Big Bend, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Big Bend Madesi Valley
unincorporated area census-designated place
Location in Shasta County and the state of California
Country	United States
State	California
Area
• Total	5.82 sq mi (15.08 km2)
• Land	5.74 sq mi (14.85 km2)
• Water	0.09 sq mi (0.23 km2)  1.53%
Elevation	1,701 ft (514 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	79
• Density	13.78/sq mi (5.32/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code	96011
Area code(s)	530
FIPS code	06-06475
GNIS feature ID	0256886

Big Bend is a small community in Shasta County, located in northeastern California. It's named "Big Bend" because the Pit River makes a large curve, or "bend," right through the area. This place is the traditional home of the Madesi tribe, a group of Native Americans.

According to the 2020 census, Big Bend has a population of 79 people. This number was 102 in the 2010 census. The United States Census Bureau officially calls Big Bend a "census-designated place" (CDP) for counting purposes.

History of Big Bend

Native American History

For thousands of years, Big Bend was the main area for the Madesi tribe. They are one of nine groups of Native Americans who spoke the Achomawi language. The Madesi people lived in Big Bend and the surrounding areas along the Lower Pit River. They also lived near smaller rivers like Kosk Creek and Nelson Creek.

The main village of the Madesi was called Mah-dess or Mah-dess' Atjwam (Madesi Valley). It was on the north side of the Pit River. Across the river were smaller villages near hot springs. The Madesi people had plenty of food. They ate acorns, deer, salmon, and other fish from the river.

Early Settlers in Big Bend

Big Bend was a very remote and isolated place. Because of this, the Madesi tribe was one of the last indigenous peoples of California to be affected by new settlers. In the 1860s, white settlers started to arrive in Big Bend. By then, not many Madesi people were left in the area. The new settlers began to claim the land.

By the 1890s, Big Bend was a small, quiet town. It was built around the hot springs. The settlers first called the town Elena in 1890. Then, in 1906, they changed the name to Henderson. Finally, in 1922, they started calling it "Big Bend."

Early settlers built a log hotel with a post office and a saloon near the main hot springs. Many people visited Big Bend in the early 1900s. They came to soak in the hot springs, believing the mineral water had healing powers.

Big Bend grew slowly until the late 1930s. That's when the Pacific Gas and Electric Company started building the Pit Five Hydroelectric Dam and Power House. This project brought many jobs and people to Big Bend. Thousands of engineers, builders, and miners came to work. Big Bend experienced a "boom" (fast growth) and then a "bust" (decline). By the late 1940s, after the dam was finished, the population started to decrease. Even though some people still work on the hydroelectric facilities and in logging, most of them live outside Big Bend. This has led to the population decline.

In the 2010 census, Big Bend had only 102 residents. This was likely the lowest number of people living there since the 1860s.

Geography and Climate

Where is Big Bend?

Big Bend is located at 41°1′11″N 121°54′28″W / 41.01972°N 121.90778°W / 41.01972; -121.90778. The community sits on a long curve of the Pit River. The Pit River is the longest river that flows into the Sacramento River. It is also one of only three rivers that crosses the Cascade Mountains and flows into the Pacific Ocean. Before dams were built, the Pit River had the third largest salmon run on the west coast of the U.S.

From Big Bend, you can see Chalk Mountain. The Madesi tribe called it Too-le-pah-ah-te Ah-ko. It has a natural exposed slide of diatomaceous earth. People in the area call this slide the "White Buffalo" because it looks like a white bison. Another important mountain near Big Bend is Bald Peak. The Madesi tribe called it Ma-how-mah-day Ah-ko. This mountain has many cold water springs that create creeks flowing into the Pit River.

The United States Census Bureau says that Big Bend covers about 5.8 square miles (15.08 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, and a small part is water.

Big Bend's Weather

People of Big Bend

Population in 2010

The 2010 United States Census counted 102 people living in Big Bend. Most residents were White (83.3%), and 9.8% were Native American. About 2% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

The population was spread out in terms of age. About 10.8% were under 18 years old. The largest group, 41.2%, was between 45 and 64 years old. The median age was 50.3 years. This means half the people were older than 50.3, and half were younger.

There were 58 households in Big Bend. About 13.8% of these households had children under 18. Many households (58.6%) were made up of individuals living alone.

Population in 2000

In the census of 2000, Big Bend had 149 people. There were 70 households and 38 families. The racial makeup was similar to 2010, with 83.22% White and 8.72% Native American.

About 23.5% of the population was under 18 years old. The median age was 45 years.

Fun Things to See and Do

Hot Springs

Big Bend is famous in Northern California for its natural geothermal hot springs. There are several hot spring sources on private land near the Pit River. These hot springs are expected to open for public visitors in the future.

Pit River Adventures

The Pit River is known as a "free stone river." This means it flows naturally without many obstacles. It's a great place for fishing, especially for McCloud River redband trout.

Sometimes, water is released from the dams on the Pit River. This creates exciting white water rafting opportunities with Class 4 and Class 5 rapids. A very scenic gravel road follows the Pit River upstream from Big Bend. It leads to Highway 89 near McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park.

Iron Canyon Reservoir

Iron Canyon Reservoir is close to Big Bend. This reservoir holds water from the McCloud River. You can find Rainbow Trout and Brown Trout here. It's a good spot for canoeing and float tubing. The reservoir is located in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. It has two campgrounds, one managed by the US Forest Service and another by Pacific Gas and Electric Company.

See also

In Spanish: Big Bend (California) para niños