Alpaugh, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alpaugh
|
|
|---|---|
Location in Tulare County and the state of California
|
|
 Alpaugh, California
Location in the United States
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Tulare |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.42 sq mi (1.08 km2) |
| • Land | 0.42 sq mi (1.08 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) 0% |
| Elevation | 213 ft (65 m) |
| Population
(2020)
|
|
| • Total | 871 |
| • Density | 2,083.73/sq mi (804.37/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code |
93201
|
| Area code(s) | 559 |
| FIPS code | 06-01164 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1660246 |
Alpaugh is a small community in Tulare County, California, United States. It is known as a census-designated place (CDP). This means it's a special area defined by the government for counting people.
In 2020, about 871 people lived in Alpaugh. The town is named after John Alpaugh. He was involved with a group called the Home Extension Colony. This group helped develop the land where the town now stands.
Contents
Where is Alpaugh?
Alpaugh is located in Tulare County, California. It covers about 0.42 square miles (1.08 square kilometers) of land.
The town sits on what used to be the edge of Tulare Lake. This lake was once the biggest freshwater lake in the USA, besides the Great Lakes. Other towns like Lemoore and Kettleman City are also built near its old shoreline.
Even though it's near a historic lakebed, Alpaugh faces challenges with its water. The local water supply has high levels of arsenic. Because of this, many people in Alpaugh use bottled water for drinking and cooking.
Alpaugh's Past
Alpaugh's location was once an island or a narrow piece of land. It was near the large and rich Tulare Lake. People sometimes called it Hog Island or Root Island. A lawyer named A.J. Atwell used to raise hogs on this island.
Tulare Lake was very important long ago. It supported many Native American groups. It also had a big fishing industry and lots of wildlife. The island was a regular stop for the lake's ferry service.
The lake was last completely full in 1878. Since then, water has been taken from its sources. This has caused the lake to shrink a lot. Today, it is only a tiny part of what it once was. People are working to increase the lake's size again. This would help with water storage and wildlife.
How Alpaugh Was Founded
Real estate developers from Los Angeles helped create Alpaugh. They were part of the California Home Extension Association. This group also helped start other towns like Wasco.
In 1905, a newspaper article announced the purchase of 11,000 acres for a new town. The article said 800 families, about 3,000 people, would move there. They planned to improve the land around the town. This would make the new town of Alpaugh very valuable.
Eight Hundred Families to Settle in the Beautiful and Productive San Joaquin Valley for Homes and Profit
Alpaugh is the name of the new town in Tulare county, that was selected by the board of directors of the California Home Extension association and was visited by 200 members last week, all of whom are delighted with the choice of their governing board.
Everything will now be made ready for the 800 families, consisting of about 3000 people, who will assemble in Los Angeles to go in a body to the new town and settle within a few weeks.
In January 1906, another article shared more plans. It said that town lots would be given out to the new settlers. This would allow businesses to build quickly. They wanted to have everything ready for the many people moving in.
Announcement is made by the California Home Extension association that the town lots in the new townsite of Alpaugh, in Tulare county, will be distributed to colonists on Thursday afternoon, January 25, in Blanchard hall, 233 South Broadway.
The newspaper also mentioned a new business. The Second Home Extension Produce company was formed. Its goal was to build a factory in Alpaugh. This factory would process vegetables and fruits. This would give local farmers a place to sell their crops.
In 1920 and 1921, important discoveries were made near Alpaugh. Large oil and gas fields were found.
People of Alpaugh
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2000 | 761 | — | |
| 2010 | 1,026 | 34.8% | |
| 2020 | 871 | −15.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2010, Alpaugh had a population of 1,026 people. Most of the people were of Hispanic or Latino background (84.5%). About 37.1% were White.
There were 226 households in Alpaugh. Many households (62.8%) had children under 18 living there. The average household size was about 4.5 people.
The population was quite young. About 42.3% of the people were under 18 years old. The average age in Alpaugh was 21.8 years.
Railroads in Alpaugh
Alpaugh has a special railroad line. It is called the West Isle Line. This is a private railroad owned by Western Farm Services.
Since 1998, the West Isle Line has used the "Alpaugh Branch." This branch was once part of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. The Alpaugh Branch is about 6 miles (10 kilometers) long. It was built in 1914.
The West Isle Line runs east from Alpaugh. It connects with the BNSF Railway at a place called "Stoil."
See also
In Spanish: Alpaugh para niños
