Fort Bidwell, California
Encyclopedia
Fort Bidwell is a census-designated place
in Modoc County
, California
. It is located 32 miles (51 km) northeast of Alturas
, at an elevation of 4564 feet (1391 m). The population was 173 at the 2010 census.
nation.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP covers an area of 3.2 square miles (8.3 km²), 99.48% of it land, and 0.52% of it water.
) 279-2xxx or 279-6xxx and appear to be served out of the Cedarville central office. Wired telephone service is provided by Citizens Utilities.
backed a petition from settlers at Red Bluff, California
to protect Red Bluff's trail to the Owhyhee Mines of Idaho
. The U.S. Army commissioned 7 forts for this purpose, and dispatched a Major Williamson in April to explore a site for a fort in either Goose Lake Valley
or Surprise Valley
, from which he selected a site near Fandango Pass
at the base of the Warner Mountains
in the north end of Surprise Valley, and orders to build the fort were issued on June 10, 1865. Although Surprise Valley settlers desired Army protection, ranchers dispossessed of lands for the fort complained, and claimed damages from the Army.
The fort was built in 1865 amid escalating fighting with the Snake Indians
of eastern Oregon and southern Idaho. It was a base for operations in the Snake War
that lasted until 1868, the Battle of Infernal Caverns
in 1867 with General George Crook, the Modoc War
of 1872–73 and the Bannock
and Nez Perce campaign
s. Although traffic dwindled on the Red Bluff route once the Central Pacific Railroad
extended into Nevada
in 1868, the Army staffed Fort Bidwell to quell various uprisings and disturbances until 1890.
Both Fort Bidwell and Camp Bidwell
, near Chico, California
were named for General John Bidwell. However, Camp Bidwell was commissioned in 1863, was renamed Camp Chico by the time Fort Bidwell was commissioned in 1865, and was decommissioned in 1893. Observing confusion between the two, Robert W. Pease explained that such a transfer of name between outposts was a common Army practice of the time.
The Fort Bidwell post office opened in 1868. A 1913 book described Fort Bidwell as having a population of about 200, and containing a school and reservation for the Paiute
people.
was 53.8 people per square mile (20.8/km²). The racial makeup of Fort Bidwell was 75 (43.4%) White, 2 (1.2%) African American, 76 (43.9%) Native American, 0 (0.0%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 10 (5.8%) from other races
, and 10 (5.8%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23 persons (13.3%).
The Census reported that 173 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 79 households, out of which 17 (21.5%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 24 (30.4%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 16 (20.3%) had a female householder with no husband present, 3 (3.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 7 (8.9%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 0 (0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 30 households (38.0%) were made up of individuals and 14 (17.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19. There were 43 families
(54.4% of all households); the average family size was 2.95.
The population was spread out with 35 people (20.2%) under the age of 18, 26 people (15.0%) aged 18 to 24, 29 people (16.8%) aged 25 to 44, 51 people (29.5%) aged 45 to 64, and 32 people (18.5%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.5 years. For every 100 females there were 80.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.5 males.
There were 126 housing units at an average density of 39.2 per square mile (15.1/km²), of which 45 (57.0%) were owner-occupied, and 34 (43.0%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 14.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 12.8%. 80 people (46.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 93 people (53.8%) lived in rental housing units.
Fort Bidwell is located in the 1st Senate
District, represented by Republican
Dave Cox
, and in the 2nd Assembly
District, represented by Republican Jim Nielsen
. Federally, Fort Bidwell is located in California's 4th congressional district
, which has a Cook PVI
of R +11 and is represented by Republican Tom McClintock
.
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 Modoc County
Modoc County, California
Modoc County is a county located in the far northeast corner of the U.S. state of California, bounded by the state of Oregon to the north and the state of Nevada to the east. As of the 2010 census, its population was 9,686, up from 9,449 at the 2000 census. The current county seat is Alturas, the...
, 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 32 miles (51 km) northeast of Alturas
Alturas, California
Alturas is the county seat of Modoc County, California, United States. Alturas is located on the Pit River, east of the center of Modoc County, at an elevation of 4370 feet...
, at an elevation of 4564 feet (1391 m). The population was 173 at the 2010 census.
