Upper Lake, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Upper Lake, California
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Upper Lake is the gateway to
Mendocino National Forest. |
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Lake |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.687 sq mi (4.369 km2) |
| • Land | 1.682 sq mi (4.357 km2) |
| • Water | 0.005 sq mi (0.012 km2) 0.28% |
| Elevation | 1,345 ft (410 m) |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 1,052 |
| • Density | 623.6/sq mi (240.79/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code |
95485
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| Area code | 707 |
| FIPS code | 06-81358 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 236896, 2409382 |
Upper Lake is a small community in Lake County, California, United States. It is called a census-designated place (CDP). This means it's a special area that the government counts for population, but it's not officially a city.
Upper Lake is about 8 miles (13 km) north of Lakeport. It sits at an elevation of 1,345 feet (410 m) above sea level. In 2010, about 1,052 people lived there. The Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake, a Native American tribe, have their main office in Upper Lake.
Contents
What's in a Name?
This community has had a few different names over the years. It was first called Upper Clear Lake. Then, it was known as Upperlake.
The post office opened in 1871 as Upper Clear Lake. In 1875, its name changed to Upper Lake. It changed again to Upperlake in 1905, but then went back to Upper Lake in 1906.
A Look Back in Time
The town of Upper Lake started around 1854 or 1856. A man named William B. Elliott opened a blacksmith shop. Blacksmiths were important because they made and fixed metal tools.
About ten years later, in 1866, a store was built by Bukofsky. Another blacksmith shop opened, and Henry Taylor started a hotel. A grist mill, which grinds grain into flour, was built in 1858. It closed in 1867, but a second one opened in 1875.
Upper Lake became a busy place. Raising cattle, growing alfalfa (a plant used for animal feed), and canning beans were important jobs.
Old Roads and Travel
Upper Lake was a central spot for activities in the northern part of Lake County. In 1860, when it was called Upper Clear Lake, there was a 20-mile (32 km) toll road. This road connected the town to Lower Lake, going through Lakeport.
In 1865, a company finished another toll road. This one connected Upper Lake to Ukiah. Toll roads were private roads where you paid money to use them.
By 1872, another improved road was built. It connected Upper Lake to Bartlett Springs. Bartlett Springs was a resort in the mountains east of Upper Lake. It also had a toll road leading east into the Sacramento Valley.
These toll roads were the main ways to travel in and out of Lake County. People could take a train to Hopland, then a stagecoach to Lakeport. From Lakeport, they would take a steamboat across Clear Lake to Bartlett Landing. This landing was near Upper Lake. From there, they would take another stagecoach to Bartlett Springs Resort.
Travelers could also come from the San Francisco Bay area. They would take a train to the Sacramento Valley. Then, they would take a stagecoach into Lake County through Bartlett Springs and Upper Lake. By the early 1890s, all major routes into and out of Lake County were toll roads.
Where is Upper Lake?
Upper Lake is a small area. According to the United States Census Bureau, it covers about 1.7 square miles (4.4 km2). Almost all of this area is land.
In 2000, the area was reported as 6.0 square miles (15.5 km2). Most of that was land (5.8 sq mi or 15.0 km2), and a small part was water (0.2 sq mi or 0.5 km2).
There is a place called Hayville Sulphur Spring about 5 miles (8 km) northwest of Upper Lake. It was once used for medicine.
Weather in Upper Lake
Upper Lake has a Hot-summer Mediterranean climate. This means it has hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. This type of climate is common in California.
| Climate data for Upper Lake (1893–2006) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 85 (29) |
97 (36) |
90 (32) |
93 (34) |
102 (39) |
109 (43) |
111 (44) |
109 (43) |
110 (43) |
104 (40) |
94 (34) |
80 (27) |
111 (44) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 54.6 (12.6) |
58.3 (14.6) |
62.7 (17.1) |
68.8 (20.4) |
74.7 (23.7) |
84.1 (28.9) |
93 (34) |
92.6 (33.7) |
87.2 (30.7) |
76.7 (24.8) |
64.4 (18.0) |
55.9 (13.3) |
72.8 (22.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 32.9 (0.5) |
34.7 (1.5) |
36.6 (2.6) |
39.5 (4.2) |
43.4 (6.3) |
48.3 (9.1) |
52 (11) |
50.2 (10.1) |
45.9 (7.7) |
40.3 (4.6) |
35.6 (2.0) |
32.6 (0.3) |
41 (5) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 9 (−13) |
13 (−11) |
19 (−7) |
24 (−4) |
28 (−2) |
30 (−1) |
32 (0) |
33 (1) |
27 (−3) |
17 (−8) |
16 (−9) |
10 (−12) |
9 (−13) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 7.35 (187) |
5.28 (134) |
4.46 (113) |
2.26 (57) |
1.11 (28) |
0.37 (9.4) |
0.03 (0.76) |
0.07 (1.8) |
0.33 (8.4) |
1.77 (45) |
4.19 (106) |
6.86 (174) |
34.09 (866) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.9 (2.3) |
0.3 (0.76) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.4 (1.0) |
2 (5.1) |
| Average precipitation days | 13 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 68 |
| Source: WRCC | |||||||||||||
Who Lives Here?
