Isabella, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Isabella
Former settlement
Isabella Location in California
Country	United States
State	California
County	Kern County
Elevation	2,516 ft (767 m)

Isabella was a small town in Kern County, California. It was once a lively place where people lived and worked. However, this town no longer exists today.

Isabella was located about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) north of Bodfish. It sat at an elevation of 2,516 feet (767 meters) above sea level. The entire site of the original town is now underwater.

The Story of Isabella

The town of Isabella was founded in 1893 by a man named Steven Barton. He decided to name the new settlement after Queen Isabella of Spain. Her name was very popular at the time because of the 1893 Columbian Exposition. This was a big world's fair held in Chicago.

A Town Under Water

Isabella existed as a community for many years. However, its fate changed in the 1950s. In 1953, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began a big project. They built large earthen dams across two branches of the Kern River.

These dams were constructed to create a huge artificial lake. This new lake was named Lake Isabella. It became the largest body of water in Kern County. The lake covers a surface area of 11,200 acres.

Moving the Town

Because of the new lake, the original town of Isabella was completely covered by water. This meant that the people living there had to move. The town's post office, which had been open since 1896, also had to relocate.

The post office moved to a new site in 1953. It continued to operate there for a few more years. In 1957, the name of the post office and the new community was officially changed. It became known as Lake Isabella, which is a town that still exists today.