Geography
Fort Bidwell is located near the north end of the Surprise Valley. The community's ZIP Code is 96112 and elevation is about 4564 feet (1,391.1 m). The coordinates for the town are 41°51′38"N 120°09′05"W. The airport, (FAA identifier: A28), is about 1 miles (1.6 km) north of the center of the community at 41°52′34"N 120°08′48"W. The Fort Bidwell Indian Community is affiliated with the PaiutePaiute
Paiute refers to three closely related groups of Native Americans — the Northern Paiute of California, Idaho, Nevada and Oregon; the Owens Valley Paiute of California and Nevada; and the Southern Paiute of Arizona, southeastern California and Nevada, and Utah.-Origin of name:The origin of...
nation.
According to 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...
, the CDP covers an area of 3.2 square miles (8.3 km²), 99.48% of it land, and 0.52% of it water.
Communications
Wired telephone numbers in the community follow the format (530Area code 530
North American area code 530 is a California telephone area code that covers Auburn, Chico, Colfax, Davis, Grass Valley, Marysville, Oroville, Placerville, Redding, Red Bluff, Susanville, Truckee, Woodland, Yuba City and South Lake Tahoe....
) 279-2xxx or 279-6xxx and appear to be served out of the Cedarville central office. Wired telephone service is provided by Citizens Utilities.
History
In 1865, General John BidwellJohn Bidwell
John Bidwell was known throughout California and across the nation as an important pioneer, farmer, soldier, statesman, politician, prohibitionist and philanthropist...
backed a petition from settlers at Red Bluff, California
Red Bluff, California
Red Bluff is a city in and the county seat of Tehama County, California, United States. The population was 14,076 at the 2010 census, up from 13,147 at the 2000 census....
to protect Red Bluff's trail to the Owhyhee Mines of Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
. The U.S. Army commissioned 7 forts for this purpose, and dispatched a Major Williamson in April to explore a site for a fort in either Goose Lake Valley
Goose Lake Valley
The Goose Lake Valley is located in south-central Oregon and northeastern California, United States. It is a high valley at the northwestern corner of North America’s basin and range province. Much of the valley floor is covered by Goose Lake, a large endorheic lake that straddles the...
or Surprise Valley
Surprise Valley
Surprise Valley may refer to:*Surprise Valley *Surprise Valley *Surprise Valley, California, former name of Cedarville, California...
, from which he selected a site near Fandango Pass
Fandango Pass
The Fandango Pass is a gap in the Warner Mountains of Modoc County, California, USA. Located in the Modoc National Forest, its elevation is above sea level...
at the base of the Warner Mountains
Warner Mountains
The Warner Mountains are an 85-mile-long mountain range running north-south through northeastern California and extending into southern Oregon in the United States...
in the north end of Surprise Valley, and orders to build the fort were issued on June 10, 1865. Although Surprise Valley settlers desired Army protection, ranchers dispossessed of lands for the fort complained, and claimed damages from the Army.
The fort was built in 1865 amid escalating fighting with the Snake Indians
Snake Indians
Snake Indians is the common name given by American immigrants on the Oregon Trail to the bands of Northern Paiute, Bannock and Shoshone Native Americans in the Snake River and Owyhee River valleys of southern Idaho and Eastern Oregon...
of eastern Oregon and southern Idaho. It was a base for operations in the Snake War
Snake War
The Snake War was a war fought by the United States of America against the "Snake Indians", the settlers' term for Northern Paiute, Bannock and western Shoshone bands who lived along the Snake River. Fighting took place in the states of Oregon, Nevada, and California, and in Idaho Territory...
that lasted until 1868, the Battle of Infernal Caverns
Infernal Caverns
Infernal Caverns is the site of an 1867 battle between U.S. armed forces and Shoshone, Paiute, and Pit River Indians. Infernal Caverns Battleground is California Historical Landmark No. 16....
in 1867 with General George Crook, the Modoc War
Modoc War
The Modoc War, or Modoc Campaign , was an armed conflict between the Native American Modoc tribe and the United States Army in southern Oregon and northern California from 1872–1873. The Modoc War was the last of the Indian Wars to occur in California or Oregon...
of 1872–73 and the Bannock
Bannock (tribe)
The Bannock tribe of the Northern Paiute are an indigenous people of the Great Basin. Their traditional lands include southeastern Oregon, southeastern Idaho, western Wyoming, and southwestern Montana...
and Nez Perce campaign
Nez Perce War
The Nez Perce War was an armed conflict between the Nez Perce and the United States government fought in 1877 as part of the American Indian Wars. After a series of battles in which both the U.S. Army and native people sustained significant casualties, the Nez Perce surrendered and were relocated...
s. Although traffic dwindled on the Red Bluff route once the Central Pacific Railroad
Central Pacific Railroad
The Central Pacific Railroad is the former name of the railroad network built between California and Utah, USA that formed part of the "First Transcontinental Railroad" in North America. It is now part of the Union Pacific Railroad. Many 19th century national proposals to build a transcontinental...
extended into Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
in 1868, the Army staffed Fort Bidwell to quell various uprisings and disturbances until 1890.
