Bear Valley, Mariposa County, California
Encyclopedia
Bear Valley is a census-designated place
in Mariposa County
, California
. It is located 10.5 miles (17 km) south-southeast of Coulterville
, at an elevation of 2054 feet (626 m). Bear Valley was designated California Historical Landmark
#331. The population was 125 at the 2010 census.
The place was originally called Haydenville in honor of David, Charles, and William Hayden, gold miners. The place later bore the names Biddle's Camp and Biddleville in honor of William C. Biddle. It later was named Simpsonville in honor of Robert Simpson, local merchant. The name Johnsonville honored John F. Johnson. The name became Bear Valley in 1858.
The Haydenville post office opened before January 21, 1851 and closed in 1852. The Bear Valley post office opereated from 1858 to 1912, from 1914 to 1919, and from 1933 to 1955.
In 1847, John C. Frémont
, a veteran of the Bear Flag Revolt, decided to settle down in the San Francisco Bay Area
. Desiring a ranch near San José, California
, he sent $3,000 to the American consul Thomas O. Larkin
. Instead of his intended purchase, he was sold Rancho Las Mariposas
, consisting of 44387 acres (179.6 km²) in the southern Sierra Nevada foothills around Bear Valley. The original Mexican grant was a "floating grant", a grant of land for which the area was precisely given but the actual boundaries were left unspecified (usually due to inadequate surveys of the areas involved). After the beginning of the California Gold Rush
in 1848, Fremont moved his grant's borders into the hills. Those hills proved to be lucrative and his mining operations centered in Bear Valley.
At its peak, Bear Valley had a population of 3,000. During 1850-60 when Frémont's Pine Tree and Josephine Mines were producing, Frémont built an elegant hotel, Oso House; the structure, like many in the area, burned in the late 19th century. Frémont lived and worked in the city, and his large home was nicknamed the "Little White House", coincidentally built two years after he was the first Republican Party
candidate for President; the home burned in 1866.
, the CDP covers 7.245 mi2, virtually all of it land.
was 17.3 people per square mile (6.7/km²). The racial makeup of Bear Valley was 117 (93.6%) White, 0 (0.0%) African American, 1 (0.8%) Native American, 2 (1.6%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 1 (0.8%) from other races
, and 4 (3.2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8 persons (6.4%).
The Census reported that 125 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 58 households, out of which 15 (25.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 29 (50.0%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 3 (5.2%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1 (1.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 4 (6.9%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 0 (0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 20 households (34.5%) were made up of individuals and 9 (15.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16. There were 33 families
(56.9% of all households); the average family size was 2.85.
The population was spread out with 25 people (20.0%) under the age of 18, 1 people (0.8%) aged 18 to 24, 30 people (24.0%) aged 25 to 44, 38 people (30.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 31 people (24.8%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47.6 years. For every 100 females there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.1 males.
There were 68 housing units at an average density of 9.4 per square mile (3.6/km²), of which 44 (75.9%) were owner-occupied, and 14 (24.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.7%. 91 people (72.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 34 people (27.2%) lived in rental housing units.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
in Mariposa County
Mariposa County, California
Mariposa County is a county in the U.S. state of California, located in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It lies north of Fresno, east of Merced, and southeast of Stockton. As of the 2010 census, the population was 18,251 up from 17,130 at the 2000 census...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It is located 10.5 miles (17 km) south-southeast of Coulterville
Coulterville, California
Coulterville is a census-designated place in Mariposa County, California. It is located on Maxwell Creek northwest of Mariposa, at an elevation of 1699 feet . Coulterville had a population of 201 at the 2010 census. It is a mining town located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. The ZIP Code...
, at an elevation of 2054 feet (626 m). Bear Valley was designated California Historical Landmark
California Historical Landmark
California Historical Landmarks are buildings, structures, sites, or places in the state of California that have been determined to have statewide historical significance by meeting at least one of the criteria listed below:...
#331. The population was 125 at the 2010 census.
