Firebaugh, California
Encyclopedia
Fresno County, California
Fresno County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, south of Stockton and north of Bakersfield. As of the 2010 census, it is the tenth most populous county in California with a population of 930,450, and the sixth largest in size with an area of . The county...
, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 7,549 at the 2010 census, up from 5,743 as of the 2000 census. ZIP Code for the community is 93622 and the city is located inside area code 559
Area code 559
Area code 559 is an area code in Central California, serving the counties ofFresno, Madera, Kings, and Tulare. It was created on November 14, 1998, when the southern half of the area code 209 reached full capacity....
. Firebaugh is located on the west side of the San Joaquin River
San Joaquin River
The San Joaquin River is the largest river of Central California in the United States. At over long, the river starts in the high Sierra Nevada, and flows through a rich agricultural region known as the San Joaquin Valley before reaching Suisun Bay, San Francisco Bay, and the Pacific Ocean...
38 miles (61 km) west of Fresno
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
, at an elevation of 151 feet (46 m). Inside the city, a small commercial district includes the ubiquitous California Central Valley water tank painted with the city's name. State Route 33
California State Route 33
State Route 33 is a north–south state highway in the U.S. state of California. SR 33 replaced part of U.S. Route 399 in 1964 during the "great renumbering" of routes. In the unincorporated sections of Kern County it is known as the West Side Highway...
(SR 33) runs through downtown just west of center. The San Joaquin Valley Railroad
San Joaquin Valley Railroad
The San Joaquin Valley Railroad is one of several short line railroad companies and is part of the Sunset Division of RailAmerica. It operates about of track primarily on several lines in California's Central Valley/San Joaquin Valley outside of Fresno, California and Bakersfield, California...
, West Side Subdivision, passes through downtown.
Outside of city, the area is almost entirely agricultural land in all directions. Most fields of irrigated row crops along SR33 are feed crops such as alfalfa
Alfalfa
Alfalfa is a flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae cultivated as an important forage crop in the US, Canada, Argentina, France, Australia, the Middle East, South Africa, and many other countries. It is known as lucerne in the UK, France, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, and known as...
.
History
The city is named for Andrew D. Firebaugh (also spelled Fierbaugh), an area entrepreneur. During the Gold RushCalifornia 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...
, Firebaugh's most famous local enterprise was a ferry boat. It shuttled people across the San Joaquin River
San Joaquin River
The San Joaquin River is the largest river of Central California in the United States. At over long, the river starts in the high Sierra Nevada, and flows through a rich agricultural region known as the San Joaquin Valley before reaching Suisun Bay, San Francisco Bay, and the Pacific Ocean...
. He also built a toll road from Bell Station
Bell Station, California
Bell Station is an unincorporated area located along State Route 152 between Casa de Fruta and Pacheco Pass near the southeast extent of Santa Clara County, California....
to Pacheco Pass
Pacheco Pass
Pacheco Pass, elevation , is a mountain pass located in the Diablo Range in southeastern Santa Clara County, California. It is the main road over the hills separating the Santa Clara Valley and the Central Valley....
. The toll road
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
went along a route parallel to present-day State Route 152
California State Route 152
State Route 152 is a state highway that runs near the latitudinal middle of the U.S. state of California from Watsonville to Route 99 southeast of Merced...
.
Firebaugh was a station on the Butterfield Overland Stage.
The Firebaugh's Ferry post office operated from 1860 to 1862. The Firebaugh post office opened in 1865.
In the 1880s, the area of Firebaugh was once part of the massive holdings of the Miller and Lux Company
Henry Miller (rancher)
Henry Miller was a German-American rancher who at one point in the late 19th century was one of the largest land-owners in the United States.-Biography:...
. The company had a large sheep operation covering what today is Dos Palos
Dos Palos, California
Dos Palos is a city in Merced County, California, United States. Dos Palos is located south-southwest of Merced, at an elevation of 118 feet . The population was 4,950 at the 2010 census, up from 4,581 at the 2000 census...
to Mendota
Mendota, California
Mendota is a city in Fresno County, California, United States. The population was 11,014 at the 2010 census. The State Routes 180 and 33 run through the agricultural city. Mendota is located south-southeast of Firebaugh, at an elevation of 174 feet ....
.
The city incorporated in 1914.
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 city has a total area of 3.5 square miles (9.1 km²), of which, 3.5 square miles (9.1 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (1.62%) is water.
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Firebaugh had a population of 7,549. 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 2,145.2 people per square mile (828.2/km²). The racial makeup of Firebaugh was 4,715 (62.5%) White, 70 (0.9%) African American, 116 (1.5%) Native American, 40 (0.5%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 2,371 (31.4%) 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 237 (3.1%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6,887 persons (91.2%).
The Census reported that 7,536 people (99.8% of the population) lived in households, 13 (0.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 1,920 households, out of which 1,208 (62.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,179 (61.4%) 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, 317 (16.5%) had a female householder with no husband present, 182 (9.5%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 145 (7.6%) 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 6 (0.3%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 197 households (10.3%) were made up of individuals and 95 (4.9%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.93. There were 1,678 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...
(87.4% of all households); the average family size was 4.17.
The population was spread out with 2,716 people (36.0%) under the age of 18, 914 people (12.1%) aged 18 to 24, 1,923 people (25.5%) aged 25 to 44, 1,504 people (19.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 492 people (6.5%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26.4 years. For every 100 females there were 106.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.4 males.
There were 2,096 housing units at an average density of 595.6 per square mile (230.0/km²), of which 1,008 (52.5%) were owner-occupied, and 912 (47.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.6%. 4,105 people (54.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 3,431 people (45.4%) lived in rental housing units.
2000
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 5,743 people, 1,418 households, and 1,246 families residing in the city. The population density
Population 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 2,030.6 people per square mile (783.5/km²). There were 1,581 housing units at an average density of 559.0 per square mile (215.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 43.60% White
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...
, 1.15% Black
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...
or African American
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...
, 1.36% Native American
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...
, 0.87% Asian
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...
, 0.02% Pacific Islander
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...
, 48.51% 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 4.49% from two or more races. 87.52% of the population were Hispanic
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...
or Latino
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...
of any race.
There were 1,418 households out of which 59.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.4% were 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, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 12.1% were non-families. 9.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.01 and the average family size was 4.28.
In the city the population was spread out with 39.3% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 14.7% from 45 to 64, and 6.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females there were 108.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,533, and the median income for a family was $33,018. Males had a median income of $24,213 versus $17,829 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $9,290. About 20.0% of families and 22.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.9% of those under age 18 and 24.3% of those age 65 or over.
In popular culture
On their 1985 album Wönderful, the Circle JerksCircle Jerks
The Circle Jerks are an American hardcore punk band, formed in 1980 in Los Angeles, California. It was formed by Black Flag's original singer, Keith Morris, and future Bad Religion guitarist Greg Hetson. They were among the preeminent hardcore punk bands of the L.A. scene in the late 1970s.The band...
, an influential Los Angeles-based punk band, recorded a song entitled "Firebaugh". The song's lyrics portray a dystopian vision of racial tension, violence, alcoholism, and boredom. Listeners are warned, "If your car breaks down,
don't take a tow to Firebaugh..."
Wells Fargo Bank, one of the major banks in California, periodically runs television commercials set in late 19th-century California and featuring their trademark stage coach. "Firebaugh's Ferry" is sometimes listed as a stage coach stop.