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Mariposa, California

Coordinates: 37°29′06″N 119°57′59″W / 37.48500°N 119.96639°W / 37.48500; -119.96639
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(Redirected from Mariposa, CA)
Not to be confused with Maricopa, California.

Mariposa
Census-designated place
Dusk in downtown Mariposa
Dusk in downtown Mariposa
Location in Mariposa County and the state of California
Location in Mariposa County and the state of California
Mariposa is located in California
Mariposa
Mariposa
Mariposa is located in the United States
Mariposa
Mariposa
Coordinates: 37°29′06″N 119°57′59″W / 37.48500°N 119.96639°W / 37.48500; -119.96639
Country United States
State California
County Mariposa
Area
[1]
 • Total
4.040 sq mi (10.46 km2)
 • Land4.037 sq mi (10.46 km2)
 • Water0.003 sq mi (0.008 km2)  0.07%
Elevation
[2]
1,949 ft (594 m)
Population
 (2020)[3]
 • Total
1,526
 • Density378.0/sq mi (145.9/km2)
Time zoneUTC-8 (Pacific Time Zone)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code
95338
Area code209
FIPS code06-45932
GNIS feature IDs1659063,[4] 2408181[5]

Mariposa (/ˌmærɪˈpoʊzə, -sə/ ⓘ;[6] Spanish for "Butterfly") is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in and the county seat of Mariposa County, California, United States.[7] The population was 1,526 at the 2020 census.[3] The community is named after the flocks of monarch butterflies seen overwintering there by early explorers.

Geography

[edit]
Historic Spanish Colonial Revival style Mariposa County High School, built in 1914.

Mariposa is located at 37°29′06″N 119°57′59″W / 37.48500°N 119.96639°W / 37.48500; -119.96639,[2] at 1,949 feet (594 m) in elevation. It lies in the rugged foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Mariposa Creek flows through the town. The urban area's soil is mostly brown to reddish brown loam of the Blasingame series. A gravelly loam is mapped as the Boomer series.[citation needed] These soils support thick grassland plus trees such as blue oak, black oak, gray pine, and ponderosa pine. To the west-northwest of town is a large area of sparse vegetation and rockland on which is found serpentine soil of the Henneke series.

California State Routes 49 and 140 cross in Mariposa, merging for 0.8 miles (1.3 km) as the town's main street. Highway 49 leads southeast 27 miles (43 km) to end at Oakhurst and northwest the same distance to Coulterville. Highway 140 leads southwest 36 miles (58 km) to Merced in the San Joaquin Valley and northeast 42 miles (68 km) to Yosemite Valley.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 4.04 square miles (10.46 km2), all but 0.07% of it land.[1] The community lies in the valley of Mariposa Creek, which flows south and then southwest into the San Joaquin Valley.

Mariposa County includes much of Yosemite National Park, and a good deal of the local economy is related to the park and tourism. The two-story county courthouse, constructed in 1854, is the oldest in continuous use west of the Rockies.[citation needed] Tours are available.

The county lies at the southern end of the Mother Lode, and outsiders were attracted to Mariposa by gold. During the 19th century California Gold Rush, its streams were panned, and deep mines worked the underground veins. At one time, John C. Frémont lived here and owned claims to much of the mineral wealth of Mariposa. He later was the first United States senator from the state and the first Republican candidate for President.

Climate

[edit]

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Mariposa has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (abbreviated "Csa" on climate maps) and wet winters.[8]

