Spreckels, California
Encyclopedia
Spreckels is a census-designated place
(CDP) located in the Salinas Valley
of Monterey County, California
, United States. Spreckels is located 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Salinas
, at an elevation of 62 feet (19 m). The population was 673 at the 2010 census, up from 485 at the 2000 census.
Spreckels is one of the best-preserved company towns in the United States
. It was built to house workers for the Spreckels Sugar Company
plant which operated there from 1899 until 1982, named after its founder "Sugar King" Claus Spreckels. When it opened, the Spreckels plant was the world's largest sugar beet
factory, each day consuming 13 million gallons of water (much of it pumped from wells) to process 3000 tons of beets.
One of the many remarkable aspects of this town are its abrupt boundaries, surrounded on all sides by rich agricultural fields that begin immediately where town's streets and lots end. This produces an experience akin to being on a small island in a sea of green vegetation.
Spreckels is associated with the writer John Steinbeck
, who lived and worked there for a time, and used it as a setting in Tortilla Flat
. (Spreckels was used as a location for the 1955 Steinbeck movie East of Eden.)
In 2004 controversy erupted in Spreckels when the Tanimura family, which owns the fields around the town, declared that a 1907 plat
in its possession gave it the right to build 73 housing units on its land—-an act which would increase the town's size by 40%. A legal battle over the status and definition of "antiquated maps" ensued.
In an out-of-court settlement, the Tanimura company agreed to a requirement that the houses maintain the style and spirit of the town. Although the lots have white picket fences and landscaping, developers failed to avoid a "cookie-cutter" design. The new homes are large and set close together and generally uniform in appearance.
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²), all of it land.
, who built a sugar mill at the site.
was 5,509.4 people per square mile (2,127.2/km²). The racial makeup of Spreckels was 483 (71.8%) White, 0 (0.0%) African American, 13 (1.9%) Native American, 26 (3.9%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 130 (19.3%) from other races
, and 21 (3.1%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 193 persons (28.7%).
The Census reported that 673 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 229 households, out of which 89 (38.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 134 (58.5%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, 27 (11.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 12 (5.2%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 7 (3.1%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
, and 2 (0.9%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 45 households (19.7%) were made up of individuals and 17 (7.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.94. There were 173 families
(75.5% of all households); the average family size was 3.38.
The population was spread out with 172 people (25.6%) under the age of 18, 44 people (6.5%) aged 18 to 24, 173 people (25.7%) aged 25 to 44, 208 people (30.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 76 people (11.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.4 years. For every 100 females there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.7 males.
There were 246 housing units at an average density of 2,013.8 per square mile (777.6/km²), of which 160 (69.9%) were owner-occupied, and 69 (30.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 2.8%. 467 people (69.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 206 people (30.6%) lived in rental housing units.
of 2000, there were 485 people, 171 households, and 127 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 3,629.3 people per square mile (1,440.5/km²). There were 176 housing units at an average density of 1,317.0 per square mile (522.7/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 86.39% White, 0.62% African American, 1.65% Native American, 2.68% Asian, 6.80% from other races
, and 1.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 27.63% of the population.
There were 171 households out of which 40.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.7% were married couples
living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.7% were non-families. 17.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.20.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 29.1% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $58,009, and the median income for a family was $51,250. Males had a median income of $22,250 versus $24,750 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $19,752. None of the families and 1.1% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and none of those over 64.
The elementary school is the only school in town.
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) located in the Salinas Valley
Salinas Valley
The Salinas Valley lies south of San Francisco, California.The word "salina" is spanish for salt marsh, salt lake or salt pan.-Geography:The Salinas Valley runs approximately south-east from Salinas towards King City. The valley lends its name to the geologic province in which it's located, the...
of Monterey County, California
Monterey County, California
Monterey County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, its northwestern section forming the southern half of Monterey Bay. The northern half of the bay is in Santa Cruz County. As of 2010, the population was 415,057. The county seat and largest city is Salinas...
, United States. Spreckels is located 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Salinas
Salinas, California
Salinas is the county seat and the largest municipality of Monterey County, California. Salinas is located east-southeast of the mouth of the Salinas River, at an elevation of about 52 feet above sea level. The population was 150,441 at the 2010 census...
, at an elevation of 62 feet (19 m). The population was 673 at the 2010 census, up from 485 at the 2000 census.
