About

As soon as the Ridgecrest Chamber of Commerce was incorporated on Oct. 9, 1946, it began functioning as the governing body for Ridgecrest, a role the Chamber performed as the community experienced years of rapid growth to keep pace with growth of the Naval Ordnance Test Station at China Lake.

During those early years, the Chamber created and disseminated information about the Indian Wells Valley, studied living costs in the community, established the Desert Empire Fair, established a relationship with the China Lake Community Council, and helped bring such amenities as natural gas and street lights to the community. With Chamber assistance, the Desert Empire Fair became a separate entity in 1965.