Happy Camp, California

Happy Camp (Karuk: athithúf-vuunupma)[2] is a census-designated place (CDP) in Siskiyou County, California in the United States. Its population is 905 as of the 2020 census, down from 1,190 from the 2010 census.

Seeking platinum by hydraulic mining in the early days of Happy Camp

Happy Camp
athithúf-vuunupma
census-designated place
Location of Happy Camp in Siskiyou County, California
Location of Happy Camp in Siskiyou County, California
Happy Camp is located in California
Happy Camp
Happy Camp
Location within the state of California
Coordinates: 41°47′48″N 123°22′31″W
Country United States of America
State California
County Siskiyou
Area
[1]
 • Total12.346 sq mi (31.976 km2)
 • Land12.107 sq mi (31.357 km2)
 • Water0.239 sq mi (0.619 km2)  1.94%
Elevation
1,660 ft (505 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total905
 • Density73/sq mi (28/km2)
Time zoneUTC-8 (PST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP Code
96039
Area code530
FIPS code06-32030

The town of Happy Camp "The Heart of the Klamath" is located on State Route 96, about 70 miles (110 km) west of Interstate 5 and 100 miles (160 km) northeast of Willow Creek. The town of Takilma, Oregon is accessible from Happy Camp (which is nearly 40 miles (64 km) away). The shortest route to Oregon, over the Grey Back pass, is a seasonal summer road and is not cleared or maintained in snowy conditions. The Forest Service, located in Happy Camp on SR 96,[3] provides road closure information.

Name

Happy Camp was so named by miners in the early days of prosperity.[4] It has frequently been noted on lists of unusual place names.[5] H.C. Chester, who interviewed Jack Titus in 1882–83, states that Titus named the camp because his partner James Camp, upon arriving there, exclaimed, "This is the happiest day in my life." Redick McKee mentions the camp on November 8, 1851, as "Mr Roache's Happy Camp" at the place known as Murderer's Bar. (Indian Report 1853:178)[6]

Geography

Happy Camp sits on the Klamath River and a nexus of creeks including Elk Creek, Little Grider Creek, Indian Creek, Doolittle Creek, Ikes Creek, Deer Lick Creek and Cade Creek.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP covers an area of 12.3 square miles (32 km2), 12.1 square miles (31 km2) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) of it (1.94%) is water.

The town of Happy Camp is also known as the "Gateway to the Marbles". There are many trail heads for this Wilderness Area within 10 miles (16 km) of the town for which the U.S. Forest Service provides trail information. The Marble Mountains cover thousands of acres, and contain almost a hundred lakes. Among the most interesting lakes are Spirit Lake, which contains a luminescent chemical and has been seen to "glow" in the dark; Ukonom Lake, which is very large and beautiful even though the area is recovering from fire damage; and the Green and Blue Granite Lakes, where trout swim in the cold and clear waters. Deer, bear, elk, and mountain lion are common in the Wilderness Area.

Demographics

The 2010 United States Census[7] reported that Happy Camp had a population of 1,190. The population density was 96.4 inhabitants per square mile (37.2/km2). The racial makeup of Happy Camp was 814 (68.4%) White, 2 (0.2%) African American, 277 (23.3%) Native American, 7 (0.6%) Asian, 1 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 18 (1.5%) from other races, and 71 (6.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 95 persons (8.0%).

The Census reported that 1,190 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.

There were 525 households, out of which 129 (24.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 208 (39.6%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 63 (12.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 26 (5.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 63 (12.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 5 (1.0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 175 households (33.3%) were made up of individuals, and 67 (12.8%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27. There were 297 families (56.6% of all households); the average family size was 2.84.

The population was spread out, with 238 people (20.0%) under the age of 18, 98 people (8.2%) aged 18 to 24, 232 people (19.5%) aged 25 to 44, 428 people (36.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 194 people (16.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 107.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.2 males.

There were 646 housing units at an average density of 52.3 per square mile (20.2/km2), of which 299 (57.0%) were owner-occupied, and 226 (43.0%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.4%; the rental vacancy rate was 8.0%. 677 people (56.9% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 513 people (43.1%) lived in rental housing units.

