Groveland-Big Oak Flat, California
Encyclopedia
Groveland-Big Oak Flat is a former census-designated place
(CDP) in Tuolumne County
, California
, United States
. The population was 3,388 at the 2000 census. This CDP included the communities of Groveland
, Big Oak Flat and Pine Mountain Lake (PML)
.
The CDP was abolished prior to the 2010 census, and Groveland
and Pine Mountain Lake
were made into CDPs.
The town hosts an annual 49er Festival on the 3rd Saturday of September, hosted by the Yosemite Chamber of Commerce, http://www.YosemiteChamberofCommerce.com. Groveland is the location of the Groveland Ranger District office of the Stanislaus National Forest. The Groveland Community Services District provides services, including fire protection, to the community . The Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Tuolumne-Calaveras Ranger Unit, Battalion 16, has a Forest Fire Station west of Groveland on State Route 120
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 28.8 square miles (74.6 km²), of which, 28.5 square miles (73.8 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²) of it (0.90%) is water.
Groveland has cold, wet winters and very warm, mostly dry summers. Average January temperatures are a maximum of 57.5°F and a minimum of 30.2°F. Average July temperatures are a maximum of 90.8°F and a minimum of 54.2°F. There are an average of 32.4 days with highs of 90°F (32°C) or higher and an average of 81.6 days with lows of 32°F (0°C) or lower. The highest recorded temperature was 103°F on July 26, 1980, and the lowest recorded temperature was -2°F on January 30, 1916.
Annual precipitation averages 37.28 inches. There are an average of 58 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was 1982 with 66.95 inches and the dryest year was 1976 with 12.27 inches. The most precipitation in one month was 30.76 inches in January 1911. The most precipitation in 24 hours was 8.26 inches on January 27, 1914. Average annual snowfall is 15.3 inches. The snowiest year was 1967 with 65.0 inches. The most snow in one month was 42.0 inches in April 1967.
of 2000, there were 3,388 people, 1,533 households, and 1,100 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 118.7 people per square mile (45.8/km²). There were 2,904 housing units at an average density of 101.7 per square mile (39.3/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.62% White, 0.65% African American, 1.59% Native American, 0.71% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 1.06% from other races
, and 3.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.93% of the population.
There were 1,533 households out of which 18.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.9% were married couples
living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 22.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.55.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 17.4% under the age of 18, 3.3% from 18 to 24, 16.5% from 25 to 44, 34.0% from 45 to 64, and 28.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 54 years. For every 100 females there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.5 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $41,928, and the median income for a family was $48,386. Males had a median income of $39,861 versus $21,161 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $27,394. About 2.6% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.3% of those under age 18 and 2.0% of those age 65 or over.
Hetch-Hetchy water project for the city of San Francisco. Groveland is adjacent to the Stanislaus National Forest
and is known for the historic Iron Door Saloon
, the gated community of Pine Mountain Lake
which boasts its own local newspaper called The Pine Mountain Lake News http://pinemountainlake.com/?pg=pmlnews, and the nursery/gallery/general store Mountain Sage.
The community of Big Oak Flat was founded by James D. Savage who began mining the area about 1851. In some works, Savage is credited as discovering the Yosemite
Valley about 1848. He is also identified as one of the first persons of European ancestry to enter the valley, (March 27, 1851). Others of European ancestry may have seen the valley as early as 1833.
Groveland is also home of the Tioga High School Timberwolves and the Tenaya Elementary Warriors.
Groveland was originally a gold rush town and then became a sleepy farming community until the San Francisco Hetch Hetchy water project made it their headquarters and built a railroad yard and hospital for the work crews (both now gone). From 1915 till 1935 Groveland was a boom town supporting seven hotels, 10,000 residents and much activity. When the work crews left the town again became a minor stop on the way to Yosemite until the Boise Cascade company built the Pine Mountain Lake community with a first class golf course, an airport and lake and staked out 5000 lots. This development has since grown from a summer home area to a retirement community to a thriving neighborhood with year round families, boosting the once sleepy Groveland to a travel and vacation destination in its own right.
Groveland is the main town on the Highway 120 route to Yosemite National Park, and boasts numerous lodging and restaurant businesses. The local Community Park features picnic tables, BBQ pits, a skate park and basketball court area, children's playground, bandstand and lawn seating for music and summer Movies in the Park events, public toilets and parking, and the Groveland Museum and Library. There is free Wireless Internet in the park area, provided by a joint effort between Hotel & Cafe Charlotte and the Groveland Community Services District.
