“Pear Blossom Highway”, as it was first called, was christened by the County Board of Supervisors on April 1st, 1926. The name was inspired by a six-foot-long basket of Bartlett pear blossoms and California poppies gifted to the Board by the South Antelope Valley Chamber of Commerce as thanks for opening the road. At the time, Bartlett pears were a major commercial crop in the AV, with more than 6,000 acres dedicated to growing the fruit and more than 4,000 tons shipped out of Palmdale every year. Only a fraction of that acreage is left, thanks to urbanization, flatland farmers offering Bartletts at a lower price, a general decline in pear consumption, and high desert peaches becoming a more lucrative crop. Much of Pearblossom Highway initially followed a different route, starting along present-day Palmdale Boulevard and terminating at Big Pines, home of today’s Mountain High ski resort.
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