Furnace Creek, California
Encyclopedia
Furnace Creek is a census-designated place
(CDP) in Inyo County
, California
, United States
. The population was 24 at the 2010 census, down from 31 at the 2000 census
. The elevation of the village is 190 feet (57.9 m) below sea level.
The Visitor Center
, Museum
, and headquarters of the Death Valley National Park
are located at Furnace Creek. Furnace Creek is surrounded by a number of Park Service public campgrounds.
Two of the Park's major tourist facilities, the Furnace Creek Inn and Furnace Creek Ranch
, are located here. The Furnace Creek Golf
Course (originally Death Valley Golf Course) attached to the Ranch claims to be the lowest in the world, at 214 feet (65.2 m) below sea level. Most of the lodging is closed in the summer, when temperatures can surpass 125 °F (51.7 °C), but the golf course remains open; the resort went so far as to establish a summer tournament in 2011 called the Heatstroke Open, which drew a field of 48. There is also a restaurant, cafe, store, and gas station in Furnace Creek village. The Furnace Creek Airport
is located about 0.75 miles (1.2 km) west of the park headquarters.
, the CDP has a total area of 31.5 square miles (81.6 km²), over 99% of it being land.
Springs in the Amargosa Range
created a natural oasis
at Furnace Creek, which has subsequently dwindled due to diversion of this water to support the village.
Furnace Creek has the distinction of holding the record for the highest ever recorded temperature
in North America, reaching 134°F (56.7 °C) on July 13, 1913.
Native Americans
have lived in Death Valley and at the Furnace Creek oasis, their ancestral homeland, for centuries. The tribe currently live at their Death Valley Indian Community reservation here. The Timbisha people provided many of the artisans and builders to construct the original Fred Harvey Company
resort buildings, the Indian Village
, and Park Service structures. They were one of the first tribes to secure tribal status through the Bureau of Indian Affairs
' Federal Acknowledgment Process.
In present times, as the federally recognized Death Valley Timbisha Shoshone Band of California
, they are the majority residents of Furnace Creek's permanent population at the tribe's reservation, the 'Death Valley Indian Community.'
Furnace Creek was formerly the center of Death Valley
mining and operations for the Pacific Coast Borax Company
and the historic 20 Mule Teams hauling wagon trains of borax
across the Mojave Desert
.
was 0.8 people per square mile (0.3/km²). The racial makeup of Furnace Creek was six (25.0%) White, 16 (66.7%) Native American and two (8.3%) from two or more races.
The Census reported that 24 people (100% of the population) lived in households.
There were 15 households, out of which two (13.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, four (26.7%) were opposite-sex married couples
living together, four (20.0%) had a female householder with no husband present. There were no unmarried opposite-sex partnerships
or same-sex married couples or partnerships. Eight households (53.3%) were made up of individuals and three (20.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.60. There were seven families
(46.7% of all households); the average family size was 2.29.
The population comprised two people (8.3%) under the age of 18, two people (8.3%) aged 18 to 24, five people (20.8%) aged 25 to 44, nine people (37.5%) aged 45 to 64, and six people (25.0%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 52.0 years.
There were 18 housing units at an average density of 0.6 per square mile (0.2/km²), of which 11 (73.3%) were owner-occupied, and four (26.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0%; the rental vacancy rate was 0%. 19 people (79.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and five people (20.8%) lived in rental housing units.
of 2000, there were 31 people, 15 households, and 9 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 1.0 persons per square mile (0.4/km²). There were 18 housing units at an average density of 0.6 per square mile (0.2/km²). There were six White
people and 25 Native Americans
.
There were 15 households out of which four had children under the age of 18 living with them, five were married couples
living together, three had a female householder with no husband present, and six were non-families. Six of the households were made up of individuals and two had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.07 and the average family size was 2.33.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 19.4% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 22.6% from 25 to 44, 32.3% from 45 to 64, and 19.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 106.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.3 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $25 625, and the median income for a family was $32 500. Males had a median income of $21 250 versus $30 000 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $14 929. There were 12.5% of families and 20.8% of the population living below the poverty line, including everyone under eighteen and nobody over 64.
