Mariposa, California
Mariposa | ||
---|---|---|
FIPS code 06-45932 | | |
GNIS feature IDs | 1659063,[4] 2408181[5] |
Mariposa (
Geography
Mariposa is located at 37°29′06″N 119°57′59″W / 37.48500°N 119.96639°W,
California State Routes 49 and 140 cross in Mariposa, merging for 0.8 miles (1.3 km) as the town's main street. Highway 49 leads southeast 27 miles (43 km) to end at Oakhurst and northwest the same distance to Coulterville. Highway 140 leads southwest 36 miles (58 km) to Merced in the San Joaquin Valley and northeast 42 miles (68 km) to Yosemite Valley.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 4.04 square miles (10.46 km2), all but 0.07% of it land.[1] The community lies in the valley of Mariposa Creek, which flows south and then southwest into the San Joaquin Valley.
Mariposa County includes much of Yosemite National Park, and a good deal of the local economy is related to the park and to tourism. The two-story county courthouse, constructed in 1854, is the oldest in continuous use west of the Rockies.[citation needed] Tours are available.
The county lies at the southern end of the
Climate
According to the Köppen climate classification system, Mariposa has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (abbreviated "Csa" on climate maps) and wet winters.[8]
Climate data for Mariposa, 1991–2020 simulated normals (2142 ft elevation) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 56.8 (13.8) |
58.1 (14.5) |
62.1 (16.7) |
66.7 (19.3) |
76.5 (24.7) |
86.4 (30.2) |
93.9 (34.4) |
93.4 (34.1) |
87.8 (31.0) |
77.0 (25.0) |
64.8 (18.2) |
56.3 (13.5) |
73.3 (23.0) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 46.4 (8.0) |
47.7 (8.7) |
50.9 (10.5) |
54.5 (12.5) |
62.4 (16.9) |
70.9 (21.6) |
78.4 (25.8) |
77.7 (25.4) |
72.5 (22.5) |
63.0 (17.2) |
52.7 (11.5) |
46.0 (7.8) |
60.3 (15.7) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 36.1 (2.3) |
37.2 (2.9) |
39.9 (4.4) |
42.3 (5.7) |
48.6 (9.2) |
55.4 (13.0) |
63.0 (17.2) |
62.1 (16.7) |
57.2 (14.0) |
48.9 (9.4) |
40.8 (4.9) |
35.6 (2.0) |
47.3 (8.5) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 6.23 (158.12) |
5.18 (131.55) |
4.66 (118.24) |
2.42 (61.55) |
1.13 (28.73) |
0.31 (7.93) |
0.07 (1.82) |
0.03 (0.79) |
0.17 (4.24) |
1.62 (41.13) |
2.63 (66.91) |
5.41 (137.34) |
29.86 (758.35) |
Average dew point °F (°C) | 35.4 (1.9) |
37.9 (3.3) |
41.0 (5.0) |
41.9 (5.5) |
44.4 (6.9) |
46.0 (7.8) |
47.8 (8.8) |
45.5 (7.5) |
42.8 (6.0) |
39.7 (4.3) |
37.9 (3.3) |
34.5 (1.4) |
41.2 (5.1) |
Source: PRISM Climate Group[9] |
History
The town was founded as a mining camp on the banks of a seasonal stream known as Agua Fría.