The community is the home of the Bigfoot Jamboree, an annual festival put on by the Happy Camp Community Council.[8] Happy Camp is along the "Bigfoot Scenic Byway," an 89-mile stretch of California State Route 96 named by the United States Forest Service. The town is the home of an 18-foot-tall Bigfoot statue made out of recycled metal.[9]

Climate

As is typical of California, Happy Camp has a mediterranean climate.[10] It is marked by very hot summer days, being shielded in the valley behind the mountains from the cooling Pacific influence affecting nearby coastal locations. The winters are much cooler and snowier than in inland locations further south, albeit still very mild compared to areas to the east of the continent. The dry and hot summers make the surrounding forest prone to wildfires, as seen during the 2014 Happy Camp Complex Fire, which took months to extinguish and burned nearly to the Oregon border.[11] The high winter rainfall, however, keeps the area greener than its summer climate would suggest. Average lows remain cool year-round, relieving the intense daytime heat and keeping the average July temperature at around 73 °F (23 °C), in sharp contrast to the 95 °F (35 °C) average highs.[12]

Climate data for Happy Camp
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 64.9
(18.3)		 80.1
(26.7)		 91.9
(33.3)		 95
(35)		 108.0
(42.2)		 111.9
(44.4)		 115.0
(46.1)		 115.0
(46.1)		 109.9
(43.3)		 100.0
(37.8)		 82.0
(27.8)		 69.1
(20.6)		 115.0
(46.1)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 56.6
(13.7)		 65.4
(18.6)		 76.4
(24.7)		 86.0
(30.0)		 95.0
(35.0)		 102.0
(38.9)		 106.0
(41.1)		 104.9
(40.5)		 100.1
(37.8)		 87.6
(30.9)		 68.3
(20.2)		 57.5
(14.2)		 105.5
(40.8)
Average high °F (°C) 46.2
(7.9)		 53.8
(12.1)		 61.0
(16.1)		 70.0
(21.1)		 77.7
(25.4)		 85.6
(29.8)		 95
(35)		 94.1
(34.5)		 86.9
(30.5)		 72.1
(22.3)		 56.1
(13.4)		 46.9
(8.3)		 70.5
(21.4)
Daily mean °F (°C) 38.7
(3.7)		 43.3
(6.3)		 47.7
(8.7)		 53.8
(12.1)		 59.7
(15.4)		 66.4
(19.1)		 73.0
(22.8)		 72.0
(22.2)		 66.0
(18.9)		 56.1
(13.4)		 45.7
(7.6)		 39.9
(4.4)		 55.2
(12.9)
Average low °F (°C) 30.7
(−0.7)		 33.1
(0.6)		 34.3
(1.3)		 37.6
(3.1)		 42.1
(5.6)		 46.9
(8.3)		 51.3
(10.7)		 49.8
(9.9)		 45.1
(7.3)		 39.9
(4.4)		 35.8
(2.1)		 33.1
(0.6)		 40.0
(4.4)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 19.1
(−7.2)		 23.9
(−4.5)		 26.3
(−3.2)		 29.2
(−1.6)		 32.9
(0.5)		 37.3
(2.9)		 42.0
(5.6)		 42.0
(5.6)		 35.9
(2.2)		 29.8
(−1.2)		 25.7
(−3.5)		 22.1
(−5.5)		 16.0
(−8.9)
Record low °F (°C) 6.1
(−14.4)		 6.1
(−14.4)		 19.0
(−7.2)		 21.9
(−5.6)		 21.9
(−5.6)		 27.0
(−2.8)		 28.0
(−2.2)		 30.0
(−1.1)		 24.1
(−4.4)		 18.0
(−7.8)		 10.0
(−12.2)		 −2.0
(−18.9)		 −2.0
(−18.9)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 9.5
(241)		 7.1
(181)		 5.9
(149)		 2.8
(72)		 1.7
(43)		 0.8
(21)		 0.4
(9)		 0.4
(9)		 0.9
(23)		 3.3
(85)		 7.3
(186)		 9.4
(238)		 49.5
(1,257)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 9.2
(23)		 3.1
(7.9)		 1.7
(4.3)		 0.2
(0.51)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0.8
(2.0)		 4.7
(12)		 19.7
(50)
Average precipitation days 14 12 12 9 7 4 1 2 3 7 11 13 95
Source: [13]

Karuk Tribe

The Karuk Tribe is headquartered in Happy Camp.

