Glen Ellen, California
Encyclopedia
Glen Ellen is a census-designated place
(CDP) in Sonoma Valley
, Sonoma County, California
, USA
. The population was 784 at the 2010 census, down from 992 at the 2000 census. Glen Ellen is the location of Jack London
State Historic Park (including the Wolf House), Sonoma Valley Regional Park, and a former home of Hunter S. Thompson
.
purchased a part of the Rancho Agua Caliente
land grant and in 1868 began building a house there, eventually establishing a 1000 acres (4 km²) vineyard he named Glen Ellen after his wife. The town that grew up around the vineyard also came to be called Glen Ellen, and Stuart's home was later renamed Glen Oaks Ranch.
. The United States Census Bureau
fixes the total area at 2.1 square miles (5.4 km²), 99.95% of it land and 0.05% covered by water. Sonoma Creek
, the principal river of the Sonoma Valley
flows through Glen Ellen.
was 372.7 people per square mile (143.9/km²). The racial makeup of Glen Ellen was 693 (88.4%) White, 3 (0.4%) African American, 9 (1.1%) Native American, 16 (2.0%) Asian, 3 (0.4%) Pacific Islander, 18 (2.3%) from other races
, and 42 (5.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 67 persons (8.5%).
The Census reported that 98.3% of the population lived in households and 1.7% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters.
There were 364 households, out of which 74 (20.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 172 (47.3%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 26 (7.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 14 (3.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 23 (6.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 6 (1.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 122 households (33.5%) were made up of individuals and 34 (9.3%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12. There were 212 families
(58.2% of all households); the average family size was 2.67.
The population was spread out with 126 people (16.1%) under the age of 18, 37 people (4.7%) aged 18 to 24, 142 people (18.1%) aged 25 to 44, 376 people (48.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 103 people (13.1%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 51.4 years. For every 100 females there were 103.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.2 males.
There were 421 housing units at an average density of 200.2 per square mile (77.3/km²), of which 60.4% were owner-occupied and 39.6% were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.0%. 60.5% of the population lived in owner-occupied housing units and 37.9% lived in rental housing units.
of 2000, there were 992 people, 340 households, and 219 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 473 people per square mile (182/km²). There were 387 housing units at an average density of 185/sq mi (71/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 89.42% White, 1.92% African American, 1.21% Native American, 1.21% Asian, 0.40% Pacific Islander, 2.72% from other races
, and 3.12% from two or more races. 8.47% of the population were Hispanic.
There were 340 households out of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18, 49.4% were married couples
living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. 25.0% of all households consist of individuals and 3.8% have someone living alone who is 65 or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.91. The age distribution is as follows: 28.6% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 33.9% from 45 to 64, and 8.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 120.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.3 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $52,143, and the median income for a family was $54,219. Males had a median income of $50,714 versus $35,952 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $22,680. About 11.5% of families and 14.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.8% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
lived in Glen Ellen from 1909 to his death in 1916, where he devoted much of his time to development of his Beauty Ranch and the building of his mansion, Wolf House. Many of his novels and stories, notably The Iron Heel
and The Valley of the Moon
mention Glen Ellen and Sonoma County. ("The Valley of the Moon
" is a translation of Sonoma Valley
's name given by the Pomo
and Coast Miwok
peoples.)
The site of his ranch is now Jack London State Historic Park
, which contains the ruins of Wolf House, several ranch buildings, the grave of Jack and Charmian London, and a museum housed in Charmian London's "House of Happy Walls." The Wolf House Restaurant discontinued daily restaurant service in January 2008, but is open for special events. The Bar remains open.
The Sonoma Developmental Center
is located just outside Glen Ellen near the Jack London ranch. Its predecessor, the California Home for the Care and Training of Feeble Minded Children, was the setting for Jack London's story "Told in the Drooling Ward."
Glen Ellen is located in the Wine Country and is part of the Sonoma Mountain AVA
. Like all the communities in Sonoma Valley
, Glen Ellen is home to many vineyards and wineries including B.R. Cohn Winery, Benziger Family Winery, Mayo Family Winery, and Valley of the Moon Winery.
