Three Rivers, California
Three Rivers | |
|---|---|
 Location in Tulare County and the state of California | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County | Tulare |
| Area | |
| • Total | 44.505 sq mi (115.269 km2) |
| • Land | 44.505 sq mi (115.269 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) 0% |
| Elevation | 843 ft (257 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 2,182 |
| • Density | 49/sq mi (19/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code | 93271 |
| Area code | 559 |
| FIPS code | 06-78638 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 1661569, 2409316 |
Three Rivers is a census designated place (CDP) in the San Joaquin Valley and Sierra Nevada (U.S.) in Tulare County, California, United States. The population was 2,182 at the 2010 census, down from 2,248 at the 2000 census.
The town's name comes from its location near the junction of the North, Middle, and South Forks of the Kaweah River.
Geography
Three Rivers is located at 36°27′15″N, 118°53′11″W (36.454212, -118.886466)[1]. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 44.5 square miles (115 km2), all land.
Three Rivers is located in the Kaweah River canyon, just above Lake Kaweah. Surrounding terrain is marked by oak woodland forest and foothills. The Kaweah River drainage is a very short river drainage, and quickly terrain climbs from around 1000 ft. ASL in Three Rivers to 3,000-5,000 ft ASL on the surrounding hills, and upward to 14,000+ ft ASL at Mt. Whitney, fifty miles to the East.
Climate
| Climate data for Three Rivers, California | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 79 (26) |
85 (29) |
89 (32) |
100 (38) |
106 (41) |
112 (44) |
112 (44) |
114 (46) |
109 (43) |
102 (39) |
88 (31) |
78 (26) |
114 (46) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 58.7 (14.8) |
63.0 (17.2) |
68.0 (20.0) |
74.4 (23.6) |
84.0 (28.9) |
92.6 (33.7) |
99.0 (37.2) |
97.9 (36.6) |
92.3 (33.5) |
80.5 (26.9) |
66.2 (19.0) |
58.2 (14.6) |
77.9 (25.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 35.4 (1.9) |
38.3 (3.5) |
41.3 (5.2) |
44.3 (6.8) |
50.8 (10.4) |
58.0 (14.4) |
64.3 (17.9) |
63.1 (17.3) |
57.8 (14.3) |
48.7 (9.3) |
40.1 (4.5) |
35.1 (1.7) |
48.1 (8.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 20 (−7) |
19 (−7) |
23 (−5) |
22 (−6) |
33 (1) |
39 (4) |
33 (1) |
32 (0) |
28 (−2) |
26 (−3) |
23 (−5) |
16 (−9) |
16 (−9) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 4.58 (116) |
4.33 (110) |
4.22 (107) |
2.16 (55) |
0.93 (24) |
0.31 (7.9) |
0.09 (2.3) |
0.02 (0.51) |
0.48 (12) |
1.12 (28) |
2.70 (69) |
3.90 (99) |
24.83 (631) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 7.7 | 8.6 | 8.4 | 6.0 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 1.1 | 3.0 | 5.5 | 7.8 | 52.4 |
| Source: NOAA (normals 1981−2010)[3] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
2010
The 2010 United States Census[4] reported that Three Rivers had a population of 2,182. The population density was 49.0 people per square mile (18.9/km²). The racial makeup of Three Rivers was 1,976 (90.6%) White, 7 (0.3%) African American, 27 (1.2%) Native American, 31 (1.4%) Asian, 1 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 75 (3.4%) from other races, and 65 (3.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 212 people (9.7%).
The Census reported that 2,177 people (99.8% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 5 (0.2%) were institutionalized.
There were 1,018 households, out of which 207 (20.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 519 (51.0%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 65 (6.4%) had a female householder with no husband present, 33 (3.2%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 35 (3.4%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 10 (1.0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 341 households (33.5%) were made up of individuals and 159 (15.6%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14. There were 617 families (60.6% of all households); the average family size was 2.71.
The population was spread out with 354 people (16.2%) under the age of 18, 90 people (4.1%) aged 18 to 24, 369 people (16.9%) aged 25 to 44, 837 people (38.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 532 people (24.4%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 52.3 years. For every 100 females there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.4 males.
There were 1,312 housing units at an average density of 29.5 per square mile (11.4/km²), of which 741 (72.8%) were owner-occupied, and 277 (27.2%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.6%. 1,604 people (73.5% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 573 people (26.3%) lived in rental housing units.