United States Forest Service

The U.S. Forest Service maintains an office in town. Happy Camp is the administration site for the Happy Camp/Oak Knoll Ranger Districts of the Klamath National Forest.[3]

Education
  • Happy Camp Elementary School
  • Happy Camp High School
  • Jefferson High Continuation School
  • College of the Siskiyous - Happy Camp

Government

In the state legislature Happy Camp is in the 1st Senate District, represented by Republican Brian Dahle,[14] and the 1st Assembly District, represented by Republican Megan Dahle.[15]

Federally, Happy Camp is in California's 1st congressional district, represented by Republican Doug LaMalfa.[16]

Klamath controversy

Gold prospectors, conservation groups, the California Department of Fish and Game, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Karuk, Hupa (Hoopa) and Yurok tribes are at odds with each other over what constitutes fair and ethical use of the river. The range of issues includes property rights, endangered species, and Native American civil rights.[17]

Notable people

References
  1. "U.S. Census". Archived from the original on January 25, 2012. Retrieved December 7, 2017.
  2. Bright, William. "Karuk language section. Revised Karuk dictionary section. Karuk "a" (karuk_A_00-7-6.doc)". Archived from the original on January 7, 2012. Retrieved July 6, 2012.
  3. National Forest - Contact Us "Klamath National Forest - Contact Us". About the Forest. USDA Forest Service. January 21, 2010. Archived from the original on April 18, 2012. Retrieved February 2, 2010. Happy Camp/Oak Knoll Ranger District 63822 Highway 96 P.O. Box 377 Happy Camp, CA 96039-0377 (530) 493-2243 FAX (530) 493-1796 TDD (530) 493-1777 {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  4. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 149.
  5. Gallant, Frank K. (2012). A Place Called Peculiar: Stories about Unusual American Place-Names. Courier Dover Publications. p. 25. ISBN 9780486483603. Archived from the original on April 8, 2017. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
  6. Gudde, Erwin G. (1998). California place names : the origin and etymology of current geographical names (4th ed., rev. and enl. ed.). Berkeley: University of California Press. p. 159. ISBN 0520213165.
  7. "2010 Census Interactive Population Search: CA - Happy Camp CDP". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
  8. "About". Bigfoot Jamboree. Archived from the original on July 4, 2017. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
  9. Murdock, Andy. "On Bigfoot's trail in remote northern California". Archived from the original on June 28, 2016. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
  10. "Happy Camp, California Climate Summary". Weatherbase. Archived from the original on September 21, 2015. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  11. "Happy Camp Complex". Incident Information System. Archived from the original on June 27, 2015. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  12. "Happy Camp, California Temperature Averages". Weatherbase. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  13. "Happy Camp, California Travel Weather Averages (Weatherbase)". Archived from the original on November 3, 2014. Retrieved November 3, 2014.
  14. "Senators". State of California. Archived from the original on April 24, 2013. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
  15. "Members Assembly". State of California. Archived from the original on April 24, 2013. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
  16. "California's 1st Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
  17. Larson, Elizabeth (November 16, 2009). "Rural California: Battle over suction dredge mining headed for court" (PDF). Lake County News. p. 3. Archived from the original on November 21, 2009. Retrieved February 2, 2010. The ongoing battle over suction dredge mining is headed to federal court, as a group of miners plans to challenge a state-imposed moratorium on the practice which went into effect in August, 2010. The topic of suction dredge mining is a complex one, complete with proponents and opponents with fiercely held views, each bringing to the table science that backs their stances and a deep ideological divide about the use of natural resources.
  18. "Happy Camp Graduate Becomes Lt. General". Siskiyou Daily News. Yreka, CA. September 16, 2015. Archived from the original on January 5, 2016. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  19. Rae, Jetty (February 12, 2011). "Woman to Woman" (Interview). Interviewed by Phyllis Wallace. KFUO-AM. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved March 20, 2013.
  20. Lawrence, Thomas, Ray's success a valuable lesson in heart: Shasta High and Shasta College QB has had incredible Canadian career Archived 2013-08-21 at archive.today, The Redding Searchlight, November 30, 2012
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