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Hesperia City Hall Landmarks & Historical Buildings Photos

Recommended Reviews - Hesperia City Hall

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2 years ago

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Ruins at Llano Del Rio

Ruins at Llano Del Rio

4.0(2 reviews)
8.2 mi

Idealism died a rapid death at Llano del Rio, one of Southern California's utopian colonies from…read morethe last century. Designed by socialist lawyer and mayoral candidate Job Harriman, in 1914 it advertised for settlers using the following: "Are you tired of the competitive world? Do you want to get into a position where every hour's work will be for yourself and your family? Do you want assurances of employment and provisions for the future? Ask for the booklet entitled Gateway to Freedom. Subscribe to the Western Comrade ... and keep posted on the progress of the colony." It sounded like a good idea at the time, for those with a collectivist bent: communal child care, guaranteed wages and "feminist house design" with the goal of reducing housework. Approximately 150 families joined the commune. But soon the wheels began to fall off and by 1918, the site was abandoned. (It's telling that despite their stated idealistic goal of collectivism, only Caucasian settlers were allowed to join Llano del Rio.) The ruins persist, many of them behind chain link fencing. If you'd like to visit a free historical landmark just off the highway in the Antelope Valley, this is the place for you. Pack a lunch if you'd like to picnic; there's no free lunch here. But there is free parking.

This site holds the ruins of Llano del Rio, a socialist colony started by Job Harriman after a…read morefailed mayoral bid in LA. The commune was established in 1914 and supposedly had 1,000 residents at its height in 1917. By 1918, the site was abandoned. There is a lot more detailed history that can be found online, if you're interested. GETTING HERE: I had no problem finding the site using Waze. I just plugged in "Llano del Rio Collective." It's listed on Google Maps as well. It's located on the side of the Pearblossom Highway (State Highway 138) at P.M. 64.1. When you reach it, you can pull off the highway and leave your car along a dirt road (parallel to 138). There's not much left. A few structural remnants stand in a desolate stretch of land. You'll find a lot of rusted aluminum cans and trash on the ground. Walk around since all the building ruins are scattered. Sites like this are one of the reasons I love California. There is so much idiosyncratic history here, within the stories of people seeking utopia and some sort if idealistic bliss, in a place that often spit in their faces. CA is beautiful indeed but often illusory and certainly far from egalitarian. Yet it consistently attracts peculiar people seeking to sell their unique brand. Sometimes they succeed and many other times, they crash and burn. I took off a star because this area has been allowed to deteriorate. It has been designated as a historic landmark (#933) yet little care has been allotted. There is a fence around one of the structures but it's clear how much has been looted / lost to the elements. I know it's in the middle of nowhere so it's tough to maintain but perhaps there was more to be done to keep it intact. Maybe some more informational placards and surveillance signs? Some sort of renovation to help preserve it? It's such an interesting piece of CA history and it'll be an unfortunate loss when it disappears completely.

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Ruins at Llano Del Rio
Ruins at Llano Del Rio
Ruins at Llano Del Rio

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Hesperia City Hall - landmarks - Updated May 2026

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