Chuck Millner can remember the days when Pearblossom Highway was a desolate road that he could cross with ease. That emptiness was reflected in a classic 1986 photo collage by artist David Hockney.

But these days, Millner has learned to wait five, 10 or even 15 minutes for a pause in the Pearblossom traffic that’s zooming by at freeway speeds to or from Las Vegas. Just two weeks earlier, he noted, one local met his death when a truck plowed into the man’s car as he was trying to get onto the highway.

“Trouble is, some people are impatient,” Millner said. “They try to squeeze in and they don’t make it.”

After more than a decade of lobbying, along with a rising number of fatalities on this portion of State Route 138 commonly referred to as “Blood Alley” the California Department of Transportation is about to begin widening Pearblossom Highway.

Relief for the western portion of town won’t come until 2008. But residents of this one-time farming community at the edge of Los Angeles County will take any relief they can find. Traffic has quickly emerged as a front-burner issue as urban sprawl reaches within striking distance and travelers discover the highway as an alternate route between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

On many weekday mornings, the road can easily back up as locals commute to jobs in the L.A. area, 40 miles or more away. “At 6 a.m., it’s a sea of red taillights,” said Millner, who heads the Pearblossom Chamber of Commerce.

Construction is slated to start early next year to add a lane in each direction, as well as to install medians and left turn pockets on the east side of town.

Attitude adjustment

Longtime residents of the unincorporated community are happy it’s one of the few places in L.A. County where the elevation, at 3,046 feet, is higher than the population, last put at 2,435. Many came to the high-desert town seeking refuge from the rigors of urban life.

And while cars and trucks present danger and nuisance, in some eyes they also bring more opportunity. “All this extra traffic is really good for our business,” said Mike Dorgalli, owner of the Town & Country Market.

The main drag has changed little in decades: one grocery store, a couple of diners, a hardware store and a handful of neighborhood businesses.

Dorgalli, who has owned his store for 12 years, said business has steadily risen over the last few years as more Vegas-bound travelers stop off for food or supplies. There’s even the occasional celebrity sighting: actor Dennis Weaver is a frequent visitor, Dorgalli said.

Travelers also stop by Billy Boy’s Caf & #233;, the largest diner in town. The red barn-like building has a wagon wheel in front and offers a wide selection of burgers. The walls are plastered with photos of customers. “We get people from Japan, Germany, England, Brazil and many other countries stopping in here,” owner Robin Winton said.

Yet for the most part, Pearblossom retains its small-town feel. On a recent weekday afternoon, Dorgalli greeted each of his customers by name and was quick to engage in small talk.

There’s only one big event in town the annual duck races put on by the local Chamber of Commerce. On the first Sunday in October, farmers bring their ducks to the chamber offices and put money down on the duck that can waddle the fastest. (The winner was Millner’s wife Ellen, whose duck Chuck waddled successfully over a 16-foot course.)

Weeks after this year’s race, it was still the subject of discussion around town. Proceeds go to fund the chamber, which also doubles as the only community organization in town.

Farming roots

While Pearblossom was first settled by farmers in the late 19th century, it wasn’t until 1928 that it had a formal name, taken from the blossoming at some local pear orchards. Farms still dot the region, though they are now mostly small, family-owned plots. The major commercial operations can be found about five miles to the west in Littlerock.

In the 1930s, Pearblossom was a frequent hideout for movie stars eager to find a private place to party, according to longtime resident and real estate agent Howard Pitt. Back then, there were only a couple of stores and one restaurant, he said.

But it was the post-World War II aerospace boom that brought life to Pearblossom, as workers at nearby plants bought up homes in the area. Many have stayed on past retirement. However, since the industry collapsed in the early 1990s, jobs have dried up.

Today, residents are made up either of those who work at the few local stores in town or have what Millner terms “big jobs” in the Los Angeles area and create the bumper-to-bumper traffic jams during the morning commute. It can take at least an hour to get to the northern fringes of the San

Fernando Valley.

Much of the local work can be found at Pearblossom Square, a local strip mall that houses a diner, saloon, liquor store and auto body shop. The center is also home to a three-year-old art gallery featuring Western and American Indian art.

Owner Matthew White Bear McMasters says he gets a steady clientele, though the biggest problem is “just getting people to know we’re here.” Tucked away in a back corner of the property, just steps away from the open desert floor, it’s easy to see how the gallery can be overlooked.

Yet neither McMasters nor many of the other business owners in town say they would trade the rural atmosphere for the exurban sprawl that’s now just a few miles away. And, at least for now, they won’t have to: as a one-time agricultural community, most of Pearblossom is zoned for one or two homes per acre. That forbids the types of densities associated with tract housing.

“The people of Pearblossom have consistently told us they want the zoning laws to stay in place,” said Norm Hicking, Antelope Valley field deputy for County Supervisor Mike Antonovich. “As long as that’s the case, we’re not going to push for any changes.”

That leaves residents free to admire the open vistas that can be seen from almost every window in town.

“It took some getting used to,” said Winton, who moved to Pearblossom with her husband from Daytona Beach, Fla., 15 years ago. “But the air is so clear and the views so magnificent. Now I really love it and I’d never go back to the city.”