mt. helix

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I am not from this part of town. Luck and a good reason has made me become more familiar though.

After some research I found that in 1872, after a scientist discovered a European snail (Helix aspersa) living on the small mountain, Rufus King Porter the founder of what is now Spring Valley, CA named the peak Mt. Helix.

Then in 1885, the U.S. Postal Service rejected the use of two words for a post office name, so Rufus submitted just the name Helix and also became the first postmaster in Spring Valley; the Helix Post Office was operated out of his home.

Around this same time, Hubert Howe Bancroft came to the area. He bought the Porter's ranch and also acquired neighboring properties, accumulating about 500 acres. He began calling his property "Helix Farms." Bancroft hired workers to help develop Helix Farms, planting orchards and building structures for his ranch. By the early 1900s, Helix Farms was home to the largest olive ranch in southern California.

What really got about this work was discovering a good angle to capture from. Any good view of the hill is owned and not for the public. I found a spot over 8ft high eventually. I understand why it was so hard to get a good view now.