Penryn, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Penryn
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 Penryn, California
Location in California
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County |  Placer |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.823 sq mi (4.72 km2) |
| • Land | 1.823 sq mi (4.72 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) 0% |
| Elevation | 627 ft (191 m) |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 831 |
| • Density | 455.8/sq mi (176.00/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP Code |
95663
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| Area code(s) | 916, 279 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 2628774 |
Penryn (which is Pénwin in the Washo language) is a small community in Placer County, California, in the United States. It's known as a census-designated place, which means it's a special area defined by the government for counting people. Penryn is located about 5.5 miles (8.9 km) northeast of Rocklin. In 2010, about 831 people lived there.
Contents
History of Penryn
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How Penryn Started
Penryn began in late 1864 because of a man named Griffith Griffith. He was an immigrant from Wales who started a granite quarry here. A quarry is a place where stone is dug out of the ground.
The railroad built a special track to the quarry in February 1865. Soon after, the first load of cut stone was sent out. At first, the railroad just called the place "Griffith’s Granite Station."
Naming the Town
Griffith Griffith had a different idea for the name. Back in Wales, he had worked at the famous Penrhyn Quarry. The Welsh word penrhyn means "headland" or "promontory," which described the seaport near his old quarry.
So, Griffith decided to name his new quarry after his old one. To make it easier to spell, he agreed to drop the "h" from "Penrhyn." On May 17, 1865, he wrote in his diary: "Concluded last night with Judge Crocker to call this quarry Penryn."
From Quarry to Town
At first, Penryn was just the quarry and a railroad stop. Griffith's workers lived nearby, but there weren't many other businesses. The closest places to buy supplies were Newcastle and Smithville.
In 1869, a large building was built. It had a railroad station, a store, and a saloon. This was the start of the actual town of Penryn. Other businesses soon followed.
The area was officially called Penryn in May 1871 by Placer County. Even more official recognition came in June 1873 when a U.S. Post Office was opened there.
By the mid-1870s, Penryn was a busy community. It had a school, a hotel, shops, and saloons. The granite quarry was very successful, employing over 200 men at its busiest times.
The Quarry's Legacy
Griffith Griffith passed away in 1889. His nephew, David Griffith, took over the quarry. It continued to operate until David's death in 1918. By the 1890s, however, growing fruit became more important than granite quarrying in the area.
David Griffith's daughter, Enid, later left the quarry land to the people of Placer County when she died in 1976. Now, the old quarry site is a 23-acre park. The original quarry office building, built in 1877, is now the Griffith Quarry Museum. Volunteers run the museum, and it's open on weekends.
The Griffith Quarry was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. It is also a California Historical Landmark (number 885).
Penryn Granite and Palm Trees
Penryn granite is famous for being beautiful and strong. It looks gray with black and white specks. When it's wet or polished, it can look a bit bluish-gray. You can see this unique stone in famous California buildings like the California State Capitol and the United States Mint in San Francisco.
In the late 1800s, a man named Joel Parker Whitney owned a lot of land in the Penryn area. He planted about 1,000 California fan palm trees along the edges of his citrus farms. Many of these palm trees still stand today along English Colony Road. These palm trees are a special sight in the area, standing out from the native oak trees.
Geography
Penryn covers an area of about 1.8 square miles (4.7 square kilometers). All of this area is land.
Transportation
Placer County Transit offers bus services during the week. You can catch a bus from the Penryn Park and Ride to Downtown Sacramento.
Demographics
In 2010, Penryn had a population of 831 people. Most of the people living in Penryn were White (86.4%). There were also smaller groups of African American, Native American, Asian, and Pacific Islander residents. About 9.5% of the people were Hispanic or Latino.
See also
In Spanish: Penryn (California) para niños
