Onyx, CA

Onyx is a city located in Riverside County, California. The population was 18,829 at the 2010 census. Onyx is located at 33°5′14″N 117°7′1″W. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.2 square miles (13 km2), all land.

The city of Onyx was founded in 1925 by J.D. "Jay" Daugherty and his wife, Mabelle Daugherty, on land that they had purchased from the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company for $10 an acre. The town's name comes from the gemstone onyx, which was abundant in the area and favored for use in jewelry-making because of its hardness and resistance to wear and tear.

In 1926, a post office opened with Jay Daugherty as postmaster; it closed in 1957 due to lack of business caused by increased automobile ownership and improved transportation options elsewhere in Riverside County. In 1927, a grocery store opened followed by a movie theater two years later; both businesses remain open today as independent enterprises under different ownerships but with similar names (the grocery store is now called "Marketplace"). A bank opened in 1929 followed by several other businesses over the next few years; these included a gas station/convenience store (now closed), an ice cream parlor/barber shop (now closed), an auto dealership (now closed), and a restaurant/nightclub (now known as "The Blue Room").

In 1935, oil was discovered near Onyx; this led to an influx of workers who built homes on what became known as Oilfield Road. The population grew rapidly as workers commuted to jobs in nearby cities such as Hemet or Perris or came to work onsite at the oilfields themselves; this brought new businesses such as motels and restaurants into existence along Oilfield Road during this time period. In 1941, Jay Daugherty established what would become Riverside Community College - now known as RCC - on donated land adjacent to his home; this led to even more growth within Onyx as students began moving into town for school or work purposes.

As oil production declined throughout the 1970s and 1980s due primarily to advances made in drilling technology elsewhere across America, many of Onyx's oilfield-based businesses failed or were sold off; this led to decreased traffic along Oilfield Road which had once been one of the main commercial corridors within town. In recent years however, with increased interest nationwide in real estate investment stemming from low interest rates combined with historically low inflation rates*, there has been renewed growth within Onyx centered around residential property sales rather than business sales: according to data compiled by Zillow*, median home prices within Onyx have increased by 116% since 2009 while median business values have only increased by 36%. This shift has led some local residents - including Mayor Pro Tem Dave Kistler* -to call for changes within zoning laws that may make it easier for new businesses to open up within town without having their impact felt immediately through increased traffic congestion or reduced property values*.

*Source: http://www-personal-finance-advisoronlinecom › News › Commentary