2000
As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 2,248 people, 985 households, and 659 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 49.6 people per square mile (19.1/km²). There were 1,217 housing units at an average density of 26.8 per square mile (10.4/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 89.86% White, 0.22% African American, 1.29% Native American, 0.67% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 3.74% from other races, and 4.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.58% of the population.
There were 985 households out of which 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.9% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.75.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 20.9% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 20.3% from 25 to 44, 32.1% from 45 to 64, and 22.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.5 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $42,727, and the median income for a family was $48,843. Males had a median income of $39,355 versus $31,875 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $23,475. About 7.5% of families and 9.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.3% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.
Three Rivers was one site of a handful of U.S. boarding schools run by the Hare Krishna movement. These schools, called "gurukulas," were closed by the mid-1980s. Other locations included Los Angeles; Moundsville, W. Va.; and Dallas.
Three Rivers has one K-8 school with around 150 children. The school's high API scores consistently rank it near the top for schools in Tulare County.
The two national parks, Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Park which border the town to the northeast, are the prime attraction of Three Rivers.
History
Kaweah Colony
In 1886, a group of utopian socialists founded an intentional community along the upper North Fork of the Kaweah River. Named Kaweah Colony, it was inspired by the ideas of Laurence Gronlund. When Congress created Sequoia National Park they lost their timber claims and in 1891 were ordered off the land.[6]
Rhodesian pioneers
The Three Rivers cemetery contains the bodies of nine Rhodesian pioneers who lived in Africa ca. 1900 and fought in several wars:
- Frederick Russell Burnham (May 11, 1861 - September 1, 1947),[7] best known for his service in the First Matabele War, Second Matabele War, the Second Boer War, and for teaching woodcraft (i.e., scoutcraft) to Robert Baden-Powell, becoming one of the inspirations to the founding of the Boy Scouts and recognized today as the father of the international scouting movement.[8]
- Blanche Blick Burnham (February 23, 1862 - December 22, 1939),[9] wife of Fred Burnham, lived in Africa during the First Matabele War and the Second Matabele War.[8]
- Roderick Deane Burnham (August 22, 1886 - July 1, 1976),[10] son of Fred & Blanche Burnham, moved to Africa at age four and lived there from 1893-1897. Served in World War I and went on to lead a rich and adventurous life after finding oil at Dominguez Hills.[8]
- John Charles Blick (September 11, 1875 – 1960),[11] who fought and won a famous hand-to-hand duel with a Ndebele after the charge broke the impis on their last effort to take Bulawayo in the Second Matabele War.[8]
- Judd Dunning Blick (March 17, 1873 - December 9, 1951),[12] participated in the Barotseland expedition of 1895, during which he and his party nearly died of thirst, and fought in the Second Matabele War.[8]
- Pearl "Pete" Ingram (1871 - December 11, 1933),[13] a Montana cowboy who was one of only three men to survive the Shangani Patrol (along with Burnham) during the First Matabele War.[8] Also fought in the Second Matabele War.[8] At the time of death, he had a son, Ray Ingram of Pasadena and two grandchildren.[14]
- Grace Blick Ingram (July 22, 1870 - May 22, 1951),[15] wife of Pete Ingram and a member of the Blick clan.[8]
- Homer Ephraim Blick (January 22, 1865 - December 1947),[16] fought in the Second Matabele War.[8] Married Linnie Adell Nye (April 8, 1866 - June 1943),[17] Fairview, Kansas, on October 17, 1886.
- James Shannon Blick or Blickensderfer (November 15, 1833 - October 14, 1916).[18] Born in Blue Ridge, Pennsylvania, the son of Joseph von Blickensderfer and Catherine von Neiswanger, married Phoebe Eleanor Dunning (November 18, 1840 - March 18, 1923),[19] on September 29, 1858 in Marion County, Indiana. Patriarch of the Blick family, a carpenter and painter by trade, fought in the Second Matabele War.[8]
The Burnhams and Blicks started a 5,000-acre (20 km2) cattle ranch, La Cuesta, in Three Rivers and built homes there. The scenery at Three Rivers is said to be almost identical to that of the Rhodesian kopje country.[20] La Cuesta was sold by John and Judd Blick in 1947 for $90,000.[21]
Mineral King and Walt Disney
In the 1960s and 70s, Walt Disney had plans to develop a ski resort at Mineral King. Ultimately, these plans were withdrawn when Mineral King was annexed into Sequoia National Park in 1978.
