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Kelseyville is a
unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...
in
Lake County, California Lake County is a County (United States), county located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 68,163. The county seat is Lakeport, California, Lakepor ...
, located southeast of Lakeport, at an elevation of . For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined that community as a
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 counte ...
(CDP). Its population was 3,382 according to the 2020 United States census.


History


Name

The area has been formerly designated by
European American European Americans are Americans of European ancestry. This term includes both people who descend from the first European settlers in the area of the present-day United States and people who descend from more recent European arrivals. Since th ...
settlers Kelsey or Kelsey Creek, after Andrew Kelsey, one of the first
Anglo-American Anglo-American can refer to: * the Anglosphere (the Anglo-American world) * Anglo-American, something of, from, or related to Anglo-America ** the Anglo-Americans demographic group in Anglo-America * Anglo American plc Anglo American plc is a ...
settlers in Lake County, and his brother Benjamin Kelsey. Both men, along with Charles Stone and E.D. Shirland, acquired Salvador Vallejo's livestock in the Clear Lake area in 1847. Andrew Kelsey and Charles Stone were killed in 1849 in an uprising against him by bands of
Wappo The Wappo (endonym: ''Micewal'') are an Indigenous people of northern California. Their traditional homelands are in Napa Valley, the south shore of Clear Lake, Alexander Valley, and Russian River valley. They are distantly related to the Yu ...
and Eastern
Pomo The Pomo are a Indigenous peoples of California, Native American people of California. Historical Pomo territory in Northern California was large, bordered by the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast to the west, extending inland to ...
whom they had enslaved. This episode led to the Bloody Island Massacre in May 1850. The town was also sometimes designated Uncle Sam after Mount Uncle Sam, the name soldiers gave to
Mount Konocti Mount Konocti is a volcano in Lake County, California, Lake County, California on the south shore of Clear Lake (California), Clear Lake. At , it is the second highest peak in the Clear Lake Volcanic Field, which consists of numerous volcanic d ...
when they set up camp there in 1850. The Kelseyville name first appears in records in the 1860s, the result of lobbying on the part of William and Barthena Kelsay, who arrived with the Harriman Party in Lake County in 1861, "in honor of their Kelsey cousins". Voter registration records list the town as "Kelsey" in the 1860s, and the area is designated "Kelsey Creek" in the 1870 U.S. Census while voter records list "Kelseyville" in the same decade, that name also appearing in the 1880 U.S. Census. The name was officialized by federal authorities when the Uncle Sam Post Office was renamed to Kelseyville in October 1882. Kelseyville has also been nicknamed "Peartown" for its significant
pear Pears are fruits produced and consumed around the world, growing on a tree and harvested in late summer into mid-autumn. The pear tree and shrub are a species of genus ''Pyrus'' , in the Family (biology), family Rosaceae, bearing the Pome, po ...
orchards planted during the
Prohibition era Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacturing, manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption ...
. The Kelseyville name has been the source of controversy since at least the 1980s because of its association with Andrew and Ben Kelsey. Several attempts have been made through petitions to suggest a name change. In 2020, a group of local community members, Citizens for Healing, formed in order to change Kelseyville's name. The group originally planned a petition to put the issue on the ballot (another petition was launched online in 2020), until they were informed of another option. The group, after securing approval from local tribes, filed a petition in October 2023 with the United States Board on Geographic Names (USBGN), requesting to rename the town "Konocti", after the
mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher t ...
dominating the town's landscape. The initiative has triggered opposition from another group, which has been campaigning under the "Save Kelseyville" slogan, arguing that renaming the town could be costly and cause confusion. On July 30, 2024, the county's Board of Supervisors voted to approve a countywide "advisory measure" on the November 5 ballot to rename the town to "Konocti". The issue received support from the
National Congress of American Indians The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) is an Indigenous peoples of the Americas, American Indian and Alaska Natives, Alaska Native Indigenous rights, rights organization. It was founded in 1944 to represent the tribes and resist U.S. ...
. Measure U, which asked voters to recommend the name change to the Board, only received 29.4% of "Yes" votes. On December 10, a majority of county Supervisors nevertheless voted in favor of recommending to the USBGN that the town be renamed Konocti. The California Advisory Committee on Geographic Names is expected to provide a recommendation as part of the process.