The nearby city of Sonoma
(approximately five miles) is heralded as the birthplace of California and contains four (#'s 3, 4, 5, and 7) of the first ten California Historical Landmarks.
Quarryhill Botanic Garden
(www.quarryhillbg.org), also located in Glen Ellen, is a research botanical garden housing one of the largest collections of temperate Asian plants in North America. Quarryhill's collection includes rare species such as Acer pentaphyllum, Cornus capitata, Holboellia coriacea, Illicium simonsii, and Rosa chinensis var. spontanea, all native to Sichuan, China, as well as extensive collections of various wild Asian dogwoods, lilies, magnolias, maples, oaks, roses, and rhododendrons. Quarryhill is open to the public.
On the other side of Sonoma Mountain
, but only about three miles (5 km) away on the map, is the Fairfield Osborn Preserve
, a diverse ecological study area with limited access hiking trails.
Glen Ellen is located in the 2nd Senate
District, represented by Democrat
Noreen Evans
, and in the 6th Assembly
District, represented by Democrat Jared Huffman
. Federally, Glen Ellen is located in California's 6th congressional district
represented by Democrat
Lynn Woolsey
.
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...
(CDP) in Sonoma Valley
Sonoma Valley
Sonoma Valley is the birthplace of the California wine industry and often called The Valley of the Moon. Sonoma Valley is home to some of the earliest vineyards and wineries in the state, some of which survived the phylloxera epidemic of the 1870s and the impact of Prohibition...
, Sonoma County, California
Sonoma County, California
Sonoma County, located on the northern coast of the U.S. state of California, is the largest and northernmost of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. Its population at the 2010 census was 483,878. Its largest city and county seat is Santa Rosa....
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 784 at the 2010 census, down from 992 at the 2000 census. Glen Ellen is the location of Jack London
Jack London
John Griffith "Jack" London was an American author, journalist, and social activist. He was a pioneer in the then-burgeoning world of commercial magazine fiction and was one of the first fiction writers to obtain worldwide celebrity and a large fortune from his fiction alone...
State Historic Park (including the Wolf House), Sonoma Valley Regional Park, and a former home of Hunter S. Thompson
Hunter S. Thompson
Hunter Stockton Thompson was an American journalist and author who wrote The Rum Diary , Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 .He is credited as the creator of Gonzo journalism, a style of reporting where reporters involve themselves in the action to...
.
History
In 1859, Charles V. StuartCharles V. Stuart
Charles V. Stuart was a California pioneer and delegate to the California Constitutional Convention of 1878-79, where he distinguished himself as the only delegate to speak out in defense of the rights of Chinese immigrants....
purchased a part of the Rancho Agua Caliente
Rancho Agua Caliente (Pina)
Rancho Agua Caliente was a Mexican land grant in present day Sonoma County, California given in 1840 by Governor Juan Alvarado to Lázaro Piña . The name means "warm water" and refers to the hot springs in the area...
land grant and in 1868 began building a house there, eventually establishing a 1000 acres (4 km²) vineyard he named Glen Ellen after his wife. The town that grew up around the vineyard also came to be called Glen Ellen, and Stuart's home was later renamed Glen Oaks Ranch.
Geography
Glen Ellen is about 6 miles (9.7 km) northwest of the city of SonomaSonoma, California
Sonoma is a historically significant city in Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA, surrounding its historic town plaza, a remnant of the town's Mexican colonial past. It was the capital of the short-lived California Republic...
. The United States Census Bureau
United 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...
fixes the total area at 2.1 square miles (5.4 km²), 99.95% of it land and 0.05% covered by water. Sonoma Creek
Sonoma Creek
Sonoma Creek is a stream in northern California. It is one of two principal drainages of southern Sonoma County, California, with headwaters rising in the rugged hills of Sugarloaf Ridge State Park and discharging to San Pablo Bay, the northern arm of San Francisco Bay. The watershed drained by...
, the principal river of the Sonoma Valley
Sonoma Valley
Sonoma Valley is the birthplace of the California wine industry and often called The Valley of the Moon. Sonoma Valley is home to some of the earliest vineyards and wineries in the state, some of which survived the phylloxera epidemic of the 1870s and the impact of Prohibition...
flows through Glen Ellen.