Artists' colony
In the 1960s several local artists held exhibitions in the old Apple House on the North Fork Drive. Some of these artists included Adrian Green, Gene Gray, Caroll Barnes, Frank Treuting, Jean Caulfeild and Pauline Whitsun. Present day artists open their studios every other year for the Three Rivers Artists' Biennial Studio Tour, which was started in 1994 by Elsah Cort (then associated with the Cort Gallery.) More than thirty artists are living and working in Three Rivers, including Mona Fox Selph, James Entz, and Aranga Firstman, who all taught at College of the Sequoias in Visalia, California. Other well-known artists are Martha Widmann, Rick Badgley, Jana Botkin, Nikki Crain, Tina St. John, Wendy McKellar, Nadi Spencer and Martin Pugh.
The Arts Alliance of Three Rivers is the local arts organization, started in 1985, with many local artists and art patrons as members. It sponsors the annual Redbud Arts and Craft Festival every May. It also established the Lorraine Young Scholarship Fund, which awards art scholarships to local Three Rivers graduating high school students. This fund was established by the Arts Alliance in honor of the many years of service Lorraine gave to both the Arts Alliance and to the community of Three Rivers. The Arts Alliance became a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization in 2010.
Monthly, on the first Saturday of the month, artists display their wares and businesses provide discounts to "First Saturday" patrons.
Politics
In the state legislature, Three Rivers is located in the 18th Senate District, represented by Republican Jean Fuller and formerly held by Republican Roy Ashburn, and in the 23rd Assembly District, represented by Democrat Marc Berman.[22]
In the United States House of Representatives, Three Rivers is in California's 23rd congressional district, represented by Republican Jay Obernolte.[23]
Hiram Lara is the honorary mayor of three rivers from 1984 to present. He has been a resident of three rivers since 1972.[citation needed]
Schools
- Three Rivers Union School District (K-8, average attendance: 157 students)[24]
- Woodlake Union High School (9-12), Three Rivers Students usually go to high school in Woodlake, CA
Three Rivers is home to the Diocese of Fresno's St. Anthony Retreat Center and Santa Teresita Youth Conference Center. Three Rivers is home to Riata Ranch International, a world renowned Western Performance Arts Training Facility and home of the World Famous Riata Ranch Cowboy Girls.
References
- ^ "2010 Census U.S. Gazetteer Files – Places – California". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ "Three Rivers". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
- ^ "NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
- ^ "2010 Census Interactive Population Search: CA - Three Rivers CDP". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "The History of Kaweah Colony". The Kaweah Commonwealth. Retrieved March 3, 2012.
- ^ Brian H. (Oct 28, 2006). "Frederick Russell Burnham". Find a Grave. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Lott, J. P. (March 1977). "Major F. R. Burnham, D.S.O". Rhodesiana. 36. Salisbury: The Rhodesiana Society: 67–70. ISSN 0556-9605. OCLC 1904759.
- ^ Thomas (Dec 10, 2007). "Blanche Blick Burnham". Find a Grave. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
- ^ Thomas (Dec 10, 2007). "Roderick Deane Burnham". Find a Grave. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
- ^ Thomas (Dec 10, 2007). "John C. Blick". Find a Grave. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
- ^ Thomas (Dec 10, 2007). "Judd Dunning Blick". Find a Grave. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
- ^ Rose (Dec 31, 2007). "Peter Ingram". Find a Grave. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
- ^ "Boer War Hero Laid to Last Rest". Los Angeles Times: 8. December 12, 1931.
- ^ Thomas (Dec 10, 2007). "Grace P Blick Ingram". Find a Grave. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
- ^ Shawn Wm Price (May 18, 2011). "Homer Blick". Find a Grave. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
- ^ Shawn Wm Price (May 18, 2011). "Linnie Nye". Find a Grave. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
- ^ Thomas (Dec 10, 2007). "James Shannon Blick". Find a Grave. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
- ^ Thomas (Dec 10, 2007). "Phoebe Eleanor Dunning Blick". Find a Grave. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
- ^ Lott, J. "Jack" P (March 1977). "Major F. R. Burnham, D.S.O". Rhodesiana Magazine. 36: 68. ISSN 0556-9605.
- ^ "Ranch Sells for $90,000". Los Angeles Times. February 8, 1947.
{{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Statewide Database". UC Regents. Retrieved October 22, 2014.
- ^ "California's 23rd Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
- ^ "School Districts". Tulare County Office of Education. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
External links
- The Kaweah Commonwealth: Weekly newspaper and visitor information online
- Three Rivers Village information
- Sequoia Foothills Chamber of Commerce
- Blog about happenings in the Three Rivers area
- Sequoia and Kings Canyon official website
- Three Rivers Historical Museum
