Catheys Valley, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Catheys Valley
Census-designated place
Catheys Valley Location in California Show map of California Catheys Valley Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	California
County	Mariposa
Named for	Andrew Cathey
Area
• Total	23.67 sq mi (61.30 km2)
• Land	23.61 sq mi (61.15 km2)
• Water	0.06 sq mi (0.15 km2)  0.21%
Elevation	1,325 ft (404 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	829
• Density	35.11/sq mi (13.56/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP Code	95306
Area code(s)	209
FIPS code	06-12062
GNIS feature IDs	254727, 2582968

Catheys Valley is a small community in Mariposa County, California, United States. It's known as a census-designated place, which means it's a special area identified for population counting. The valley is about 22 miles northeast of Merced and 8 miles southwest of Mariposa. It sits at an elevation of 1,325 feet.

In 2020, Catheys Valley had a population of 829 people. The community is named after Andrew Cathey, who settled there around 1850. He was originally from North Carolina. The local ZIP Code is 95306, and the area code 209 serves the area.

History of Catheys Valley

Catheys Valley gets its name from Andrew D. Cathey. He was born in 1804 in Buncombe, North Carolina. Andrew was an adventurous young man. In 1828, he married Mary Deaver.

Early Journeys and the Gold Rush

Andrew decided to explore California. He traveled with the Rowland, Hammond, and Wills families. They loaded their wagons with household goods. They created a new path westward and settled in Benton, Arkansas.

When the California Gold Rush started in 1849, many men went to find gold. Andrew, his son Daniel, and his son-in-law Benjamin Wills joined them. They traveled by riverboat from Fort Smith, Arkansas, to New Orleans. From there, they took a ship to the Isthmus of Panama. In Panama, they boarded another ship to San Francisco. Then, they traveled overland by stagecoach to Indian Gulch in Mariposa County.

The Great Wagon Train Journey

In 1851, Andrew went back to Arkansas for his family. The Cathey-Wills, Rowland, and Hammond families organized a wagon train to California. About twenty families traveled in covered wagons. Oxen pulled the wagons, and horses helped drive about thirty cattle. It's said that only one steer was lost on the whole trip.

Andrew Cathey was chosen as the captain of the Cathey-Wills wagon train. They started their journey on April 2 from Fort Smith, Arkansas. Instead of the Santa Fe Trail, they took a southern route. They passed through Fort Bliss near El Paso and Fort Tucson, Arizona. Then, they followed the Gila River. More people joined the wagon train as they moved across the land. Everyone had special duties.

Crossing the Rio Grande

When they reached the Rio Grande, they had to take their wagon beds apart. All the bolt holes were tightly plugged with wooden pegs. They used whatever they had to seal the cracks. They formed a raft-like ferry to cross the river. This helped them transport their families, livestock, and goods.

The Catheys never faced any hostility from Native American tribes. However, another family, the Gearys, had started with the Oatman family. The Oatmans had been warned about conflicts. The Gearys joined the Cathey wagon train. Later, they found the remains of the Oatman Wagon Train. Mrs. Geary was very sad when she saw the burned wagons and recognized Mrs. Oatman's clothing.

Challenges on the Trail

The wagon party took only a few days off to wash clothes and rest their oxen. Many women walked barefoot during the journey. One serious problem was when their water barrels became low. An order was given: no more water. People and animals were rationed only one or two sips when truly needed. They had not crossed a stream for days, and mountains were still far away.

Just when they almost gave up hope, one of the teamsmen noticed his oxen. They raised their heads and sniffed the air. The teamsman wisely let the oxen go their way. They immediately left the trail. On top of a small hill, under a large rock, they found a basin full of fresh water.

After leaving Fort Yuma, a Mrs. Warner, who had just buried a child in New Mexico, gave birth to another child. Her family continued to El Monte in southern California. The Wills family separated from the wagon train. The rest of the group traveled over the Tejon Pass. They crossed the San Joaquin Valley to just below Millertown. There, they crossed the San Joaquin River. They continued north, crossing Mariposa Creek and through the McDermott place. They went up Bear Creek and arrived at Indian Gulch on October 27, 1852. It was a very long and difficult journey. They lived in tents and wagons for two years. They sold milk from their cows to the miners.

Settling in Catheys Valley

In 1854, Andrew D. Cathey bought a ranch from a Mr. Evans. Andrew paid $1,500 for the land. This became Andrew and Mary's first real home. Their sons lived at home for about ten years. Later, they became independent landowners themselves. Catheys Valley is named after Andrew Cathey.

Andrew Cathey quickly became involved in local community and political activities. He enjoyed showing his farm produce at the Merced Fair. Some of his old trees and vines are still standing today.

Andrew and his wife, Mary, were very religious. They helped build a church, a school, and a cemetery. They donated the land for these important community places.

Recently, a large stone monument was built. Many people donated money and volunteered their time to build it. This monument honors the Andrew D. Cathey family and the history of Catheys Valley. It is located at the Catheys Valley Park. Visitors can read a plaque about the early history. They can also see the 1879 one-room schoolhouse. The Catheys Valley Historical Society restored this old schoolhouse.

The first Catheys Valley post office opened in 1879 but closed in 1881. Another post office, called Cathay, opened in 1882. It closed in 1918, then reopened in 1919. In 1964, its name was changed back to Catheys Valley.

Geography of Catheys Valley

Catheys Valley covers an area of about 23.6 square miles. A very small part, about 0.06 square miles, is water.

Climate in Catheys Valley

Catheys Valley is in the 9a USDA hardiness zone. This means that winter temperatures can drop as low as 20 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit.

People and Population

The 2010 United States Census showed that Catheys Valley had 825 people. The population density was about 35 people per square mile. Most residents, 88.5%, were White. Other groups included African American (0.7%), Native American (1.5%), and Asian (1.5%). About 9.7% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

All 825 people lived in regular homes. There were 316 households in total.

• 93 households (29.4%) had children under 18.
• 208 households (65.8%) were married couples.
• 22 households (7.0%) had a female head with no husband.
• 17 households (5.4%) had a male head with no wife.

The average household size was 2.61 people. There were 247 families, with an average size of 2.92 people.

The population's age breakdown was:

• 184 people (22.3%) were under 18.
• 56 people (6.8%) were aged 18 to 24.
• 146 people (17.7%) were aged 25 to 44.
• 300 people (36.4%) were aged 45 to 64.
• 139 people (16.8%) were 65 or older.

The average age was 47.2 years. For every 100 females, there were about 109 males.

There were 381 housing units. Most homes (70.9%) were owned by the people living in them. The rest (29.1%) were rented.

Notable People

• Logan Mankins, a former professional American football player in the NFL.

See also

In Spanish: Catheys Valley para niños