Furnace Creek is located in the 18th Senate
District, represented by Republican
Jean Fuller
, and in the 34th Assembly
District, represented by Republican Connie Conway
. Federally, Furnace Creek is located in California's 25th congressional district
, which has a Cook PVI
of R +7 and is represented by Republican Buck McKeon
.
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) in Inyo County
Inyo County, California
-National protected areas:* Death Valley National Park * Inyo National Forest * Manzanar National Historic Site-Major highways:* U.S. Route 6* U.S. Route 395* State Route 127* State Route 136* State Route 168* State Route 178...
, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 24 at the 2010 census, down from 31 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. The elevation of the village is 190 feet (57.9 m) below sea level.
The Visitor Center
Visitor center
A visitor center or centre , visitor information center, tourist information center, is a physical location that provides tourist information to the visitors who tour the place or area locally...
, Museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
, and headquarters of the Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park is a national park in the U.S. states of California and Nevada located east of the Sierra Nevada in the arid Great Basin of the United States. The park protects the northwest corner of the Mojave Desert and contains a diverse desert environment of salt-flats, sand dunes,...
are located at Furnace Creek. Furnace Creek is surrounded by a number of Park Service public campgrounds.
Two of the Park's major tourist facilities, the Furnace Creek Inn and Furnace Creek Ranch
Furnace Creek Inn and Ranch Resort
The Furnace Creek Inn and Ranch Resort is a privately owned luxury resort in California's Death Valley National Park operated by Xanterra.-Furnace Creek Inn:...
, are located here. The Furnace Creek Golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
Course (originally Death Valley Golf Course) attached to the Ranch claims to be the lowest in the world, at 214 feet (65.2 m) below sea level. Most of the lodging is closed in the summer, when temperatures can surpass 125 °F (51.7 °C), but the golf course remains open; the resort went so far as to establish a summer tournament in 2011 called the Heatstroke Open, which drew a field of 48. There is also a restaurant, cafe, store, and gas station in Furnace Creek village. The Furnace Creek Airport
Furnace Creek Airport
Furnace Creek Airport is a public airport located west of Furnace Creek, Death Valley, serving Inyo County, California, USA. This general aviation airport covers and has one runway. At MSL, it is the lowest elevation airport in North America....
is located about 0.75 miles (1.2 km) west of the park headquarters.
Geography and climate
According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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 31.5 square miles (81.6 km²), over 99% of it being land.
Springs in the Amargosa Range
Amargosa Range
The Amargosa Range is a mountain range in Inyo County, California and Nye County, Nevada. The range runs along most of the eastern side of California's Death Valley, separating it from Nevada's Amargosa Desert...
created a natural oasis
Oasis
In geography, an oasis or cienega is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source...
at Furnace Creek, which has subsequently dwindled due to diversion of this water to support the village.
Furnace Creek has the distinction of holding the record for the highest ever recorded temperature
Temperature
Temperature is a physical property of matter that quantitatively expresses the common notions of hot and cold. Objects of low temperature are cold, while various degrees of higher temperatures are referred to as warm or hot...
in North America, reaching 134°F (56.7 °C) on July 13, 1913.
History
The TimbishaTimbisha
The Timbisha are a Native American tribe federally recognized as the Death Valley Timbisha Shoshone Band of California. They are known as the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe and are located in south central California, near the Nevada border.-History:The Timbisha have lived in the Death Valley region of...
Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
have lived in Death Valley and at the Furnace Creek oasis, their ancestral homeland, for centuries. The tribe currently live at their Death Valley Indian Community reservation here. The Timbisha people provided many of the artisans and builders to construct the original Fred Harvey Company
Fred Harvey Company
The origin of the Fred Harvey Company can be traced to the 1875 opening of two railroad eating houses located at Wallace, Kansas and Hugo, Colorado on the Kansas Pacific Railway. These cafés were opened by Fred Harvey, then a freight agent for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad...
resort buildings, the Indian Village
Indian Village, California
Indian Village is an unincorporated community in Furnace Creek, Death Valley of Inyo County, California.Indian Village lies at an elevation of 197 feet below sea level. Indian Village is located in the Death Valley Indian Community reservation of the federally recognized tribe of Death Valley...