This section shares information about the people living in Upper Lake. This data comes from the United States Census Bureau.
Population Changes (2000-2020)
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2000 | 989 | — | |
| 2010 | 1,052 | 6.4% | |
| 2020 | 1,095 | 4.1% | |
| US Census U.S Census 1880-1980, | |||
People and Backgrounds
| Racial and ethnic composition | 2000 | 2010 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 78.26% | 71.48% | 57.35% |
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) | 14.86% | 23.0% | 31.05% |
| Two or more races (non-Hispanic) | 2.22% | 2.47% | 7.4% |
| Native American (non-Hispanic) | 3.34% | 1.71% | 3.2% |
| Other (non-Hispanic) | 0.51% | 0.0% | 0.73% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 0.81% | 0.67% | 0.27% |
| Asian (non-Hispanic) | 0.0% | 0.67% | 0.0% |
| Pacific Islander (non-Hispanic) | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
In 2010, Upper Lake had 1,052 people. Most people (80%) were White. About 3.1% were Native American, and 0.7% were African American. About 23% of the people were Hispanic or Latino.
Most people (99.1%) lived in homes. Only a few lived in group homes. There were 390 households in total. A household is a group of people living together.
- 142 households (36.4%) had children under 18.
- 172 households (44.1%) were married couples.
- 54 households (13.8%) had a female head of household with no husband.
- 34 households (8.7%) had a male head of household with no wife.
The average household had 2.67 people. The average family had 3.18 people.
The ages of people in Upper Lake varied:
- 26.6% were under 18.
- 9.1% were 18 to 24.
- 24.0% were 25 to 44.
- 27.2% were 45 to 64.
- 13.1% were 65 or older.
The average age was 36.3 years.
Most homes (68.5%) were owned by the people living in them. The rest (31.5%) were rented.
Looking Back at 2000
In 2000, there were 989 people in Upper Lake. There were 389 households.
- 28.8% of households had children under 18.
- 46.5% were married couples.
- 13.6% had a female head of household with no husband.
The average household size was 2.50 people. The average family size was 3.05 people.
The median age was 38 years. This means half the people were younger than 38, and half were older.
The median household income was $22,143. This is the middle income for all households. About 25.5% of the population lived below the poverty line.
What People Do for Work
Growing Grapes for Wine
The Upper Lake area started growing grapes for wine in the 1880s. One of the first people to grow grapes was Serranus Clinton Hastings. He had 125 acres (51 ha) of vineyards. He also had a winery and a place to make alcohol. These operated until 1900.
Another person, Charles M. Hammond, planted a 25-acre vineyard in the late 1800s. It was still doing well in 1914.
However, Prohibition stopped all winemaking. This was a time when making and selling alcohol was illegal. Many vineyards were left empty or replanted with other crops. Walnut trees became very popular, and they are still an important crop today.
Some vineyards were replanted starting in the 1970s. By 2022, there were about 300 acres (120 ha) of grapevines. The Upper Lake Valley American Viticultural Area was officially recognized in 2022. This means it's a special area known for its wine grapes.
Canning Beans
In the early days, Upper Lake's economy was based on canning beans, growing alfalfa, and raising cattle. By the mid-1900s, canning beans became the most important part of the economy.
The first cannery (a factory for canning food) was built in 1895 by Henry Van Wambold. It was called the "Blue Lakes Cannery." Another cannery, the "Clear Lake Cannery," was built in 1897 by A. Mendenhall. These canneries employed many people.
The famous "Blue Lake" green bean was developed near the Blue Lakes of Lake County, close to Upper Lake.
In 1927, both canneries were bought and renamed the "Lake County Cannery." This cannery continued to operate until 1968.
Learning in Upper Lake
One of the very first schools in Lake County was in Upper Lake. The first teacher was J.W. Mackall. He used to be a cashier at a bank.
Famous People from Upper Lake
Benjamin Dewell was a member of the Bear Flag Rebellion. This was a small revolt in 1846 that led to California becoming part of the United States. Benjamin Dewell and his wife Celia were the first permanent white settlers in Upper Lake in 1854.
See also
In Spanish: Upper Lake para niños