In addition to lodging and eateries, local businesses include a Grocery Market, Pharmacy, Medical Clinic, Emergency Services, Fire Department headquarters, and many boutique gift shops. There are places to buy tire chains in the winter, as well as snow shoes and other winter equipment, plus camping and backpacking supplies during the summer months. Local tour guide companies offer custom "they drive you" trips into Yosemite Valley, and local White Water Rafting companies offer trips on the Tuolumne River nearby.
Groveland-Big Oak Flat is located in the 14th Senate
District, represented by Republican
Tom Berryhill
, and in the 25th Assembly
District, represented by Republican Kristin Olsen
. Federally, Groveland-Big Oak Flat is located in California's 19th congressional district
, which has a Cook PVI
of R +10 and is represented by Republican Jeff Denham
.
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 Tuolumne County
Tuolumne County, California
Tuolumne County is a county in the Sierra Nevada of the U.S. state of California. The northern half of Yosemite National Park is located in the eastern part of the county. As of the 2010 census, the population was 55,365, up from 54,501 at the 2000 census...
, 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 3,388 at the 2000 census. This CDP included the communities of Groveland
Groveland, California
Groveland is a census-designated place in Tuolumne County, California. Groveland sits at an elevation of . The 2010 United States census reported Groveland's population was 601....
, Big Oak Flat and Pine Mountain Lake (PML)
Pine Mountain Lake, California
Pine Mountain Lake is a private gated community and a census-designated place in Tuolumne County, California. It is located eight tenths of a mile to the north and east of Groveland. Pine Mountain Lake sits at an elevation of . The 2010 United States census reported Pine Mountain Lake's...
.
The CDP was abolished prior to the 2010 census, and Groveland
Groveland, California
Groveland is a census-designated place in Tuolumne County, California. Groveland sits at an elevation of . The 2010 United States census reported Groveland's population was 601....
and Pine Mountain Lake
Pine Mountain Lake, California
Pine Mountain Lake is a private gated community and a census-designated place in Tuolumne County, California. It is located eight tenths of a mile to the north and east of Groveland. Pine Mountain Lake sits at an elevation of . The 2010 United States census reported Pine Mountain Lake's...
were made into CDPs.
The town hosts an annual 49er Festival on the 3rd Saturday of September, hosted by the Yosemite Chamber of Commerce, http://www.YosemiteChamberofCommerce.com. Groveland is the location of the Groveland Ranger District office of the Stanislaus National Forest. The Groveland Community Services District provides services, including fire protection, to the community . The Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Tuolumne-Calaveras Ranger Unit, Battalion 16, has a Forest Fire Station west of Groveland on State Route 120
California State Route 120
State Route 120 , in northern California, runs between the Central Valley near Manteca, through Yosemite National Park, and ends at U.S. Route 6 in Mono County.-Route description:...
.
Geography and climate
Groveland-Big Oak Flat is located at 37.845867°N 120.207697°W. Elevation is _________ ft.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 28.8 square miles (74.6 km²), of which, 28.5 square miles (73.8 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²) of it (0.90%) is water.
Groveland has cold, wet winters and very warm, mostly dry summers. Average January temperatures are a maximum of 57.5°F and a minimum of 30.2°F. Average July temperatures are a maximum of 90.8°F and a minimum of 54.2°F. There are an average of 32.4 days with highs of 90°F (32°C) or higher and an average of 81.6 days with lows of 32°F (0°C) or lower. The highest recorded temperature was 103°F on July 26, 1980, and the lowest recorded temperature was -2°F on January 30, 1916.
Annual precipitation averages 37.28 inches. There are an average of 58 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was 1982 with 66.95 inches and the dryest year was 1976 with 12.27 inches. The most precipitation in one month was 30.76 inches in January 1911. The most precipitation in 24 hours was 8.26 inches on January 27, 1914. Average annual snowfall is 15.3 inches. The snowiest year was 1967 with 65.0 inches. The most snow in one month was 42.0 inches in April 1967.
Demographics
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 3,388 people, 1,533 households, and 1,100 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 118.7 people per square mile (45.8/km²). There were 2,904 housing units at an average density of 101.7 per square mile (39.3/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.62% White, 0.65% African American, 1.59% Native American, 0.71% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 1.06% 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 3.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.93% of the population.
There were 1,533 households out of which 18.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.9% 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, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 22.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.55.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 17.4% under the age of 18, 3.3% from 18 to 24, 16.5% from 25 to 44, 34.0% from 45 to 64, and 28.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 54 years. For every 100 females there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.5 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $41,928, and the median income for a family was $48,386. Males had a median income of $39,861 versus $21,161 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 $27,394. About 2.6% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.3% of those under age 18 and 2.0% of those age 65 or over.
