Keeler, formerly known as Hawley, is a
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...
(CDP) in
Inyo County, California
Inyo County () is a county in the eastern central part of the U.S. state of California, located between the Sierra Nevada and the state of Nevada. In the 2020 census, the population was 19,016. The county seat is Independence. Inyo County is ...
, United States.
Keeler is located on the east shore of
Owens Lake
Owens Lake is a mostly dry lake in the Owens Valley on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada in Inyo County, California. It is about south of Lone Pine, California. Unlike most dry lakes in the Basin and Range Province that have been dry for ...
south-southeast of New York Butte.
The population was 71 people at the
2020 census, up from 66 at the 2010 census.
History
![SodaWorksAtKeeler](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/SodaWorksAtKeeler.jpg)
When the
1872 Lone Pine earthquake rendered the pier in nearby
Swansea
Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe).
The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...
inaccessible by uplifting the shoreline, a new pier was constructed to the south at a community named Hawley. In 1880 a new mill was constructed at Hawley by the
Owens Lake Mining and Milling Company Owens may refer to:
Places in the United States
*Owens Station, Delaware
* Owens Township, St. Louis County, Minnesota
*Owens, Missouri
*Owens, Ohio
*Owens, Virginia
People
* Owens (surname), including a list of people with the name
* Owens Br ...
for processing silver ore from the
Cerro Gordo Mines
The Cerro Gordo Mines are a collection of abandoned mines located in the Inyo Mountains, in Inyo County, near Lone Pine, California. Mining operations spanned 1866 to 1957, producing high grade silver, lead, zinc ore, and more rarely gold ore an ...
in the mountains to the east. A town was laid out by the company agent Julius M. Keeler, for whom the town of Hawley was later renamed.
The steamship ''Bessie Brady'' brought ore from Keeler across the lake to the town of Cartago. There was a 300-foot wharf at Keeler, and the steamship route cut days off the time a freight wagon would have taken to circle the lake. She carried 700 ingots at a time in a three-hour crossing, but in 1882 the ''Bessie Brady'' was destroyed by fire. The
Carson and Colorado Railroad
The Carson and Colorado Railway was a U.S. narrow gauge railroad that ran from Mound House, Nevada, to Keeler, California below the Cerro Gordo Mines. It was incorporated on May 10, 1880 as the Carson and Colorado ''Railroad'', and constructio ...
constructed a
narrow gauge railway
A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and .
Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves, smaller structur ...
to Keeler in 1883. The success of the Cerro Gordo mines caused Keeler to boom until silver prices plummeted in the late 19th century.
A second boom of zinc mining in the early 20th century brought new life to the town and an aerial cable tramway was built to bring the ore from Cerro Gordo to Keeler. There were small surges in the mining of silver, lead, zinc and limestone, but by the 1950s all mining had ceased. Train service was stopped in 1960 and the tracks were removed in 1961. Water exports from the Owens Valley to the City of
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
in the 1920s led the Owens Lake to eventually dry up, causing alkali dust storms to blow through Keeler, driving many residents away. Dust remediation efforts in the early 21st century reduced this problem, but few residents remain.
A post office operated at Keeler from 1883 to 1898
and is still operating today.
There is a
California Historical Landmark
A California Historical Landmark (CHL) is a building, structure, site, or place in California that has been determined to have statewide historical landmark significance.
Criteria
Historical significance is determined by meeting at least one of ...
in Keeler for the furnace of the Owens Lake Silver Company.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the CDP has a total area of , all land.
Keeler is located along the eastern shores of
Owens Lake
Owens Lake is a mostly dry lake in the Owens Valley on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada in Inyo County, California. It is about south of Lone Pine, California. Unlike most dry lakes in the Basin and Range Province that have been dry for ...
(a dry lakebed) along
State Route 136.
Demographics
2010
At the
2010 census Keeler had a population of 66. The population density was . The racial makeup of Keeler was 63 (96%) White, 0 African American, 0 Native American, 2 (3%) Asian, 0 Pacific Islander, 0 from other races, and 1 (2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were six people (9%).
The census reported that 100% of the population lived in households.
There were 40 households; four (10%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 13 (33%) were
opposite-sex married couples living together, two (5%) had a female householder with no husband present and two (5%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were no
unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and no
same-sex married couples or partnerships. Twenty three households (58%) were one person, and 12 (30%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 1.7. There were 17 families (43% of households); the average family size was 2.5.
The age distribution was nine people (14%) under the age of 18, one person (2%) aged 18 to 24, one person (2%) aged 25 to 44, 33 people (50%) aged 45 to 64, and 22 people (33%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 59.3 years. Pro rata, for every 100 females, there were 120.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 147.8 males.
There were 67 housing units at an average density of , of which 40 were occupied, of which 33 (83%) were owner-occupied, and 7 (18%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3%; the rental vacancy rate was 22%. 55 people (83% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 11 people (17%) lived in rental housing units.
2000
At the
2000 census there were 66 people, 36 households, and 19 families in the CDP. The population density was . There were 67 housing units at an average density of . The
racial makeup
A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...
of the CDP was 97% White, 1% from other races, and 1% from two or more races. 12% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.
Of the 36 households 11% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39% were married couples living together, 6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47% were non-families. 39% of households were one person and 22% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 1.8 and the average family size was 2.4.
The age distribution was 14% under the age of 18, 2% from 18 to 24, 11% from 25 to 44, 36% from 45 to 64, and 38% 65 or older. The median age was 57 years. For every 100 females, there were 112.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 111.1 males.
The median household income was $19,625 and the median family income was $26,250. The per capita income for the CDP was $18,621. There were no families and 9% of the population living below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including no under 18s and none of those over 64.
Government
In the
state legislature, Keeler is in , and .
Federally, Keeler is in .
In fiction
Keeler is mentioned in the final chapters of
Frank Norris
Benjamin Franklin Norris Jr. (March 5, 1870 – October 25, 1902) was an American journalist and novelist during the Progressive Era, whose fiction was predominantly in the naturalist genre. His notable works include '' McTeague: A Story of San ...
' novel, ''
McTeague
''McTeague: A Story of San Francisco'', otherwise known as simply ''McTeague'', is a novel by Frank Norris, first published in 1899. It tells the story of a couple's courtship and marriage, and their subsequent descent into poverty and violence ...
'' (
1899).
Keeler appears in films such as ''
Outlaws of the Desert
''Outlaws of the Desert'' is a 1941 American Western film directed by Howard Bretherton and written by J. Benton Cheney and Bernard McConville. The film stars William Boyd, Andy Clyde, Brad King, Duncan Renaldo, Luli Deste, Jean Phillips, Fo ...
'' (1941), ''
Sinister Journey
''Sinister Journey'' is a 1948 American Western (genre), Western film directed by George Archainbaud and written by Doris Schroeder. The film stars William Boyd (actor), William Boyd, Andy Clyde, Rand Brooks, Elaine Riley, John Kellogg (actor), ...
'' (1948) and ''
The Blazing Sun'' (1950).
[Schneider, Jerry L. (2016). ''Western Filming Locations California Book 6''. CP Entertainment Books. Page 121. .]
See also
*
California Water Wars
References
External links
* Keeler Post Office: http://stampcollectingroundup.blogspot.com/2007/06/save-keeler-post-office.html
{{authority control
Census-designated places in California
Census-designated places in Inyo County, California
Mining communities in California
Populated places in the Mojave Desert