Westwood, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Westwood
census-designated place
Location in Lassen County and the state of California
Westwood, California Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	California
County	Lassen
Area
• Total	5.510 sq mi (14.270 km2)
• Land	5.436 sq mi (14.079 km2)
• Water	0.074 sq mi (0.191 km2)  1.34%
Elevation	5,128 ft (1,563 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,541
• Density	279.67/sq mi (107.99/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code	96137
Area code(s)	530
FIPS code	06-84928
GNIS feature ID	1660156

Westwood is a small community in Lassen County, California, United States. It is known as a census-designated place (CDP), which means it's a specific area counted by the census but isn't a formally incorporated city.

Westwood is located about 20 miles (32 km) west-southwest of Susanville. It sits at an elevation of 5,128 feet (1,563 meters) above sea level. In 2020, its population was 1,541 people.

Westwood's Location and Landscape

Westwood is built on top of old lava flows from volcanoes in the Cascade Mountain Range to the north. The nearby Keddie Ridge is thought to be the northern edge of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range.

The community covers a total area of about 5.5 square miles (14.27 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 5.4 square miles (14.079 square kilometers), is land. A small part, about 0.1 square miles (0.191 square kilometers), is water.

Westwood's Weather

Westwood has a climate with warm summers and cold, snowy winters.

Westwood's History

Westwood was founded in 1913 by T. B. Walker. He built it as the main center for his Red River Lumber Company. A railway, the Fernley and Lassen Railway, was built between 1912 and 1914 to serve the town. The first post office opened in Westwood in 1913.

The Red River Lumber Company

The Red River Lumber Company was famous for having "the world's largest electrical sawmill" at the time. This mill was very modern and used electric power. The company also had one of the first electric railways in California, built in 1927. Many smaller railways crisscrossed the forests around Westwood, bringing logs to the mill.

The mill in Westwood produced many wood products. These included wooden Venetian blinds, plywood, boxes, doors, and windows. These products were shipped all over the United States and even to other countries. In 1942, the Westwood mill set a world record by sawing 212 million board feet of lumber.

Paul Bunyan's Home

Westwood is also linked to the famous American folk hero, Paul Bunyan. William Laughead, an advertising writer, took old lumberjack stories and turned them into the modern Paul Bunyan character. He sold these stories to the Red River Lumber Company.

In 1916, the company published an advertising booklet called "Introducing Mr. Paul Bunyan of Westwood, California." Laughead gave Paul Bunyan's blue ox the name "Babe." He also created the idea that Paul Bunyan and Babe were giant-sized and drew the first pictures of Bunyan.

Town Life and Changes

Westwood was a busy town. It had a large indoor shopping mall as early as the 1930s. There was also a big theater, a skating rink, and a club for the mill workers.

In 1944, the town was sold to the Fruit Growers Supply Company. This company is related to Sunkist Growers. The lumber mill closed in 1956. After that, the town was sold to its residents and to other developers.

Westwood even had an early form of cable television! The owner of the local variety store set up a system to provide TV service to the community. He mounted antennas outside of town and ran cables through the alleys. For a small monthly fee, homes could get TV channels without needing their own antennas.

Westwood High School's sports teams are called the Lumberjacks, honoring the town's history.

Westwood's Population Changes

The population of Westwood has changed over the years. Here's a look at how many people have lived there during different census counts:

Westwood in 2010

In the 2010 United States Census, Westwood had 1,647 people. Most residents (86.8%) were White. About 6.3% were Native American, and 10.9% were of Hispanic or Latino background.

There were 715 households in Westwood. About 30.6% of these households had children under 18 living in them. The average household had 2.30 people. The average family size was 2.87 people.

The population was spread out by age. About 23.9% of the people were under 18. About 13.4% were 65 years old or older. The average age in Westwood was 41.3 years.

Westwood's Economy and Services

The BNSF Railway has a special station in Westwood. It's used to store equipment that helps clear snow from the tracks.

The Westwood Community Services District provides services to about 2,000 people in the area.

Places to Visit in Westwood

• The Walker family mansion is located in Westwood.
• You can see statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox in town.
• The Bizz Johnson Trail ends about 4 miles (6 km) north of Westwood. This trail is named after Harold T. Johnson, a U.S. Congressman. It follows an old railway path for 24.5 miles (39.4 km).

Famous People from Westwood

• T. B. Walker: He was a very successful American businessman who owned a lot of timberland. He was also an art collector and started the Minneapolis Public Library and the Walker Art Center. In 1923, he was one of the ten richest people in the world. He built two company towns, including Westwood. One of his sons later sold Westwood, and parts of it became what is now known as Sunkist.

See also

In Spanish: Westwood (California) para niños