The place was originally called Haydenville in honor of David, Charles, and William Hayden, gold miners. The place later bore the names Biddle's Camp and Biddleville in honor of William C. Biddle. It later was named Simpsonville in honor of Robert Simpson, local merchant. The name Johnsonville honored John F. Johnson. The name became Bear Valley in 1858.
The Haydenville post office opened before January 21, 1851 and closed in 1852. The Bear Valley post office opereated from 1858 to 1912, from 1914 to 1919, and from 1933 to 1955.
In 1847, John C. Frémont
John C. Frémont
John Charles Frémont , was an American military officer, explorer, and the first candidate of the anti-slavery Republican Party for the office of President of the United States. During the 1840s, that era's penny press accorded Frémont the sobriquet The Pathfinder...
, a veteran of the Bear Flag Revolt, decided to settle down in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
. Desiring a ranch near San José, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
, he sent $3,000 to the American consul Thomas O. Larkin
Thomas O. Larkin
Thomas Oliver Larkin was an early American emigrant to Alta California and a signer of the original California Constitution. He was the United States' first and only consul to the California Republic.-Early years:...
. Instead of his intended purchase, he was sold Rancho Las Mariposas
Rancho Las Mariposas
Rancho Las Mariposas was a Mexican land grant in present day Mariposa County, California given in 1844 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to Juan Bautista Alvarado. The grant takes its name from Mariposa Creek, which was named for the butterflies in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains...
, consisting of 44387 acres (179.6 km²) in the southern Sierra Nevada foothills around Bear Valley. The original Mexican grant was a "floating grant", a grant of land for which the area was precisely given but the actual boundaries were left unspecified (usually due to inadequate surveys of the areas involved). After the beginning of the California Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
in 1848, Fremont moved his grant's borders into the hills. Those hills proved to be lucrative and his mining operations centered in Bear Valley.
At its peak, Bear Valley had a population of 3,000. During 1850-60 when Frémont's Pine Tree and Josephine Mines were producing, Frémont built an elegant hotel, Oso House; the structure, like many in the area, burned in the late 19th century. Frémont lived and worked in the city, and his large home was nicknamed the "Little White House", coincidentally built two years after he was the first Republican Party
History of the United States Republican Party
The United States Republican Party is the second oldest currently existing political party in the United States after its great rival, the Democratic Party. It emerged in 1854 to combat the Kansas Nebraska Act which threatened to extend slavery into the territories, and to promote more vigorous...
candidate for President; the home burned in 1866.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP covers 7.245 mi2, virtually all of it land.
Demographics
The 2010 United States Census reported that Bear Valley had a population of 125. The population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 17.3 people per square mile (6.7/km²). The racial makeup of Bear Valley was 117 (93.6%) White, 0 (0.0%) African American, 1 (0.8%) Native American, 2 (1.6%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 1 (0.8%) from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 4 (3.2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8 persons (6.4%).
The Census reported that 125 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 58 households, out of which 15 (25.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 29 (50.0%) were opposite-sex married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 3 (5.2%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1 (1.7%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 4 (6.9%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
POSSLQ
POSSLQ is an abbreviation for "Persons of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters," a term coined in the late 1970s by the United States Census Bureau as part of an effort to more accurately gauge the prevalence of cohabitation in American households....
, and 0 (0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 20 households (34.5%) were made up of individuals and 9 (15.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16. There were 33 families
Family (U.S. Census)
A family or family household is defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes as "a householder and one or more other people related to the householder by birth, marriage, or adoption. They do not include same-sex married couples even if the marriage was performed in a state...
(56.9% of all households); the average family size was 2.85.
The population was spread out with 25 people (20.0%) under the age of 18, 1 people (0.8%) aged 18 to 24, 30 people (24.0%) aged 25 to 44, 38 people (30.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 31 people (24.8%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47.6 years. For every 100 females there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.1 males.
There were 68 housing units at an average density of 9.4 per square mile (3.6/km²), of which 44 (75.9%) were owner-occupied, and 14 (24.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.7%. 91 people (72.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 34 people (27.2%) lived in rental housing units.