, and Park Service structures. They were one of the first tribes to secure tribal status through the Bureau of Indian Affairs
Bureau of Indian Affairs
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is an agency of the federal government of the United States within the US Department of the Interior. It is responsible for the administration and management of of land held in trust by the United States for Native Americans in the United States, Native American...
' Federal Acknowledgment Process.
In present times, as the federally recognized Death Valley Timbisha Shoshone Band of California
Timbisha
The Timbisha are a Native American tribe federally recognized as the Death Valley Timbisha Shoshone Band of California. They are known as the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe and are located in south central California, near the Nevada border.-History:The Timbisha have lived in the Death Valley region of...
, they are the majority residents of Furnace Creek's permanent population at the tribe's reservation, the 'Death Valley Indian Community.'
Furnace Creek was formerly the center of Death Valley
Death Valley
Death Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below...
mining and operations for the Pacific Coast Borax Company
Pacific Coast Borax Company
The Pacific Coast Borax Company was a United States mining company founded in 1890 by the American borax magnate Francis "Borax" Smith, the "Borax King".-History:...
and the historic 20 Mule Teams hauling wagon trains of borax
Borax
Borax, also known as sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, or disodium tetraborate, is an important boron compound, a mineral, and a salt of boric acid. It is usually a white powder consisting of soft colorless crystals that dissolve easily in water.Borax has a wide variety of uses...
across the Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
.
2010
The 2010 United States Census reported that Furnace Creek had a population of 24. 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 0.8 people per square mile (0.3/km²). The racial makeup of Furnace Creek was six (25.0%) White, 16 (66.7%) Native American and two (8.3%) from two or more races.
The Census reported that 24 people (100% of the population) lived in households.
There were 15 households, out of which two (13.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, four (26.7%) 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, four (20.0%) had a female householder with no husband present. There were no 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....
or same-sex married couples or partnerships. Eight households (53.3%) were made up of individuals and three (20.0%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.60. There were seven 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...
(46.7% of all households); the average family size was 2.29.
The population comprised two people (8.3%) under the age of 18, two people (8.3%) aged 18 to 24, five people (20.8%) aged 25 to 44, nine people (37.5%) aged 45 to 64, and six people (25.0%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 52.0 years.
There were 18 housing units at an average density of 0.6 per square mile (0.2/km²), of which 11 (73.3%) were owner-occupied, and four (26.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0%; the rental vacancy rate was 0%. 19 people (79.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and five people (20.8%) 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 31 people, 15 households, and 9 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 1.0 persons per square mile (0.4/km²). There were 18 housing units at an average density of 0.6 per square mile (0.2/km²). There were six White
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...
people and 25 Native Americans
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...
.
There were 15 households out of which four had children under the age of 18 living with them, five 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, three had a female householder with no husband present, and six were non-families. Six of the households were made up of individuals and two had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.07 and the average family size was 2.33.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 19.4% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 22.6% from 25 to 44, 32.3% from 45 to 64, and 19.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 106.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.3 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $25 625, and the median income for a family was $32 500. Males had a median income of $21 250 versus $30 000 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 $14 929. There were 12.5% of families and 20.8% of the population living below the poverty line, including everyone under eighteen and nobody over 64.
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...
Furnace Creek is located in the 18th 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...
Jean Fuller
Jean Fuller
Jean Fuller is a U.S. politician who serves in the California State Senate. A Republican, she was previously a member of the California Assembly and the Superintendent of Schools for the Bakersfield City School District....
, and in the 34th 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 Connie Conway
Connie Conway
Connie Conway is a Republican politician from California. She is currently in the California State Assembly and is the Assemblymember from the 34th district which takes in many parts of California's Central Valley and High Desert areas. Prior to serving in the Assembly, Conway served as a Tulare...
. Federally, Furnace Creek is located in California's 25th congressional district
California's 25th congressional district
California's 25th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California that covers part of Los Angeles County and extends out to broad stretches of interior California along the Nevada border. It includes the cities of Santa Clarita, Palmdale, Lancaster, and the...
, 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 +7 and is represented by Republican Buck McKeon
Howard McKeon
Howard Philip "Buck" McKeon is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education and career:...
.