19th century

In the centuries before Europeans arrived, the Eastern
Pomo The Pomo are a Indigenous peoples of California, Native American people of California. Historical Pomo territory in Northern California was large, bordered by the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast to the west, extending inland to ...
and Clear Lake
Wappo The Wappo (endonym: ''Micewal'') are an Indigenous people of northern California. Their traditional homelands are in Napa Valley, the south shore of Clear Lake, Alexander Valley, and Russian River valley. They are distantly related to the Yu ...
(also designated as Lile'ek Wappo) people lived along the shores of Clear Lake. In addition to the fish caught in the lake and streams, they hunted waterfowl and gathered berries, seeds, clover and acorn. The Pomo and Wappo built homes and canoes of
tule reed ''Schoenoplectus acutus'' ( syn. ''Scirpus acutus, Schoenoplectus lacustris, Scirpus lacustris'' subsp. ''acutus''), called tule , common tule, hardstem tule, tule rush, hardstem bulrush, or viscid bulrush, is a giant species of sedge in the ...
s found at the lakeshore. Both Eastern Pomo and Clear Lake Wappo bands lived in the area now designated as Kelseyville, the Pomo concentrated along Kelsey Creek all the way to
Cobb Mountain Cobb Mountain is the tallest mountain in the Mayacamas Mountains of California. Location Cobb Mountain's main summit is located in Lake County, west of the town of Cobb. Like nearby Mount Saint Helena, Cobb Mountain is tall enough to receiv ...
, and the Wappo along Cole Creek and on the western slope of
Mount Konocti Mount Konocti is a volcano in Lake County, California, Lake County, California on the south shore of Clear Lake (California), Clear Lake. At , it is the second highest peak in the Clear Lake Volcanic Field, which consists of numerous volcanic d ...
. At some point, both tribes allegedly warred when the Wappo attempted to divert fish from Kelsey Creek into Cole Creek. The Clear Lake Wappo, which were one of the tribes enslaved by Andrew Kelsey and Charles Stone, eventually disappeared from the area. The exact location of the former indigenous community of ''Xabenapo'' or ''Xalanapo'' (which according to some authors designates the people rather than the town) remains unknown, but it is estimated to have been slightly south of present-day Kelseyville proper, along Kelsey Creek. Several other names have been documented for the village itself: ''Nonapoti'', ''Bidamiwina'' and ''Shabegok''. The Kelseyville area was part of Rancho Lupyomi, the
land grant A land grant is a gift of real estate—land or its use privileges—made by a government or other authority as an incentive, means of enabling works, or as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service. Grants ...
Californio Californios (singular Californio) are Californians of Spaniards, Spanish descent, especially those descended from settlers of the 17th through 19th centuries before California was annexed by the United States. California's Spanish language in C ...
Salvador Vallejo,
Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo Don Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo (July 4, 1807 – January 18, 1890) was a Californio general, statesman, and public figure. He was born a subject of Spain, performed his military duties as an officer of the Republic of Mexico, and shaped the tran ...
's brother, received in 1844 from the Mexican government. In 1847, Vallejo sold the livestock that had remained in the area to
Ben Ben is frequently used as a shortened version of the given names Benjamin, Benedict, Bennett, Benson or Ebenezer, and is also a given name in its own right. Ben meaning "son of" is also found in Arabic as ''Ben'' (dialectal Arabic) or ''bin ...
and Andrew Kelsey, Charles Stone and E.D. Shirland. Andrew Kelsey and Charles Stone
forced ''Forced'' is a single-player and co-op action role-playing game developed by BetaDwarf, released in October 2013 for Windows, OS X and Linux through the Steam platform as well as Wii U. It is about gladiators fighting for their freedom in a fant ...
the local Indians to build them an
adobe Adobe (from arabic: الطوب Attub ; ) is a building material made from earth and organic materials. is Spanish for mudbrick. In some English-speaking regions of Spanish heritage, such as the Southwestern United States, the term is use ...
home about from the south shore of the lake, and immediately west of Kelsey Creek, as well as a large cattle
corral A pen is a fenced/walled open-air enclosure for holding land animals in captivity, typically for livestock but may also be used for holding other domesticated animals such as pets that are unwanted inside buildings. The term describes types ...
. Stone and Kelsey enslaved the Pomo and Wappo people in two fenced camps they couldn't leave, forcing them to work under threat of torture and death. Many native people died of starvation and neglect. Stone and Kelsey were also known to rape native women and girls. Multiple and continuous abuse led to their killing by the indigenous population in 1849, which would lead to the Bloody Island Massacre in May 1850. More
European American European Americans are Americans of European ancestry. This term includes both people who descend from the first European settlers in the area of the present-day United States and people who descend from more recent European arrivals. Since th ...
settlers established themselves in the area in the mid-1850s, after the removal of indigenous populations to rancherias and the sale of Rancho Lupyomi was challenged in court. According to Woods Crawford, an early pioneer quoted by historian Lyman L. Palmer, the first house built in the area (besides Stone and Kelsey's adobe home, which was eventually dismantled by other settlers salvaging materials) was built in 1853 at the foot of Mount Konocti by J. Broome Smith and William Graves, the latter a
Donner Party The Donner Party, sometimes called the Donner–Reed Party, was a group of American pioneers who migrated to California interim government, 1846-1850, California in a wagon train from the Midwest. Delayed by a multitude of mishaps, they spent ...
survivor. The first
blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...
shop was reportedly opened by a blacksmith named Benham in 1857. It was not until 1864 that a second business was opened, a store owned by T. F. Fall. That same year, another general store and a boarding house were opened by Rosenbreau and Pace.


