Article and photography by Natasha Petrosova

I visited Ghost town, LLano del Rio. It is located in what is now LLano, CA east of Palmade in

Antelope Valley. Its not hard to spot brick structures driving down from the freeway. I saw them,

stopped the car and went in there to look for the remains of this socialist community that less than a

century ago was an optimistic vision of the future . As i walked around I run in to some locals. We

got into conversation. Locals call the remains of the structure a "brick house". I asked them if they

knew about historical significance of the ground we stand on and what this "brick house" represents.

They laughed shrug

their shoulders and said " Its just a brick house, someone built it and it fell". I

learned that the

remains of the brick structure is visited by local youngsters often. It is a spot where

teens hang out

in the evenings, telling a joke , smoking a joint and having a beer. But the story of

LLano del Rio is

significant one and it is a lot of history behind that story. It is a very spot where

social

programs that

were

considered Anti-American had developed

a nearly century ago . Today this historical site stands in ruins. Regardless of

its historical significance, this site have been looted, vandalized and allowed to decay. Unfortunately, a Los Angeles County proposal seeking $100,000 in state funds to preserve the site was rejected . Scholars, as well as many Antelope Valley Residents fear that the last remains of this historical landmark that was found a nearly century ago will disappear and fade into history.