Climate data for Mariposa, 1991–2020 simulated normals (2142 ft elevation)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 56.8
(13.8) 		58.1
(14.5) 		62.1
(16.7) 		66.7
(19.3) 		76.5
(24.7) 		86.4
(30.2) 		93.9
(34.4) 		93.4
(34.1) 		87.8
(31.0) 		77.0
(25.0) 		64.8
(18.2) 		56.3
(13.5) 		73.3
(23.0)
Daily mean °F (°C) 46.4
(8.0) 		47.7
(8.7) 		50.9
(10.5) 		54.5
(12.5) 		62.4
(16.9) 		70.9
(21.6) 		78.4
(25.8) 		77.7
(25.4) 		72.5
(22.5) 		63.0
(17.2) 		52.7
(11.5) 		46.0
(7.8) 		60.3
(15.7)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 36.1
(2.3) 		37.2
(2.9) 		39.9
(4.4) 		42.3
(5.7) 		48.6
(9.2) 		55.4
(13.0) 		63.0
(17.2) 		62.1
(16.7) 		57.2
(14.0) 		48.9
(9.4) 		40.8
(4.9) 		35.6
(2.0) 		47.3
(8.5)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 6.23
(158.12) 		5.18
(131.55) 		4.66
(118.24) 		2.42
(61.55) 		1.13
(28.73) 		0.31
(7.93) 		0.07
(1.82) 		0.03
(0.79) 		0.17
(4.24) 		1.62
(41.13) 		2.63
(66.91) 		5.41
(137.34) 		29.86
(758.35)
Average dew point °F (°C) 35.4
(1.9) 		37.9
(3.3) 		41.0
(5.0) 		41.9
(5.5) 		44.4
(6.9) 		46.0
(7.8) 		47.8
(8.8) 		45.5
(7.5) 		42.8
(6.0) 		39.7
(4.3) 		37.9
(3.3) 		34.5
(1.4) 		41.2
(5.1)
Source: PRISM Climate Group[9]

History

[edit]

Early Inhabitants and Spanish Naming

[edit]

Before Spanish arrival, the Southern Sierra Miwok lived in what is now Mariposa. In 1806, a Spanish priest traveling with early California explorer Gabriel Moraga named the area. When the expedition came upon a creek filled with thousands of yellow butterflies, they called it “Las Mariposas,” the Spanish word for butterflies.[10]

Mariposa County Courthouse

Rancho Las Mariposas

[edit]
Further information: Rancho Las Mariposas and John C. Frémont
Fremont’s Fort historical marker near Mariposa.

In 1847, John C. Frémont purchased a 70-square-mile land parcel known as Las Mariposas for $3,000.[11] Formerly owned by Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado, the ranch turned profitable once Frémont discovered a five-mile quartz vein producing hundreds of pounds of placer gold monthly. Its “floating grant” status, however, sparked extensive property and mineral-rights disputes. Squatters and mining companies contested ownership until 1856, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Frémont’s favor. The Mariposa Estate covered 44,000 acres in the heart of the Mother Lode region, where gold pockets in quartz veins could yield between $100 and $30,000. By 1915, total output surpassed $12 million in gold.[12][11]

Founding of Mariposa

[edit]

Mariposa’s rise as a gold rush boom town began along a seasonal trickle called Agua Fría, where prospectors—lured by tales of glimmering placer gold—pitched their first camp.[13][13] When floods and fires during the winter of 1849–1850 forced them to higher ground, they relocated near Mariposa Creek, establishing a bustling county seat by 1851. The historic courthouse, completed in 1854, still stands.

Mariposa War

[edit]
Further information: Mariposa War
Etching of Mariposa in 1860, it was used as the logo for Mariposa Gazette newspaper[14]
Etching of Mac' Dermont & Co building on Main Street, 1861[15]

During the early 1850s, tensions between local Native tribes—primarily the Southern Sierra Miwok—and white settlers peaked, prompting the Mariposa War.[16] The conflict stemmed largely from the presence of miners and the trading operations of James Savage along the Merced River and Mariposa Creek.[16] Alarmed by escalating violence, Mariposa residents formed volunteer militias. With state backing, these militias eventually secured control of the area.[16] Modern historians also consider the Mariposa War part of the California Genocide, and it indirectly led to the so-called “discovery” and naming of Yosemite Valley. By the late 19th century, many Miwok people had been forced from their ancestral lands.

Twentieth Century and Beyond

[edit]

In 1914, voters in Mariposa County narrowly approved the creation of a county high school. Following a bond measure of $12,000 and the donation of nearly eight acres of land by the Mariposa Commercial and Mining Company, the school’s permanent campus opened in 1917.[17]

During World War II, the U.S. Army constructed the Mariposa Auxiliary Field (1942–1945) to train pilots; post-war, the site was redeveloped as today’s Mariposa-Yosemite Airport.[18]

On July 18, 2017, the town was evacuated due to the rapidly spreading Detwiler Fire, which threatened Mariposa and its surroundings.[19]

Demographics

[edit]

2010

[edit]

At the 2010 census, Mariposa had a population of 2,173. The population density was 168.7 inhabitants per square mile (65.1/km2). The racial makeup of Mariposa was 1,895 (87.2%) White, 10 (0.5%) African American, 105 (4.8%) Native American, 30 (1.4%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 59 (2.7%) from other races, and 74 (3.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 215 people (9.9%).[20]

The census reported that 2,098 people (96.5% of the population) lived in households, 12 (0.6%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 63 (2.9%) were institutionalized.

