Cuddy Valley, California
Encyclopedia
Cuddy Valley is a valley
in the San Andreas Rift Zone south of the San Emigdio Mountains
west of Tejon Pass
, and unincorporated community
in Kern County
, California
, and part of the Mountain Communities
. It lies at an elevation of 5,282 feet 1610 m)..
from the 1820s. The Old Road came over the Tejon Pass
from what would become Gorman
tnen turned west up Cuddy Creek to Cuddy Valley its spring. Afterward the road decended to the north, through the San Emigdio Mountains, via San Emigido Canyon along San Emigido Creek to the San Joaquin Valley
. There at the foot of the mountains was the next stop, that became Rancho San Emidio
in 1842.
in 1854 as a civilian teamster. He became the herdsman for the fort and found meadow in a valley some miles west of the fort that was ideal for grazing its stock. Cuddy eventually built a log cabin west of the fort in the small valley just southwest of modern Lake of the Woods
, and laid claim to land in what became known at the time as Cuddy's Valley, (later Little Cuddy Valley), and raised cattle there. John Cuddy married Margaret Gale in 1858 and by 1861 had moved his family into a larger log cabin that still stands, west of the present community of Lake of the Woods. The Cuddy Ranch acquired much of the surrounding area, as Cuddy's children became eligible, they homesteaded nearby land until their holdings included most of the land, to the southwest in Lockwood Valley, to the west in what is now known as Cuddy Valley and east to the present Interstate 5
.
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
in the San Andreas Rift Zone south of the San Emigdio Mountains
San Emigdio Mountains
The San Emigdio Mountains are a part of the Transverse Ranges in Southern California, extending from Interstate 5 at Lebec and Gorman on the east to Highway 33–166 on the west. They link the Tehachapis and Temblor Range and form the southern wall of the San Joaquin Valley.The range is within Los...
west of Tejon Pass
Tejon Pass
The Tejon Pass is a mountain pass at the southwest end of the Tehachapi Mountains linking Southern to Central California.-Geography:The apex of the pass is near the northwesternmost corner of Los Angeles County, north of Gorman...
, and unincorporated community
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Kern County
Kern County, California
Spreading across the southern end of the California Central Valley, Kern County is the fifth-largest county by population in California. Its economy is heavily linked to agriculture and to petroleum extraction, and there is a strong aviation and space presence. Politically, it has generally...
, 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...
, and part of the Mountain Communities
Mountain Communities of the Tejon Pass
The Mountain Communities of the Tejon Pass, or the Frazier Mountain Communities, in the San Emigdio Mountains is a region of California that includes Lebec, Frazier Park, Lake of the Woods, Lockwood Valley, Pinon Pines, and Pine Mountain Club, in Kern County, California, and Gorman in Los Angeles...
. It lies at an elevation of 5,282 feet 1610 m)..
History
What is now the Cuddy Valley was a water and grazing place along El Camino ViejoEl Camino Viejo
El Camino Viejo à Los Angeles , also known as the Old Los Angeles Trail, established in 1820's, was the oldest north-south trail in the interior of Alta California...
from the 1820s. The Old Road came over the Tejon Pass
Tejon Pass
The Tejon Pass is a mountain pass at the southwest end of the Tehachapi Mountains linking Southern to Central California.-Geography:The apex of the pass is near the northwesternmost corner of Los Angeles County, north of Gorman...
from what would become Gorman
Gorman, California
Gorman, California, is an unincorporated community in northwestern Los Angeles County. As of 2005 it had just 15 homes and a few registered voters, but tens of thousands of motorists traveled through it daily on the Interstate 5 freeway....
tnen turned west up Cuddy Creek to Cuddy Valley its spring. Afterward the road decended to the north, through the San Emigdio Mountains, via San Emigido Canyon along San Emigido Creek to the San Joaquin Valley
San Joaquin Valley
The San Joaquin Valley is the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta in Stockton...
. There at the foot of the mountains was the next stop, that became Rancho San Emidio
Rancho San Emidio
Rancho San Emidio was a Mexican land grant in present day Kern County, California given in 1842 by Governor Juan Alvarado to José Antonio Dominguez. The grant was located along San Emigdio Creek in the foohills of the San Emigdio Mountains, between Santiago Creek on the west and Pleitito Creek...
in 1842.
John Fletcher Cuddy
Cuddy Valley, Cuddy Creek and Cuddy Canyon are named for John Fletcher Cuddy, who came to the United States from Ireland during the Great Potato Famine. He joined the U. S. Army and after being discharged in 1853, followed his former unit the 1st Dragoon Regiment to Fort TejonFort Tejon
Fort Tejon in California is a former United States Army outpost which was intermittently active from June 24, 1854, until September 11, 1864. It is located in the Grapevine Canyon area of Tejon Pass along Interstate 5, the main route through the mountains separating the Central Valley from Los...
in 1854 as a civilian teamster. He became the herdsman for the fort and found meadow in a valley some miles west of the fort that was ideal for grazing its stock. Cuddy eventually built a log cabin west of the fort in the small valley just southwest of modern Lake of the Woods
Lake of the Woods, California
Lake of the Woods is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Kern County, California. The population was 917 at the 2010 census, up from 833 at the 2000 census. The community is contained in Cuddy Canyon along the Ventura and Kern County line inside the Los Padres National Forest. It...
, and laid claim to land in what became known at the time as Cuddy's Valley, (later Little Cuddy Valley), and raised cattle there. John Cuddy married Margaret Gale in 1858 and by 1861 had moved his family into a larger log cabin that still stands, west of the present community of Lake of the Woods. The Cuddy Ranch acquired much of the surrounding area, as Cuddy's children became eligible, they homesteaded nearby land until their holdings included most of the land, to the southwest in Lockwood Valley, to the west in what is now known as Cuddy Valley and east to the present Interstate 5
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 is the main Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific Ocean coastline from Canada to Mexico . It serves some of the largest cities on the U.S...
.