updated 10/19/23
Prayer podcasts: for the city | for the officials
Location: off Highway 62 south of Yucca Valley; 40 miles northwest of Palm Springs. It is a census-designated place, near the northern edge of the Coachella Valley, and as such is generally dry. Monsoonal moisture leads to thunderstorms at times during the summer, but in the winter, Pacific storms bring most of the rain. It experienced damage in 2005 from the Paradise Fire which burned seven homes and also damaged some of the walkways in the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve. All damage has since been repaired and the preserve remains open for birding and hiking.
They have a "healing circle" the Indians developed earlier. Now used for people to pray for healing and/or pray.
Demographics: overall crime grade is C- [see more details below]. Est. population [2022] 3,159. Median age is 49; M:F 1:1; 50% married; 37% households with children; 72% white; 18% Hispanic; 11% other; median income $53K; Average house is $165K
The California Indian Wars occurred from the 1820s to 1850s. This caused a migration of Native American territories, due to the Gold Rush. After the American Civil War ended in 1865, Mojave Desert Indian Campaign retaliated against Chemehuevi raids on miners & ranchers in San Bernardino. This ended in 1870.
In 1876, President Ulysses S. Grant, by executive order, created nine reservations in the area, including the one in Morongo Valley. The first official "Captain" of Potrero Ajenio who acted on behalf of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, known to Americans by his English name, John Morongo, was the hereditary leader of a Serrano clan called the Maarrenga'. They are now known as Morongo Valley first known in the 185o's as the “Marengo Pass”.
It remained the Marrenga' village of the Serrano Shoshonean clan until 1876, then the U.S. government began relocating the tribes to reservations. As settlers replaced the native Americans, they changed the name to Morongo Valley. The Bureau of Indian Affairs referred to the tribe as the Morongo Band of Mission Indians. It was John Morongo who, in turn, is responsible for the name of the great Morongo Basin in Southern California.
“One of the Joshua Tree Gateway Communities."
Location of Moronga Valley in SBC
Specific Prayer Points
Spiritual: Intercessors rise up and pray for this region, pray for the American Indians; more churches to start, weekly Bible studies for those who work weekends and for accountability; for those who are believers to share their faith, transformed lives by the Gospel, deliverance from bondages, less crime and covid cases, a boldness to share their faith and divine move of God in the city.
Governed by: San Bernardino County District 3; Morongo Valley Community Services District
Schools: Morongo Valley Elementary school in Morongo Valley Unified School District
Crime statistics: [2022] A crime occurs every 3 days 5 hours (on average) in Morongo Valley; overall crime grade is B; violent crime is A-; property crime C and other crime is B+; top issues are 9% burglary and drug crimes at 7%.
Points of Interest: Morongo Valley Casino & Resort ; Big Morongo Canyon Preserve; 49 Palms Canyon Trail; Mission Creek Preserve Trail; Wardman Park, Cabot's Pueblo Museum
Poverty Rate: 15.5%
Churches [not exhaustive]
Calvary Road Fellowship [Pastor Monte Wright]
other churches nearby are in Desert Hot Springs