History
Groveland has always been an important stop on the highway to Yosemite but really grew in the early 1900s with the development of the Tuolumne RiverTuolumne River
The Tuolumne River is a California river that flows nearly from the central Sierra Nevada to the San Joaquin River in the Central Valley...
Hetch-Hetchy water project for the city of San Francisco. Groveland is adjacent to the Stanislaus National Forest
Stanislaus National Forest
Stanislaus National Forest contains in four counties in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Northern California. It was established on February 22, 1897, making it one of the oldest national forests...
and is known for the historic Iron Door Saloon
Iron Door Saloon
The Iron Door Saloon is located in Groveland, California, about twenty five miles from the entrance of Yosemite National Park. According to its proprietors, is the oldest continuously operating saloon in California. It remains a popular tourist stop on the main road between The Bay Area and...
, the gated community of Pine Mountain Lake
Pine Mountain Lake, California
Pine Mountain Lake is a private gated community and a census-designated place in Tuolumne County, California. It is located eight tenths of a mile to the north and east of Groveland. Pine Mountain Lake sits at an elevation of . The 2010 United States census reported Pine Mountain Lake's...
which boasts its own local newspaper called The Pine Mountain Lake News http://pinemountainlake.com/?pg=pmlnews, and the nursery/gallery/general store Mountain Sage.
The community of Big Oak Flat was founded by James D. Savage who began mining the area about 1851. In some works, Savage is credited as discovering the Yosemite
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...
Valley about 1848. He is also identified as one of the first persons of European ancestry to enter the valley, (March 27, 1851). Others of European ancestry may have seen the valley as early as 1833.
Groveland is also home of the Tioga High School Timberwolves and the Tenaya Elementary Warriors.
Groveland was originally a gold rush town and then became a sleepy farming community until the San Francisco Hetch Hetchy water project made it their headquarters and built a railroad yard and hospital for the work crews (both now gone). From 1915 till 1935 Groveland was a boom town supporting seven hotels, 10,000 residents and much activity. When the work crews left the town again became a minor stop on the way to Yosemite until the Boise Cascade company built the Pine Mountain Lake community with a first class golf course, an airport and lake and staked out 5000 lots. This development has since grown from a summer home area to a retirement community to a thriving neighborhood with year round families, boosting the once sleepy Groveland to a travel and vacation destination in its own right.
Groveland is the main town on the Highway 120 route to Yosemite National Park, and boasts numerous lodging and restaurant businesses. The local Community Park features picnic tables, BBQ pits, a skate park and basketball court area, children's playground, bandstand and lawn seating for music and summer Movies in the Park events, public toilets and parking, and the Groveland Museum and Library. There is free Wireless Internet in the park area, provided by a joint effort between Hotel & Cafe Charlotte and the Groveland Community Services District.
In addition to lodging and eateries, local businesses include a Grocery Market, Pharmacy, Medical Clinic, Emergency Services, Fire Department headquarters, and many boutique gift shops. There are places to buy tire chains in the winter, as well as snow shoes and other winter equipment, plus camping and backpacking supplies during the summer months. Local tour guide companies offer custom "they drive you" trips into Yosemite Valley, and local White Water Rafting companies offer trips on the Tuolumne River nearby.
Sources
- Map: "Stanislaus National Forest, California," U.S. Forest Service, 1979.
- Browning, Peter, "Place Names of the Sierra Nevada," (Berkeley, California: Wilderness Press, 1991).
- Hotel & Cafe Charlotte (Groveland, CA)
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...
Groveland-Big Oak Flat is located in the 14th 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...
Tom Berryhill
Tom Berryhill
Tom Berryhill is a Republican politician in the United States who currently represents the 14th district in the California State Senate...
, and in the 25th 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 Kristin Olsen
Kristin Olsen
Kristin Olsen is an American politician currently serving in the California State Assembly. She is a Republican representing the 25th district, encompassing Calaveras, Mariposa, Mono, and Tuolumne counties, and parts of Madera and Stanislaus counties...
. Federally, Groveland-Big Oak Flat is located in California's 19th congressional district
California's 19th congressional district
California's 19th congressional district is a congressional district located in the U.S. state of California that covers parts of Fresno, Madera, Mariposa, Tuolumne, and Stanislaus counties....
, 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 +10 and is represented by Republican Jeff Denham
Jeff Denham
Jeffrey John "Jeff" Denham is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party.He previously served two terms in the California State Senate, representing the 12th District, which includes Madera, Merced, Monterey, San Benito and Stanislaus counties. Denham was the second...
.