Geography

Kelsey Creek runs through the town and ends in Clear Lake. The Kelseyville zip code also encompasses part of Big Valley, as well as the Soda Bay, Riviera Heights, Buckingham Park, Riviera West and Kelseyville Riviera neighborhoods. The community also encompasses Clear Lake State Park and Mount Konocti County Park. 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 CDP has a total area of , with over 99 percent of it being land.


Demographics

The 1890 U.S. Census enumerated 282 residents in the town of Kelseyville, and 994 in the 1900 Census. The community first appeared as a
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 counte ...
in the
1980 U.S. Census The 1980 United States census, conducted by the United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States to be 226,545,805, an increase of 11.4% over the 203,184,772 persons Enumeration, enumerated dur ...
under the name Kelseyville.


2020 census


2010

The 2010 United States Census reported that Kelseyville had a population of 3,353. The population density was . The racial makeup of Kelseyville was 2,213 (66.0%)
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 ...
, 22 (0.7%)
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 ...
, 51 (1.5%) Native American, 32 (1.0%) Asian, 2 (0.1%)
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 ...
, 888 (26.5%) from other races, and 145 (4.3%) from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 1,337 persons (39.9%). The Census reported that 3,349 people (99.9% of the population) lived in households, 4 (0.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized. There were 1,224 households, out of which 438 (35.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 574 (46.9%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 173 (14.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 75 (6.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 80 (6.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 13 (1.1%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 323 households (26.4%) were made up of individuals, and 163 (13.3%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74. There were 822
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 ...
(67.2% of all households); the average family size was 3.31. The population was spread out, with 883 people (26.3%) under the age of 18, 298 people (8.9%) aged 18 to 24, 783 people (23.4%) aged 25 to 44, 912 people (27.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 477 people (14.2%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.2 males. There were 1,329 housing units at an average density of , of which 785 (64.1%) were owner-occupied, and 439 (35.9%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.0%. 1,992 people (59.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 1,357 people (40.5%) lived in rental housing units.


2000

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 2,928 people, 1,095 households, and 724 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 1,175 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 76.98%
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 ...
, 0.14%
Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
or
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 ...
, 2.66% Native American, 0.89% Asian, 14.58% from other races, and 4.75% from two or more races. 28.76% of the population were
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race. There were 1,095 households, out of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.24. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 28.4% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $24,363, and the median income for a family was $28,958. Males had a median income of $26,758 versus $20,036 for females. 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 ...
for the CDP was $15,651. About 12.8% of families and 15.3% of the population were 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 ...
, including 17.7% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over.