Both Fort Bidwell and Camp Bidwell
Camp Bidwell
Camp Bidwell, later Camp Chico was a U. S. Army post during the American Civil War. Camp Bidwell was named for John Bidwell, the founder of the nearby town of Chico, California and a that time a Brigadier General of the California Militia. It was established a mile outside Chico, by Lt. Col....
, near Chico, California
Chico, California
Chico is the most populous city in Butte County, California, United States. The population was 86,187 at the 2010 census, up from 59,954 at the time of the 2000 census...
were named for General John Bidwell. However, Camp Bidwell was commissioned in 1863, was renamed Camp Chico by the time Fort Bidwell was commissioned in 1865, and was decommissioned in 1893. Observing confusion between the two, Robert W. Pease explained that such a transfer of name between outposts was a common Army practice of the time.
The Fort Bidwell post office opened in 1868. A 1913 book described Fort Bidwell as having a population of about 200, and containing a school and reservation for the Paiute
Paiute
Paiute refers to three closely related groups of Native Americans — the Northern Paiute of California, Idaho, Nevada and Oregon; the Owens Valley Paiute of California and Nevada; and the Southern Paiute of Arizona, southeastern California and Nevada, and Utah.-Origin of name:The origin of...
people.
Demographics
The 2010 United States Census reported that Fort Bidwell had a population of 173. 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 53.8 people per square mile (20.8/km²). The racial makeup of Fort Bidwell was 75 (43.4%) White, 2 (1.2%) African American, 76 (43.9%) Native American, 0 (0.0%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 10 (5.8%) 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 10 (5.8%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23 persons (13.3%).
The Census reported that 173 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 79 households, out of which 17 (21.5%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 24 (30.4%) 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, 16 (20.3%) had a female householder with no husband present, 3 (3.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 7 (8.9%) 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. 30 households (38.0%) were made up of individuals and 14 (17.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19. There were 43 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...
(54.4% of all households); the average family size was 2.95.
The population was spread out with 35 people (20.2%) under the age of 18, 26 people (15.0%) aged 18 to 24, 29 people (16.8%) aged 25 to 44, 51 people (29.5%) aged 45 to 64, and 32 people (18.5%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.5 years. For every 100 females there were 80.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.5 males.
There were 126 housing units at an average density of 39.2 per square mile (15.1/km²), of which 45 (57.0%) were owner-occupied, and 34 (43.0%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 14.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 12.8%. 80 people (46.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 93 people (53.8%) lived in rental housing units.
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...
Fort Bidwell is located in the 1st 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 Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Dave Cox
Dave Cox
David E. Cox was an American politician from Holdenville, Oklahoma. A Republican, he served as a California State Senator, representing the 1st district from December 2004 until his death in July 2010, and also served as an California State Assemblyman for the six years immediately before his...
, and in the 2nd 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 Republican Jim Nielsen
Jim Nielsen
James Wiley Nielsen is an American politician from California and a member of the Republican party. Nielsen served on the Yolo County Republican Committee before winning election to the California State Senate in 1978...
. Federally, Fort Bidwell is located in California's 4th congressional district
California's 4th congressional district
California's 4th congressional district is a congressional district located in the U.S. state of California. It covers the northeastern corner of California along Route 395, encompassing El Dorado, Placer, Nevada, Sierra, Plumas, Lassen, and Modoc counties, as well as parts of Butte County...
, which has a Cook PVI
Cook Partisan Voting Index
The Cook Partisan Voting Index , sometimes referred to as simply the Partisan Voting Index , is a measurement of how strongly an American congressional district or state leans toward one political party compared to the nation as a whole...
of R +11 and is represented by Republican Tom McClintock
Tom McClintock
Thomas Miller McClintock II is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party. He is a former Assemblyman and state Senator...
.