Clarksburg, California

Clarksburg (formerly, Clarksburgh) is a census-designated place in Yolo County, California. It is located on the Sacramento River, in the extreme southeastern corner of the county. It lies at an elevation of 10 feet (3 m) in ZIP code 95612 and area codes 916 and 279.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP covers an area of 2.0 square miles (5.3 km²), all of it land.

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Clarksburg has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csa" on climate maps.

Demographics

The 2020 United States census reported that Clarksburg had a population of 402. The population density was . The racial makeup of Clarksburg was 279 (69.4%) White, 0 (0.0%) African American, 5 (1.2%) Native American, 16 (4.0%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 50 (12.4%) from other races, and 52 (12.9%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 111 persons (27.6%).

The whole population lived in households. There were 164 households, out of which 68 (41.5%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 103 (62.8%) were married-couple households, 0 (0.0%) were cohabiting couple households, 38 (23.2%) had a female householder with no partner present, and 23 (14.0%) had a male householder with no partner present. 33 households (20.1%) were one person, and 26 (15.9%) were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.45. There were 126 families (76.8% of all households).

The age distribution was 82 people (20.4%) under the age of 18, 37 people (9.2%) aged 18 to 24, 85 people (21.1%) aged 25 to 44, 114 people (28.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 84 people (20.9%) who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 44.7years. For every 100 females, there were 105.1 males.

There were 175 housing units at an average density of , of which 164 (93.7%) were occupied. Of these, 116 (70.7%) were owner-occupied, and 48 (29.3%) were occupied by renters.

History

Clarksburg has been settled in stages dating back as early as the 1850s when Merritt Island was first cleared and developed for agricultural uses. Postal authorities first established a post office in 1876, under the name "Clarksburgh" and changed the name to "Clarksburg" in 1893. The town was named after Robert C. Clark who settled at the place in 1849. In the 1920s the New Holland Land Company began subdividing the tracts in the area and formally established Clarksburg as an unincorporated community. Clarksburg is unique among small California towns in that many of the families who initially settled the area are still present, thus lending a small-town charm to the community.

Present day

The community is mostly centered on the two churches in town, the Holland Market, the volunteer fire department, the three schools, and the public library. The 1930s era Old Sugar Mill (which closed in 1988) is now the center of development with 125 new homes proposed for construction on the property. This will be the first significant development since the Old Sugar Mill was built in the 1930s. The project is currently stayed by the Delta Protection Commission until it is made compliant with their Resource and Management Plan. Appeals were made to this State of California commission by the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Concerned Citizens of Clarksburg. As of February 2008 the Old Sugar Mill development was involved in significant litigation. A portion of the original Old Sugar Mill is now home to a modern wine tasting and production facility.

The Bogle Winery on Merritt Island has become the most famous of the Clarksburg appellation vintners with their wines being sold worldwide and being served at the White House as of 2007.

The population in 2008 is approximately 300. The portion of Sacramento County directly across the Sacramento River was once considered part of the community due to the ferry crossing that existed at Clarksburg from 1920 until the Freeport Bridge opened on New Year's Day in 1930. The ferry sank in November 1928. Thus, some older citizens that still reside in the community still refer to that adjoining area of Sacramento County as Clarksburg.

There are three schools in Clarksburg: Delta Elementary Charter School, Clarksburg Middle School, and Delta High School. All three schools are a part of the River Delta Unified School District.

Architectural heritage

Architect William Raymond Yelland would spend summers in Clarksburg with family. W.R. Yelland designed several buildings in the town of Clarksburg including several homes, the Clarksburg Community Church, and the Sugar Mill. W.R. Yelland is most noted for his Arts and Crafts and Storybook Houses of the 1920s and 1930s.

Industry and agriculture

What few industries that exist in the area are mostly involved in supporting the agricultural concerns of the area. Agriculture in the area principally includes wine grapes, dichondra grass seed, and tomatoes. Alfalfa is also found to occur but it is not the principal crop as it was prior to the 1920s.

Events and culture

Th
Paul Reese Memorial Clarksburg Country Run
occurs every November as it has since 1965 and includes a race, a half-marathon, a 5k fun run, and children's events.

The Friends of the Clarksburg Library sponsor The Wines of Clarksburg fundraiser every year to support the local library. The event is typically hosted at the New Holland Land Company's former site and the event is a good excuse to view this example of historic, California Delta architecture.

Notable people

* Charles Carroll "Tony" Eason, IV (born October 8, 1959, in Blythe, California, raised in Walnut Grove, California) is a former American football quarterback who attended Delta High School in Clarksburg before playing in the National Football League for the New England Patriots and New York Jets. Eason retired after the 1990 NFL season and currently resides in California.

References

External links

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Census-designated places in Yolo County, California
Census-designated places in California
Populated places on the Sacramento River