Colusa is a city in and the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of
Colusa County, California, located in the
Sacramento Valley
The Sacramento Valley is the area of the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California that lies north of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta and is drained by the Sacramento River. It encompasses all or parts of ten Northern California ...
region of the
Central Valley. The population was 6,411 at the
2020 census, up from 5,971 at the
2010 census. Colusa originates from the local Coru
Native American tribe, who in the 1840s lived on the opposite side of the
Sacramento River
The Sacramento River () is the principal river of Northern California in the United States and is the largest river in California. Rising in the Klamath Mountains, the river flows south for before reaching the Sacramento–San Joaquin River D ...
.
History
In 1850, Charles D. Semple purchased the Rancho Colus Mexican land grant on which Colusa was founded and called the place Salmon Bend. The town was founded, under the name Colusi, by Semple in 1850. The first post office was established the following year, 1851. The California legislature changed the town's (and the county's) name to Colusa in 1854. The town flourished due to its location on the
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials) was an American Railroad classes#Class I, Class I Rail transport, railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was oper ...
. Several travelers rest stops were established at various road distances from Colusa, including Five Mile House, Seven Mile House, Nine Mile House, Ten Mile House, Eleven Mile House, Fourteen Mile House (also called Sterling Ranch), Sixteen Mile House (at the current location of
Princeton), and Seventeen Mile House. The original settlement of what became Colusa was originally placed at the site of Seven Mile House but subsequently removed to its current site in 1850.
Lynching of Hong Di
On July 10, 1887, convicted murderer Hong Di, an immigrant from
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
, was dragged from the Colusa jail and was forced by over a hundred and fifty men through the streets of Colusa's Chinatown, before he was hanged from the rafters of the locomotive turntable of the
Colusa and Lake Railroad. Di, who had worked as a servant for the Billiou family of
St. Johns, California, had shot and killed his employer Julie Billiou on April 7, 1887. He was captured on May 22, 1887, near
Gridley, California
Gridley is a city in Butte County, California, United States, south of Chico, California, and north of Sacramento, California. The population as of April 1, 2020, is 7,421. California State Route 99 runs through Gridley and Interstate 5 in Cal ...
.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , all of it land. According to the
United States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The agency was founded on Mar ...
, the city's location is at .
Colusa is on the Sacramento River, which has a high levee so that the river is not clearly apparent from the city.
Colusa features a historic Chinatown, Carnegie Library building constructed in 1905, and an architecturally noteworthy courthouse built in a classical style, among its historically notable buildings.
Climate
According to the
Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
system, Colusa has a
warm-summer Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...
, abbreviated "Csa" on climate maps.
Climate events
During December 1996–January 1997, the nearby Colusa Weir Gauge reached flood stage. This historic flooding event devastated the region by destroying thousands of crop acres (rice, tomatoes, alfalfa) and property. The Colusa Weir Gauge reached flood stage on January 3, 1997.
Film production
The crime drama movie ''
...tick...tick...tick...'' (1970), starring
Jim Brown
James Nathaniel Brown (February 17, 1936 – May 18, 2023) was an American professional American football, football player, civil rights activist, and actor. He played as a Fullback (gridiron football), fullback for the Cleveland Browns of the ...
, was filmed in downtown Colusa, featuring the historic courthouse. The setting of the film in
Mississippi
Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...
is referred to as "Colusa County". The movie explores what happens when an African-American is elected sheriff for the town.
Demographics
2020
The
2020 United States census reported that Colusa had a population of 6,411. The population density was . The racial makeup of Colusa was 44.4%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 1.0%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 1.8%
Native American, 1.4%
Asian, 0.6%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 30.4% from
other races, and 20.3% from two or more races.
Hispanic or Latino of any race were 58.6% of the population.
The census reported that 98.4% of the population lived in households, 0.2% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 1.4% were institutionalized.
[
There were 2,255 households, out of which 41.0% included children under the age of 18, 47.3% were married-couple households, 7.8% were cohabiting couple households, 27.7% had a female householder with no partner present, and 17.3% had a male householder with no partner present. 24.5% of households were one person, and 12.6% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.8.][ There were 1,571 ]families
Family (from ) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictability, structure, and safety as ...
(69.7% of all households).
The age distribution was 27.8% under the age of 18, 7.9% aged 18 to 24, 25.5% aged 25 to 44, 23.3% aged 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 36.3years. For every 100 females, there were 99.0 males.[
There were 2,417 housing units at an average density of , of which 2,255 (93.3%) were occupied. Of these, 56.5% were owner-occupied, and 43.5% were occupied by renters.][
In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $68,750, and the ]per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
was $31,144. About 13.7% of families and 16.3% of the population were below the poverty line.
2010
At the 2010 census Colusa had a population of 5,971. The population density was . The racial makeup of Colusa was 3,944 (66.1%) White, 54 (0.9%) African American, 107 (1.8%) Native American, 80 (1.3%) Asian, 28 (0.5%) Pacific Islander, 1,510 (25.3%) from other races, and 248 (4.2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3,128 persons (52.4%).
The census reported that 5,916 people (99.1% of the population) lived in households, 4 (0.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 51 (0.9%) were institutionalized.
There were 2,142 households, 890 (41.5%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,080 (50.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 290 (13.5%) had a female householder with no husband present, 135 (6.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 128 (6.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 13 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 555 households (25.9%) were one person and 224 (10.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.76. There were 1,505 families (70.3% of households); the average family size was 3.35.
The age distribution was 1,789 people (30.0%) under the age of 18, 484 people (8.1%) aged 18 to 24, 1,566 people (26.2%) aged 25 to 44, 1,435 people (24.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 697 people (11.7%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 33.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.2 males.
The median value of a home was $196,400. There were 2,282 housing units at an average density of , of which 2,142 were occupied, 1,191 (55.6%) by the owners and 951 (44.4%) by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4%; the rental vacancy rate was 2.3%. 3,233 people (54.1% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 2,683 people (44.9%) lived in rental housing units.
Economy
Colusa County industry is dominated by agriculture, primarily in rice crops and tree nuts like almonds and walnuts. It's one of the top rice producing counties in the United States with over 135,000 acres harvested in 2016.
Major employers in Colusa include Colusa County and Colusa Unified School District. Sunsweet Growers has a plant just outside of city limits.
Politics
In the state legislature, Colusa is in , and . Federally, Colusa is in .
Education
Colusa is served by the Colusa Unified School District formed by three schools: Burchfield Primary School, Egling Middle School, and Colusa High School. The high school's mascot is the Redhawks. Starting in the 2011–12 academic year, the name of the high school mascot was changed from the Redskins to the Redhawks amid controversy over using names and insignia deemed derogatory toward Native Americans.
Notable people
* Bill Cunningham, Major League Baseball player
* Byron De La Beckwith, convicted assassin of civil rights activist Medgar Evers
Medgar Wiley Evers (; July 2, 1925June 12, 1963) was an American civil rights activist and soldier who was the NAACP's first field secretary in Mississippi. Evers, a United States Army veteran who served in World War II, was engaged in efforts ...
* Mike Griffin, Major League Baseball pitcher
References
External links
*
{{authority control
Cities in Colusa County, California
County seats in California
Incorporated cities and towns in California
Populated places on the Sacramento River
Populated places established in 1850
1850 establishments in California
Populated places established in 1868
1868 establishments in California