Caspar, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Caspar
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Former mill site in Caspar
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Location in Mendocino County and California
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 Caspar, California
Location in California
Caspar, California
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Mendocino |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.99 sq mi (7.7 km2) |
| • Land | 2.99 sq mi (7.7 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0 km2) 0% |
| Elevation | 82 ft (25 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 500 |
| • Density | 167.11/sq mi (64.52/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code |
95420
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| Area code(s) | 707 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 1658232; 2628717 |
Caspar is a small place in Mendocino County, California, United States. It's not a city, but an unincorporated community, which means it doesn't have its own local government. It's also called a census-designated place (CDP) for counting people.
Caspar is located right on the Pacific Ocean. It is about 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Mendocino. The area is surrounded by beautiful state parks. To the south, you'll find the Point Cabrillo Light Station, a historic lighthouse built in 1909. To the north is Jug Handle State Natural Reserve, and its coastline forms Caspar Headlands State Beach. In 2020, about 500 people lived in Caspar.
Contents
History of Caspar
Early Settlement and Logging
Caspar was first settled in 1857 by a person named Siegfried Caspar. Later, he sold his land to Jacob Green Jackson. Jackson was one of the people who started the Caspar Lumber Company. This company made Caspar a very important town for logging in Northern California.
The logging business ran from 1864 to 1955. You can still see old wooden pilings from the mill on Caspar Beach today. The Caspar mill was even shown on the cover of National Geographic magazine in 1938!
Protecting the Land
After the logging company closed, its land was sold. In 1989, some of the land was bought by Georgia-Pacific and other investors. Later, in 1997, a company called Caspar Cattle Company took over a large part of "downtown Caspar."
The community worked together to protect important natural areas. They focused on the headlands, which were once the site of the old lumber mill. With help from groups like the Trust for Public Land and the Mendocino Land Trust, about 30 acres (12 ha) of the headlands were bought.
In 2002, these headlands became part of the California State Parks system. They are now known as Caspar Headlands State Reserve. This means the beautiful coastline is protected for everyone to enjoy.
Community Efforts
The Caspar Schoolhouse was built in the late 1800s. It was used for different things over the years. Eventually, it was sold to Caspar Community, Inc. This is a non-profit group that works to preserve the special places in Caspar. They continue to try and buy more land to protect it for the community.
Caspar used to have its own post office, which opened in 1874. It closed in 1986 when the postmaster retired. As of 2013, Caspar had a community center, a church, and a nightclub. The Caspar Inn was a well-known place that operated from 1906 until it closed in 2013.
Geography of Caspar
Caspar is located on the western edge of Mendocino County. The main road through Caspar is California State Route 1. This road goes north about 6 miles (9.7 km) to Fort Bragg. It also goes south about 4 miles (6.4 km) to Mendocino.
Caspar Creek flows through the southern part of the community. It empties into the Pacific Ocean at Caspar Anchorage, which is a small cove. Caspar State Beach is also part of this area.
The United States Census Bureau says that Caspar covers about 3.0 square miles (7.8 km2) of land.
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2010 | 509 | — | |
| 2020 | 500 | −1.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1850–1870 1880-1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 |
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In 2010, the population of Caspar was 509 people. By 2020, it had slightly decreased to 500 people. Most of the people living in Caspar are White. A small number of people are from other racial backgrounds, including African American and Asian. About 3% of the population is Hispanic or Latino.
The average age of people in Caspar is around 57 years old. Many residents are older adults.
Education in Caspar
Children in Caspar attend schools within the Mendocino Unified School District.
Famous People from Caspar
Some notable people have lived in Caspar:
- Ronnie Gilbert, a folk singer and activist
- Jerry Juhl, a writer for television and movies
- Gene Parsons, a musician who was a member of the band The Byrds
Images for kids
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Point Cabrillo Light Station
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Church
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Mill ruins at Caspar beach
See also
In Spanish: Caspar (California) para niños