There were 1,013 households, 237 (23.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 365 (36.0%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 140 (13.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 40 (3.9%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 60 (5.9%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 2 (0.2%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 413 households (40.8%) were one person and 235 (23.2%) had someone who was 65 or older living alone. The average household size was 2.07. There were 545 families (53.8% of households); the average family size was 2.77.

The age distribution was 434 people (20.0%) under the age of 18, 130 people (6.0%) aged 18 to 24, 389 people (17.9%) aged 25 to 44, 631 people (29.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 589 people (27.1%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 49.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.4 males.

There were 1,143 housing units at an average density of 88.7 per square mile. Of the occupied units, 529 (52.2%) were owner-occupied, and 484 (47.8%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.4%, and the rental vacancy rate was 5.8%. 1,082 people (49.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units, and 1,016 people (46.8%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

[edit]

At the 2000 census, 1,373 people, 676 households, and 327 families were in the CDP. The population density was 426.4 inhabitants per square mile (164.6/km2). There were 754 housing units at an average density of 234.1 per square mile (90.4/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 86.8% White, 0.6% African American, 6.3% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 1.8% from other races, and 3.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.8%.[21]

Of the 676 households, 21.6% had children under 18 living with them, 31.4% were married couples, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.5% were non-families. 47.6% of households were one person and 27.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 1.94 and the average family size was 2.77.

The age distribution was 20.6% under 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 27.0% 65 or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.7 males.

The median household income was $18,144, and the median family income was $27,344. Males had a median income of $26,771 versus $26,635 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $22,436. About 28.0% of families and 24.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.5% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.

Government and public safety

[edit]

Government representation

[edit]

In the California State Legislature, Mariposa is in the 8th Senate District, represented by Democrat Angelique Ashby, and in the 5th Assembly District, represented by Republican Joe Patterson.[22] The County is administered by its elected five-member County Board of Supervisors.

Policing and public safety

[edit]

The county's policing agency is the Mariposa County Sheriff and staff. The Mariposa County Fire Department provides fire protection and emergency medical aid.[23]

Notable residents

[edit]

Some living past and present notable residents in alphabetical order include:

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "2021 U.S. Gazetteer Files: California". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  2. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Mariposa, California
  3. ^ a b "P1. Race – Mariposa CDP, California: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  4. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Mariposa
  5. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Mariposa Census Designated Place
  6. ^ "mariposa". Dictionary.com Unabridged (Online). n.d.
  7. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  8. ^ Climate Summary for Mariposa, California
  9. ^ "PRISM Climate Group at Oregon State University". Northwest Alliance for Computational Science & Engineering (NACSE), based at Oregon State University. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
  10. ^ "On Hold Narratives". Mariposa County. Mariposa County Government. Retrieved January 12, 2025.
  11. ^ a b "STATES MINING INTERESTS Expert Writes of Possibilities Along The Mother Lode". Amador Ledger-Dispatch. December 17, 1915. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
  12. ^ "Parcel of Large Fremont Grant Sold". Merced County Sun. Vol. XLI, no. 37. December 6, 1912. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
  13. ^ a b Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Clovis, Calif.: Word Dancer Press. p. 799. ISBN 1-884995-14-4.
  14. ^ "Mariposa Gazette 5 March 1861 — California Digital Newspaper Collection". cdnc.ucr.edu. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
  15. ^ "Mariposa Gazette 8 January 1861 — California Digital Newspaper Collection". cdnc.ucr.edu. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
  16. ^ a b c Bunnell, Lafayette H. (1892). "Chapter I". Discovery of the Yosemite. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
  17. ^ "History of the High School," Mariposa Gazette, Volume LXIII, Number 36, 26 January 1918. Retrieved January 12, 2025.
  18. ^ militarymuseum.org Mariposa Auxiliary Field
  19. ^ "Evacuation of Mariposa ordered due to Detwiler Fire". KFSN-TV, Fresno. ABC 30 Action News. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  20. ^ "2010 Census Interactive Population Search: CA - Mariposa CDP". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
  21. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  22. ^ "Statewide Database". UC Regents. Archived from the original on February 1, 2015. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  23. ^ website provided data for the two agencies
  24. ^ "Jon Leicester Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
[edit]
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