 people per square mile (1,363.4/km²). There were 13,621 housing units at an average density of 1,170.5 per square mile (451.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 65.81% White, 7.34% African American, 1.58% Native American, 3.90% Asian, 0.32% Pacific Islander, 15.68% from other races, and 5.35% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 37.31% of the population.

There were 13,059 households, of which 41.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.7% were non-families. 23.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.88, and the average family size was 3.42.

The population included 29.9% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 33.3% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 or older. The median age was 32. For every 100 females, there were 113.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 116.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $47,587, and the median income for a family was $62,199. Males had a median income of $35,074, versus $26,824 for females. The per capita income was $15,509. About 12.6% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.8% of those under 18 and 6.7% of those 65 or older.

Public safety

The Lompoc Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency for the city. The city is also served by the Lompoc Fire Department (LFD), which responds to more than 3,800 emergency and non-emergency calls per year.[18] The LFD provides mutual aid to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department as well as providing primary fire protection and emergency medical response to the United States Penitentiary, Lompoc.

The Federal Correctional Complex located between Lompoc and Vandenberg AFB includes the medium- and low-security Federal Correctional Institution, Lompoc, two minimum-security camps, a satellite prison camp and a residential drug treatment camp.[19]

Transportation

State Route 1 is the major north-south artery through Lompoc. State Route 246 heads east to Buellton and the Santa Ynez Valley.

The Surf train station is located to the west at Surf Beach and is served by Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner line. Thruway Motorcoach buses stop in town. Lompoc is also served by City of Lompoc Transit, the Clean Air Express to Santa Barbara/Goleta, and the Breeze Bus to Buellton/Solvang and Santa Maria.

Education

Student in the flower fields, 1972

Schools

Community colleges

High schools

Junior high/middle schools

Elementary schools

Local economy

Device used as logo for Lompoc on city documents, tourist information, etc.

Vandenberg Air Force Base dominates the economy, directly employing a large percentage of Lompoc's residents and contributing $1.7 billion to the regional economy.[20] Other mainstays of the economy include the Federal Correctional Institution, the diatomaceous earth mine, the Lompoc Oil Field and associated oil processing facilities north of town, and agriculture (especially seed flowers and vegetables).

Wine production and wine tourism make up the rapidly expanding value-added agricultural sector of the Lompoc economy. Lompoc Valley is the gateway to the Sta. Rita Hills AVA wine appellation, internationally recognized for premium pinot noir and chardonnay. Thirty premium boutique wine labels are produced in Lompoc, at wineries in the "wine ghetto" industrial park and other locations. Numerous other wineries are located along State Route 246 and on Santa Rosa Road. Tasting rooms are located in the "wine ghetto" and other parts of Lompoc.[20]

Since the end of the Cold War, many workers employed in Santa Barbara have moved to Lompoc to take advantage of lower housing costs, effectively making Lompoc a bedroom community of Santa Barbara. The character of the town has changed considerably with the growth associated with this demographic shift. In addition, new housing developments are spreading into the adjacent hills on the north side of town.

Culture

The Lompoc Valley Flower Festival, held the last week of June, features a parade, carnival and craft show.[21] In 2002, the Bodger Seed Company planted a "floral flag" as a tribute after the September 11 attacks. The "flag" was 740 feet by 390 feet, covered 6.65 acres, and was estimated to contain more than 400,000 larkspur plants.[22][23]

The Lompoc arts scene features a number of musicians and bands, ranging from singer-songwriters to psychedelic blues-rock bands. At the center of this scene is Howlin’ Byroon’s Music Exchange, a music store and frequent venue for Lompoc’s musicians. The shop opened in May 2009 and offers guitar lessons, consigned musical instruments and live performances.[24]

Local artists

One of Lompoc’s most successful musical artists is the rock band Saint Anne’s Place, which was formed in 2008 and originally featured Jacob Cole, Samuel Cole, JT Wild and Clive Hacker. Today, its members are the Coles and their cousin, Joel, a bassist.[25] They grew up playing in their families' blues bands[26] and released their first EP, Speak Easy, in 2011. The band’s music has been described as a "blistering yet rustic mix of blues, psychedelia, and folk rock with the chops of players twice their senior".[27] In 2011, they won the Santa Barbara Independent battle of the bands.[28] They released their second EP, The Earth Shaker, in December 2012 to positive reviews by the local media.[29]

Emily Wryn is a Lompoc songwriter whose music has been featured on NPR’s Morning Becomes Eclectic.[30] Her first EP, Head on Straight, was released in February 2012,[31] and she played at the Indie Week festival in Ireland in April 2014.[32] Wryn also collaborates with a local band, Saint Anne’s Place, in a group called The Lights Electric.

Another band, Millions, led by Randall Sena, plays along the Central Coast.[33] Sena recorded and produced Wryn’s Head on Straight and Saint Anne’s Place’s Speak Easy in his recording studio, Certain Sparks.[31]

Lompoc Theatre

The Lompoc Theatre, which opened in 1927, was owned and operated by the Calvert family for many years.[34] It encountered financial trouble in the 1970s because of competition from multiplexes and television. The last time a movie was shown on its screen was in 1985.[35]

In July 2003, a non-profit group, the Lompoc Housing and Community Development Corporation, announced plans to restore the theater. With the assistance of the city, the LHCDC was able to raise funds to buy the theater. By March 2008, the cost of renovating the building was estimated at just under $10 million. The LHCDC was unable to raise the money needed for renovations, and the building accumulated three liens.[36] It was eventually sold to a grassroots group called the Lompoc Theatre Project, which hopes to reopen the theatre in 2017.[37][38][39][40]

Lompoc Pops Orchestra

The Lompoc Pops Orchestra has been performing for 20 years. Composed of approximately 45 semi-professional musicians, under the direction of Dr. Brian Asher Alhadeff, its four annual performances include musicals, Broadway hits, jazz pieces, big band, gospel and patriotic music.

