Clarksburg, California
Encyclopedia
Clarksburg is a census-designated place
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 Yolo County, 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 on the Sacramento River
Sacramento River
The Sacramento River is an important watercourse of Northern and Central California in the United States. The largest river in California, it rises on the eastern slopes of the Klamath Mountains, and after a journey south of over , empties into Suisun Bay, an arm of the San Francisco Bay, and...

, in the extreme southeastern corner of the county. It lies at an elevation of 10 feet (3 m) in ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...

 95612 and area code 916
Area code 916
North American area code 916 is an area code based in Sacramento, California. The telephone area code was one of the first three original area codes established in California in October, 1947. It covered the far northern portion of the state. It was split in a flash-cut on October, 26, 1957, at...

.

Geography

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 2.0 square miles (5.3 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

The 2010 United States Census reported that Clarksburg had a population of 418. 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 206.0 people per square mile (79.5/km²). The racial makeup of Clarksburg was 339 (81.1%) White, 2 (0.5%) African American, 2 (0.5%) Native American, 16 (3.8%) Asian, 1 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 37 (8.9%) 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 (5.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 109 persons (26.1%).

The Census reported that 418 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.

There were 168 households, out of which 51 (30.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 102 (60.7%) 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, 11 (6.5%) had a female householder with no husband present, 10 (6.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 4 (2.4%) 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 1 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 40 households (23.8%) were made up of individuals and 14 (8.3%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49. There were 123 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...

 (73.2% of all households); the average family size was 2.96.

The population was spread out with 96 people (23.0%) under the age of 18, 27 people (6.5%) aged 18 to 24, 63 people (15.1%) aged 25 to 44, 140 people (33.5%) aged 45 to 64, and 92 people (22.0%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48.7 years. For every 100 females there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.4 males.

There were 182 housing units at an average density of 89.7 per square mile (34.6/km²), of which 115 (68.5%) were owner-occupied, and 53 (31.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0%; the rental vacancy rate was 10.0%. 270 people (64.6% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 148 people (35.4%) lived in rental housing units.

History

Clarksburg has been settled in stages dating back as early as the 1850s when Merritt Island was first cleared and developed for agricultural uses. Postal authorities first established a post office in 1876, under the name "Clarksburgh" and changed the name to "Clarksburg" in 1893. The town was named after Robert C. Clark who settled at the place in 1849. In the 1920s the New Holland Land Company began subdividing the tracts in the area and formally established Clarksburg as an unincorporated community. Clarksburg is unique among small California towns in that many of the families who initially settled the area are still present, thus lending a small-town and almost East Coast charm to the community.

Present Day

The community is mostly centered on the two churches in town, the Holland Market, the volunteer fire department, and the three schools. The 1930s era Old Sugar Mill (which closed in 1988) is now the center of development with 125 new homes proposed for construction on the property. This will be the first significant development since the Old Sugar Mill was built in the 1930s. The project is currently stayed by the Delta Protection Commission until it is made compliant with their Resource and Management Plan. Appeals were made to this State of California commission by the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Concerned Citizens of Clarksburg. As of February 2008 the Old Sugar Mill development was involved in significant litigation. A portion of the original Old Sugar Mill is now home to a modern wine tasting and production facility.

The Bogle Winery on Merritt Island has become the most famous of the Clarksburg appellation
Appellation
An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown; other types of food often have appellations as well...

 vintners with their wines being sold worldwide and being served at the White House as of 2007.

The population in 2008 is approximately 300. This is an approximation as the community borders are undefined and opinions on what outlying areas are actually part of Clarksburg vary from one source to the next. The portion of Sacramento County directly across the Sacramento River was once considered part of the community due to the ferry crossing that existed at Clarksburg from 1920 until the Freeport Bridge opened on New Year's Day in 1930. The ferry itself sank in November, 1928. Some of the older members of the community still refer to that adjoining area of Sacramento County as Clarksburg for that reason.

Education in Clarksburg is primarily through the schools of the River Delta Unified School District
River Delta Unified School District
The River Delta Unified School District is located in Sacramento County, California. It also extends into Solano and Yolo County.-Schools:The district consists of the following schools:Elementary Schools*****Middle School*Clarksburg Middle School *...

.

Architectural Heritage

Architect William Raymond Yelland would spend summers in Clarksburg with family. W.R. Yelland designed several buildings in the town of Clarksburg including several homes, The Clarksburg Community Church and the Sugar Mill. W.R. Yelland is most noted for his Arts and crafts
Arts and crafts
Arts and crafts comprise a whole host of activities and hobbies that are related to making things with one's hands and skill. These can be sub-divided into handicrafts or "traditional crafts" and "the rest"...

 and Storybook Houses
Storybook houses
A Storybook House refers to an architectural style popularized in the 1920s in England and America.The storybook style is a nod toward Hollywood design technically called Provincial Revivalism and more commonly called Fairy Tale or Hansel and Gretel...

 of the 1920s and 1930s.

Industry and Agriculture

What few industries that exist in the area are mostly involved in supporting the agricultural concerns of the area. Agriculture in the area principally includes wine grapes, dichondra
Dichondra
Dichondra is a small genus of flowering plants in the family Convolvulaceae. They are prostrate perennial herbaceous plants, with creeping stems which take root readily at the leaf nodes...

 grass seed, and tomatoes. Alfalfa
Alfalfa
Alfalfa is a flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae cultivated as an important forage crop in the US, Canada, Argentina, France, Australia, the Middle East, South Africa, and many other countries. It is known as lucerne in the UK, France, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, and known as...

 is also found to occur but it is not the principal crop as it was prior to the 1920s.

Events and Culture

The Paul Reese Memorial Clarksburg Country Run occurs every November as it has since 1965 and includes a 20 miles (32.2 km) race, a half-marathon, a 5k fun run, and children's events.

The Friends of the Clarksburg Library sponsor The Wines of Clarksburg fundraiser every year to support the local library. The event is typically hosted at the New Holland Land Company's former site and the event is a good excuse to view this example of historic, California Delta architecture.

Notable people

  • Debra Bowen
    Debra Bowen
    Debra Lynn Bowen , a member of the Democratic Party, has been Secretary of State of California since January 8, 2007. Before that she was a member of the California State Legislature from 1992 to 2006. In March 2008, she was given the Profile in Courage Award by the John F. Kennedy Presidential...

    , California Secretary of State and former state legislator from Marina del Rey lives in Clarksburg
  • Timothy Busfield
    Timothy Busfield
    Timothy "Timmy B" Busfield is an American actor and director best known for his role as Eliot Weston on the television series Thirtysomething and his recurring role as Danny Concannon on the television series The West Wing...

     Actor on The West Wing, lived in Clarksburg for several years in the 90's and early 00's.
  • Charles Carroll "Tony" Eason
    Tony Eason
    Charles Carroll "Tony" Eason, IV is a former quarterback. He played college football for the University of Illinois and professional football for the New England Patriots and New York Jets .-Early years:Eason grew up in Walnut Grove, California, and attended Delta High School in Clarksburg,...

    , IV (born October 8, 1959 in Blythe, California) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for the New England Patriots and New York Jets. Eason retired after the 1990 NFL season and currently resides in California. Tony Eason attended Delta High School in Clarksburg, California
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