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Glen Ellen had a population of 784. 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 372.7 people per square mile (143.9/km²). The racial makeup of Glen Ellen was 693 (88.4%) White, 3 (0.4%) African American, 9 (1.1%) Native American, 16 (2.0%) Asian, 3 (0.4%) Pacific Islander, 18 (2.3%) 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 42 (5.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 67 persons (8.5%).
The Census reported that 98.3% of the population lived in households and 1.7% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters.
There were 364 households, out of which 74 (20.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 172 (47.3%) 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, 26 (7.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 14 (3.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 23 (6.3%) 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 (1.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 122 households (33.5%) were made up of individuals and 34 (9.3%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12. There were 212 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...
(58.2% of all households); the average family size was 2.67.
The population was spread out with 126 people (16.1%) under the age of 18, 37 people (4.7%) aged 18 to 24, 142 people (18.1%) aged 25 to 44, 376 people (48.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 103 people (13.1%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 51.4 years. For every 100 females there were 103.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.2 males.
There were 421 housing units at an average density of 200.2 per square mile (77.3/km²), of which 60.4% were owner-occupied and 39.6% were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.0%. 60.5% of the population lived in owner-occupied housing units and 37.9% 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 992 people, 340 households, and 219 families residing in the CDP. 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 473 people per square mile (182/km²). There were 387 housing units at an average density of 185/sq mi (71/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 89.42% White, 1.92% African American, 1.21% Native American, 1.21% Asian, 0.40% Pacific Islander, 2.72% 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 3.12% from two or more races. 8.47% of the population were Hispanic.
There were 340 households out of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18, 49.4% 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, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. 25.0% of all households consist of individuals and 3.8% have someone living alone who is 65 or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.91. The age distribution is as follows: 28.6% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 33.9% from 45 to 64, and 8.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 120.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.3 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $52,143, and the median income for a family was $54,219. Males had a median income of $50,714 versus $35,952 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 CDP was $22,680. About 11.5% of families and 14.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.8% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
Points of interest
Writer Jack LondonJack London
John Griffith "Jack" London was an American author, journalist, and social activist. He was a pioneer in the then-burgeoning world of commercial magazine fiction and was one of the first fiction writers to obtain worldwide celebrity and a large fortune from his fiction alone...
lived in Glen Ellen from 1909 to his death in 1916, where he devoted much of his time to development of his Beauty Ranch and the building of his mansion, Wolf House. Many of his novels and stories, notably The Iron Heel
The Iron Heel
The Iron Heel is a dystopian novel by American writer Jack London, first published in 1908.Generally considered to be "the earliest of the modern Dystopian", it chronicles the rise of an oligarchic tyranny in the United States. It is arguably the novel in which Jack London's socialist views are...
and The Valley of the Moon
The Valley of the Moon
The Valley of the Moon is a novel by American writer Jack London...
mention Glen Ellen and Sonoma County. ("The Valley of the Moon
The Valley of the Moon
The Valley of the Moon is a novel by American writer Jack London...
" is a translation of Sonoma Valley
Sonoma Valley
Sonoma Valley is the birthplace of the California wine industry and often called The Valley of the Moon. Sonoma Valley is home to some of the earliest vineyards and wineries in the state, some of which survived the phylloxera epidemic of the 1870s and the impact of Prohibition...
's name given by the Pomo
Pomo people
The Pomo people are an indigenous peoples of California. The historic Pomo territory in northern California was large, bordered by the Pacific Coast to the west, extending inland to Clear Lake, and mainly between Cleone and Duncans Point...
and Coast Miwok
Coast Miwok
The Coast Miwok were the second largest group of Miwok Native American people. The Coast Miwok inhabited the general area of modern Marin County and southern Sonoma County in Northern California, from the Golden Gate north to Duncans Point and eastward to Sonoma Creek...
peoples.)
The site of his ranch is now Jack London State Historic Park
Jack London State Historic Park
Jack London State Historic Park, also known as Jack London Home and Ranch, is a California State Historic Park near Glen Ellen, California, United States, situated on the eastern slope of Sonoma Mountain...