John C. Frémont had a Spanish land grant that gave him ownership of most of the Mariposa mining district, but the possibility of securing his property was nearly impossible due to the huge influx of gold seekers, and little or no enforcement from the few law keepers available. In book #1 of Mariposa county records, originally filed in Aqua Fria, on Page 2, there is a claim known as the Spencer quartz mine and adjacent millsite. This claim was just hundreds of feet from Fremont's grant line, and its owners were Lafayette H. Bunnell and Champlain Spencer, who became rather wealthy from the placer gold in Whitlock and Sherlocks creek. They later erected a 40-foot (12 m) waterwheel and steam mill, along with several arrastras. Bunnell later published a memoir of his time in Midpines and entry to the Yosemite Valley, which is still in print today - The Discovery of the Yosemite.[11] Spencer has never been acknowledged as having named Half Dome, a prominent feature in Yosemite Valley.[citation needed] These educated gentlemen and adventurers eventually sold "Spencers Mill" to a French and English conglomerate for a tidy sum. All is quiet now on Spencers mill, but much evidence of a series of mills and the arrastras remain.[10]
The US Army built the Mariposa Auxiliary Field (1942-1945) to train World War II pilots. After the war the airfield became the current Mariposa-Yosemite Airport.[12]
On July 18, 2017, a fast-moving wildfire, the "Detwiler Fire", forced the evacuation of the entire town.[13]
Demographics
2010
At the
The census reported that 2,098 people (96.5% of the population) lived in households, 12 (0.6%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 63 (2.9%) were institutionalized.
There were 1,013 households, 237 (23.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 365 (36.0%) were
The age distribution was 434 people (20.0%) under the age of 18, 130 people (6.0%) aged 18 to 24, 389 people (17.9%) aged 25 to 44, 631 people (29.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 589 people (27.1%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 49.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.4 males.
There were 1,143 housing units at an average density of 88.7 per square mile, of the occupied units 529 (52.2%) were owner-occupied and 484 (47.8%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.4%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.8%. 1,082 people (49.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 1,016 people (46.8%) lived in rental housing units.
2000
At the
Of the 676 households 21.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.4% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.5% were non-families. 47.6% of households were one person and 27.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 1.94 and the average family size was 2.77.
The age distribution was 20.6% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 27.0% 65 or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.7 males.
The median household income was $18,144 and the median family income was $27,344. Males had a median income of $26,771 versus $26,635 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $22,436. About 28.0% of families and 24.0% of the population were below the
Government and public safety
Government representation
In the
In the United States House of Representatives, Mariposa is in California's 4th congressional district, represented by Democrat Mike Thompson.[17]
Policing and public safety
The policing agency for the county is the Mariposa County Sheriff and staff. Fire protection and emergency medical aid is provided by the Mariposa County Fire Department.[18]
Notable residents
Some living past and present notable residents in alphabetical order include:
- John C. Fremont, first U.S senator from California, first Republican candidate for president and explorer of the West with Kit Carson
- baseball pitcher for the Orix Buffaloes, born in Mariposa[19]
- Sal Maccarone, international author and sculptor
- Logan Mankins, guard for New England Patriots football team
- Frederick Law Olmsted, landscape architect
- George Radanovich, politician and author
- Jacoby Shaddix, founding member of rock band Papa Roach, songwriter, and host of MTV Show Scarred
- Paul Vasquez, resident of Mariposa who became famous for filming his ecstatic 2010 viral video Double Rainbow
- Cody Wichmann, offensive guard for Los Angeles Rams football team
References
- ^ a b "2021 U.S. Gazetteer Files: California". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
- ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Mariposa, California
- ^ a b "P1. Race – Mariposa CDP, California: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Mariposa
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Mariposa Census Designated Place
- ^ "mariposa". Dictionary.com Unabridged (Online). n.d.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ Climate Summary for Mariposa, California
- ^ "PRISM Climate Group at Oregon State University". Northwest Alliance for Computational Science & Engineering (NACSE), based at Oregon State University. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
- ^ ISBN 1-884995-14-4.
- ^ Bunnell, Lafayette Houghton (1892). Discovery of the Yosemite (3 ed.). New York: Fleming H. Revell.
- ^ militarymuseum.org Mariposa Auxiliary Field
- ^ "Evacuation of Mariposa ordered due to Detwiler Fire". KFSN-TV, Fresno. ABC 30 Action News. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
- ^ "2010 Census Interactive Population Search: CA - Mariposa CDP". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "Statewide Database". UC Regents. Archived from the original on February 1, 2015. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
- ^ "California's 4th Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
- ^ website provided data for the two agencies
- ^ "Jon Leicester Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 22, 2015.