Spreckels is one of the best-preserved company towns in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was built to house workers for the Spreckels Sugar Company
Spreckels Sugar Company
The Spreckels Sugar Company is an American sugar beet refiner that for many years controlled much of the U.S. West Coast refined sugar market. Spreckels Sugar was founded by entrepreneur, industrialist, newspaper publisher, and railroad executive Claus Spreckels in 1881...
plant which operated there from 1899 until 1982, named after its founder "Sugar King" Claus Spreckels. When it opened, the Spreckels plant was the world's largest sugar beet
Sugar beet
Sugar beet, a cultivated plant of Beta vulgaris, is a plant whose tuber contains a high concentration of sucrose. It is grown commercially for sugar production. Sugar beets and other B...
factory, each day consuming 13 million gallons of water (much of it pumped from wells) to process 3000 tons of beets.
One of the many remarkable aspects of this town are its abrupt boundaries, surrounded on all sides by rich agricultural fields that begin immediately where town's streets and lots end. This produces an experience akin to being on a small island in a sea of green vegetation.
Spreckels is associated with the writer John Steinbeck
John Steinbeck
John Ernst Steinbeck, Jr. was an American writer. He is widely known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden and the novella Of Mice and Men...
, who lived and worked there for a time, and used it as a setting in Tortilla Flat
Tortilla Flat
Tortilla Flat is an early John Steinbeck novel set in Monterey, California. The novel was the author's first clear critical and commercial success....
. (Spreckels was used as a location for the 1955 Steinbeck movie East of Eden.)
In 2004 controversy erupted in Spreckels when the Tanimura family, which owns the fields around the town, declared that a 1907 plat
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
in its possession gave it the right to build 73 housing units on its land—-an act which would increase the town's size by 40%. A legal battle over the status and definition of "antiquated maps" ensued.
In an out-of-court settlement, the Tanimura company agreed to a requirement that the houses maintain the style and spirit of the town. Although the lots have white picket fences and landscaping, developers failed to avoid a "cookie-cutter" design. The new homes are large and set close together and generally uniform in appearance.
Geography
Spreckels is located at 36°37′19"N 121°38′49"W. It is about 4 miles south of Salinas, CaliforniaSalinas, California
Salinas is the county seat and the largest municipality of Monterey County, California. Salinas is located east-southeast of the mouth of the Salinas River, at an elevation of about 52 feet above sea level. The population was 150,441 at the 2010 census...
.
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 has a total area of 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²), all of it land.
History
The Spreckels post office opened in 1898. The name honors Claus SpreckelsClaus Spreckels
Claus Spreckels, formally Adolph Claus J. Spreckels , , was a major industrialist in Hawai'i during the kingdom, republican and territorial periods of the islands' history...
, who built a sugar mill at the site.
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Spreckels had a population of 673. 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 5,509.4 people per square mile (2,127.2/km²). The racial makeup of Spreckels was 483 (71.8%) White, 0 (0.0%) African American, 13 (1.9%) Native American, 26 (3.9%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 130 (19.3%) 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 21 (3.1%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 193 persons (28.7%).
The Census reported that 673 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 229 households, out of which 89 (38.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 134 (58.5%) 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, 27 (11.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 12 (5.2%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 7 (3.1%) 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 2 (0.9%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 45 households (19.7%) were made up of individuals and 17 (7.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.94. There were 173 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...
(75.5% of all households); the average family size was 3.38.
The population was spread out with 172 people (25.6%) under the age of 18, 44 people (6.5%) aged 18 to 24, 173 people (25.7%) aged 25 to 44, 208 people (30.9%) aged 45 to 64, and 76 people (11.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.4 years. For every 100 females there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.7 males.
There were 246 housing units at an average density of 2,013.8 per square mile (777.6/km²), of which 160 (69.9%) were owner-occupied, and 69 (30.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 2.8%. 467 people (69.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 206 people (30.6%) 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 485 people, 171 households, and 127 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 3,629.3 people per square mile (1,440.5/km²). There were 176 housing units at an average density of 1,317.0 per square mile (522.7/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 86.39% White, 0.62% African American, 1.65% Native American, 2.68% Asian, 6.80% 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 1.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 27.63% of the population.
There were 171 households out of which 40.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.7% 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, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.7% were non-families. 17.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.20.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 29.1% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $58,009, and the median income for a family was $51,250. Males had a median income of $22,250 versus $24,750 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 $19,752. None of the families and 1.1% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and none of those over 64.
The elementary school is the only school in town.