, which contains the ruins of Wolf House, several ranch buildings, the grave of Jack and Charmian London, and a museum housed in Charmian London's "House of Happy Walls." The Wolf House Restaurant discontinued daily restaurant service in January 2008, but is open for special events. The Bar remains open.
The Sonoma Developmental Center
Sonoma Developmental Center
The Sonoma Developmental Center is a large, state-run facility in California, United States, serving the needs of people with developmental disabilities. It is located in Eldridge in Sonoma County. It opened at its current location on November 24, 1891, though it had existed at previous locations...
is located just outside Glen Ellen near the Jack London ranch. Its predecessor, the California Home for the Care and Training of Feeble Minded Children, was the setting for Jack London's story "Told in the Drooling Ward."
Glen Ellen is located in the Wine Country and is part of the Sonoma Mountain AVA
Sonoma Mountain AVA
The Sonoma Mountain AVA is an American Viticultural Area in Sonoma County, California, USA. It is centered on the Sonoma Mountain landform in the Sonoma Mountains. The appellation includes the town of Glen Ellen, California and is bordered on the west by the Sonoma Valley AVA...
. Like all the communities in Sonoma Valley
Sonoma Valley
Sonoma Valley is the birthplace of the California wine industry and often called The Valley of the Moon. Sonoma Valley is home to some of the earliest vineyards and wineries in the state, some of which survived the phylloxera epidemic of the 1870s and the impact of Prohibition...
, Glen Ellen is home to many vineyards and wineries including B.R. Cohn Winery, Benziger Family Winery, Mayo Family Winery, and Valley of the Moon Winery.
The nearby city of Sonoma
Sonoma, California
Sonoma is a historically significant city in Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA, surrounding its historic town plaza, a remnant of the town's Mexican colonial past. It was the capital of the short-lived California Republic...
(approximately five miles) is heralded as the birthplace of California and contains four (#'s 3, 4, 5, and 7) of the first ten California Historical Landmarks.
Quarryhill Botanic Garden
Quarryhill Botanic Garden
The Quarryhill Botanical Garden is a research botanical garden housing one of the largest collections of temperate Asian plants in North America...
(www.quarryhillbg.org), also located in Glen Ellen, is a research botanical garden housing one of the largest collections of temperate Asian plants in North America. Quarryhill's collection includes rare species such as Acer pentaphyllum, Cornus capitata, Holboellia coriacea, Illicium simonsii, and Rosa chinensis var. spontanea, all native to Sichuan, China, as well as extensive collections of various wild Asian dogwoods, lilies, magnolias, maples, oaks, roses, and rhododendrons. Quarryhill is open to the public.
On the other side of Sonoma Mountain
Sonoma Mountain
Sonoma Mountain is a prominent landform within the Sonoma Mountains of southern Sonoma County, California. At elevation of , Sonoma Mountain offers expansive views of the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Sonoma Valley to the east...
, but only about three miles (5 km) away on the map, is the Fairfield Osborn Preserve
Fairfield Osborn Preserve
The Fairfield Osborn Preserve is a 411 acre nature reserve situated on the northwest flank of Sonoma Mountain in Sonoma County, California. There are eight plant communities within the property, oak woodland being the dominant type...
, a diverse ecological study area with limited access hiking trails.
Politics
In the state legislatureCalifornia State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...
Glen Ellen is located in the 2nd Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
District, represented by Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Noreen Evans
Noreen Evans
Noreen Evans is an American politician in the California State Senate. She is a Democrat representing the 2nd district, encompassing Humboldt, Mendocino, Lake, and Napa counties, as well as parts of Sonoma and Solano counties....
, and in the 6th Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
District, represented by Democrat Jared Huffman
Jared Huffman
Jared Huffman is the assemblyman for California's 6th State Assembly district, which includes all of Marin and southern Sonoma counties...
. Federally, Glen Ellen is located in California's 6th congressional district
California's 6th congressional district
California's 6th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California that stretches up the Pacific coast north of the San Francisco Bay...
represented by Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Lynn Woolsey
Lynn Woolsey
Lynn C. Woolsey is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes all of Marin County and most of Sonoma County. She is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and its co-chair...
.