Notable people

Sister cities

Lompoc has five sister cities:[56]

Tourist attractions

References

  1. ↑ "California Cities by Incorporation Date". California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions. Archived from the original (Word) on November 3, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  2. ↑ McCall, Lynne; Perry, Rosalind (2002). California’s Chumash Indians : a project of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Education Center (Revised ed.). San Luis Obispo, Calif: EZ Nature Books. ISBN 0936784156.
  3. ↑ "Welcome to the City of Lompoc!". City of Lompoc. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
  4. 1 2 "Statewide Database". UC Regents. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
  5. ↑ "California's 24th Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
  6. ↑ "2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved Jun 28, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Lompoc". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Lompoc (city) QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
  9. 1 2 "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Purisimeño". Survey of California and Other Indian Languages. Retrieved 2012-07-22.
  11. ↑ Nisperos, Neil (January 29, 2006), "Merchant steamer ship visible at Surf Beach", Lompoc Record, retrieved June 9, 2013
  12. ↑ Glenn Wallace (2010-07-24). "Jasper’s makes list of top ‘dive bars’". The Lompoc Record. Retrieved 2010-07-25.
  13. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  14. ↑ "Average Weather for Lompoc/Vandenberg AFB, CA - Temperature and Precipitation". The Weather Channel. Feb 2012. Retrieved 2012-02-23.
  15. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  16. ↑ "2010 Census Interactive Population Search: CA - Lompoc city". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
  17. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  18. ↑ "Welcome to the City of Lompoc!". cityoflompoc.com.
  19. ↑ Archived November 26, 2013, at the Wayback Machine.
  20. 1 2 "Editorial: Lompoc gets its groove back amid tourism boom | Pacific Coast Business Times". Pacbiztimes.com. Retrieved 2015-07-02.
  21. ↑ Fodor's (December 21, 2010). Fodor's Northern California 2011: With Napa, Sonoma, Yosemite, San Francisco & Lake Tahoe. Random House Digital, Inc. p. 70. ISBN 978-1-4000-0503-1. Retrieved December 25, 2011.
  22. ↑ "The 2002 Floral Flag". City of Lompoc.
  23. ↑ "Floral Flag". snopes.com.
  24. ↑ Poertner, Bo (2010-11-30). "Untapped talent". Lompocrecord.com. Retrieved 2015-07-02.
  25. ↑ "Saint Anne's Place The Santa Barbara Independent". independent.com.
  26. ↑ Aly Comingore (July 12, 2012). "Catching up with Saint Anne’s Place". independent.com.
  27. ↑ Aly Comingore (November 3, 2011). "Heavy Hitters". independent.com.
  28. ↑ Aly Comingore (October 21, 2011). "Saint Anne's Takes First Place". independent.com.
  29. ↑ Aly Comingore (December 28, 2012). "Saint Anne’s Place Release The Earth Shaker". independent.com.
  30. ↑ "Woman of Indie: Emily Wryn – Head on Straight". Indiemusicreviewer.com. 2012-03-11. Retrieved 2015-07-02.
  31. 1 2 Aly Comingore (February 6, 2012). "Emily Wryn". independent.com.
  32. ↑ iwiAdmin99. "Categories Archives: 2013 Performers". Indie Week Ireland. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
  33. ↑ Levi Michaels (November 3, 2011). "The Songwriter-Producer: Millions". independent.com.
  34. ↑ McReynolds, John (May 27, 2007). "Grand Lompoc Theatre once a showcase". The Lompoc Record. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
  35. ↑ Benham, Carol (August 5, 2012). "Fate of Lompoc Theatre in hands of City Council". The Lompoc Record. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
  36. ↑ Benham, Carol (August 5, 2012). "Timeline of LHCDC's plans for the Lompoc Theatre". The Lompoc Record. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
  37. ↑ Cruet, Gianna (February 21, 2014). "Lompoc Theatre Project presents updated plans". The Lompoc Record. Retrieved March 19, 2014.
  38. ↑ Jacobson, Willis (January 29, 2016). "Lompoc Theatre Project takes ownership of historic building". The Lompoc Record. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  39. ↑ "Lompoc Theatre Project: Restoring the Historic Lompoc Theatre". Lompoc Theatre Project. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
  40. ↑ Jacobson, Willis (April 27, 2017). "Lompoc's landmark 'Hi! Let's Eat' sign survives, gets new home". Lompoc Record. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  41. ↑ "Mystery: Two cereals’ race to Lompoc". Lompocrecord.com. 2012-07-26. Retrieved 2015-07-02.
  42. ↑ "Roger Ramjet: A Cartoon for the Ages". TV.com. 2010-04-08. Retrieved 2015-07-02.
  43. ↑ "Jeff Bettendorf Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  44. ↑ "Michael Louis Bratz (Mike)". databaseBasketball.com. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  45. ↑ "Casey Candaele Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  46. ↑ "Ryan Church Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  47. ↑ "Jeffrey Combs". New York Times. Retrieved April 6, 2015.
  48. ↑ "Danny Duffy Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  49. ↑ "Brian Givens Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  50. ↑ "Johnnie Lee Gray". databaseFootball.com. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  51. ↑ "Roy Howell Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  52. ↑ "Bill Howerton Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  53. ↑ "Napoleon Kaufman". databaseFootball.com. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  54. ↑ "Duane Solomon". usatf.org.
  55. ↑ Archived October 20, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.
  56. ↑ "Our Sister Cities". City of Lompoc. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
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