Snelling (formerly Snelling's Ranch) is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), 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 count ...

(CDP) in

Merced County Merced County ( ), is a county located in the northern San Joaquin Valley section of the Central Valley, in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 281,202. The county seat is Merced. The county is named after ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, United States. It is located on the north bank of the

Merced River The Merced River (), in the central part of the U.S. state of California, is a -long tributary of the San Joaquin River flowing from the Sierra Nevada into the San Joaquin Valley. It is most well known for its swift and steep course through th ...

north of

Merced Merced (; Spanish for "Mercy") is a city in, and the county seat of, Merced County, California, United States, in the San Joaquin Valley. As of the 2020 Census, the city had a population of 86,333, up from 78,958 in 2010. Incorporated on April 1 ...

, at an elevation of . The population was 238 at the 2020 census.

History

The "Snelling Ranch" post office opened in 1853, was closed for a time during 1861, and changed its name to "Snelling" in 1870. The name is from the Snelling family that operated a way station at the place beginning in 1851. Snelling's zip code is 95369 and its area code is 209. Snelling was the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of Merced County from 1857 to 1872. The courthouse constructed in 1857 continued to serve as a justice court until the 1990s. The two-story building remains standing today and is a rare surviving example of a simple early California courthouse.

Geography

Snelling is in northeastern Merced County along the eastern edge of California's Central Valley, where the Merced River emerges from the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. It is at the north end of

California State Route 59 State Route 59 (SR 59) is a state highway in the U.S. state of California located entirely in Merced County. It connects State Route 152 near El Nido to the city of Merced and beyond, ending abruptly at the intersection of County Routes J59 a ...

, which leads south to Merced, the county seat. 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 t ...

, the Snelling CDP covers an area of , of which , or 0.92%, are water.

Demographics

The

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servi ...

reported that Snelling had a population of 231. The population density was . The racial makeup of Snelling was 206 (89.2%)

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 0 (0.0%)

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 3 (1.3%) Native American, 6 (2.6%) Asian, 0 (0.0%)

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 13 (5.6%) from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 3 (1.3%) from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 33 persons (14.3%). The Census reported that 231 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized. There were 94 households, out of which 31 (33.0%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 37 (39.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 18 (19.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 3 (3.2%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 8 (8.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 1 (1.1%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 30 households (31.9%) were made up of individuals, and 12 (12.8%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46. There were 58

families Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideal ...

(61.7% of all households); the average family size was 3.02. The population was spread out, with 61 people (26.4%) under the age of 18, 13 people (5.6%) aged 18 to 24, 51 people (22.1%) aged 25 to 44, 71 people (30.7%) aged 45 to 64, and 35 people (15.2%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 110.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 112.5 males. There were 112 housing units at an average density of , of which 49 (52.1%) were owner-occupied, and 45 (47.9%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.9%; the rental vacancy rate was 6.1%. 113 people (48.9% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 118 people (51.1%) lived in rental housing units.

Government

In the California State Legislature, Snelling is in , and in . In the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

, Snelling is in .

California Historical Landmark

Snelling Courthouse is a

California Historical Landmarks 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 ...

, number 409. The California Historical Landmark reads: :''NO. 409 SNELLING COURTHOUSE - This, the first courthouse in Merced County, was erected in 1857. This monument commemorates the 75th anniversary of the organization of Merced County and is dedicated to the memory of our pioneers by Yosemite Parlor No. 24, N.S.G.W., Merced, May 20, 1930.'' californiahistoricallandmarks.com # 409
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References