Economy

Kelseyville is part of the North Coast American Viticultural Area. The Kelseyville area also includes parts of the Big Valley District, Kelsey Bench and Red Hills AVAs. Other notable crops include
walnut A walnut is the edible seed of any tree of the genus '' Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, '' Juglans regia''. They are accessory fruit because the outer covering of the fruit is technically an i ...
s,
pear Pears are fruits produced and consumed around the world, growing on a tree and harvested in late summer into mid-autumn. The pear tree and shrub are a species of genus ''Pyrus'' , in the Family (biology), family Rosaceae, bearing the Pome, po ...
s,
olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of Subtropics, subtropical evergreen tree in the Family (biology), family Oleaceae. Originating in Anatolia, Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean ...
s, and
cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae that is widely accepted as being indigenous to and originating from the continent of Asia. However, the number of species is disputed, with as many as three species be ...
. The community is home to the largest producer of organic
saffron Saffron () is a spice derived from the flower of '' Crocus sativus'', commonly known as the "saffron crocus". The vivid crimson stigma and styles, called threads, are collected and dried for use mainly as a seasoning and colouring agent ...
in California, Peace and Plenty Farm., as well as the Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa. Kelseyville is also home to several
wineries A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the cultivation and production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feat ...
, an
olive mill Olive oil extraction is the process of extracting the olive oil present in olive drupes. Olive oil is produced in the mesocarp cells, and stored in a particular type of vacuole called a lipo vacuole, i.e., every cell contains a tiny oliv ...
, packing facilities, as well as Stokes Ladders, an orchard and industrial ladder manufacturer. Several wine tasting rooms and a
brewpub Craft beer is beer manufactured by craft breweries, which typically produce smaller amounts of beer than larger "macro" breweries and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as emphasising enthusiasm, ne ...
are located downtown Kelseyville. Since 1993, the town hosts the annual Kelseyville Pear Festival on the last Saturday in September.


Governance

In the
California State Legislature The California State Legislature is the bicameral state legislature of the U.S. state of California, consisting of the California State Assembly (lower house with 80 members) and the California State Senate (upper house with 40 members). ...
, Kelseyville is in , and in . Federally, Kelseyville is in . Kelseyville is served by the Kelseyville Fire District, headquartered at station 55, on the town's Main Street.


Education

Public education in Kelseyville is facilitated by the Kelseyville Unified School District (KVUSD), which includes Kelseyville Elementary, Mountain Vista Middle School and Kelseyville High School. Shade Canyon Public Charter School opened in 2023 in Kelseyville, providing instruction from
kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...
through second grade, with plans to add a grade each year.


Landmarks


Stone and Kelsey Home

The site of the adobe home Charles Stone and Andrew Kelsey forced local Native Americans to build them in the 1840s is located at the corner of Main Street and Bell Hill Road, immediately west of Kelsey Creek. Nothing is left of the home; its materials were salvaged by later white settlers. Stone's and Kelsey's remains are under the monument, which is designated as
California Historical Landmark A California Historical Landmark (CHL) is a building, structure, site, or place in the U.S. state of California that has been determined to have statewide historical landmark significance. Criteria Historical significance is determined by meetin ...
No. 426.


The Brick Tavern

Located at the corner of Main and Third Streets, the Brick Tavern, also known as the Brick House or the Kelseyville Tavern, was built in 1872 by Steve Tucker, possibly using bricks made from the
kiln A kiln is a thermally insulated chamber, a type of oven, that produces temperatures sufficient to complete some process, such as hardening, drying, or Chemical Changes, chemical changes. Kilns have been used for millennia to turn objects m ...
at the Sulphur Bank Mine across Clear Lake. Over the years, it served as a carriage stop, a hotel, a bar, a restaurant and a school, among other uses. It currently hosts an eponymously named saloon as well as a pizzeria. It was designated in 1961 as the "oldest commercial building" by the Lake County Historical Society and the Kelseyville Womens Club.


Gas Hill

Nowadays only marked by a sign atop a knoll along the southern stretch of Main Street, Gas Hill was the site of a
natural gas Natural gas (also fossil gas, methane gas, and gas) is a naturally occurring compound of gaseous hydrocarbons, primarily methane (95%), small amounts of higher alkanes, and traces of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and helium ...
pocket accidentally discovered in 1868 when digging a well. A match thrown into the hole triggered an explosion. Over the following decades, several successive owners attempted to commercialize the resource, but none succeeded.


Media

The first newspaper in Kelseyville was ''The New Era'', published in 1890. In 1901, ''The Kelseyville Sun'' was started by McEwen & McEwen. In 1912, they sold ''The Sun'' to E. E. Bryant. The ''Sun'' publication ceased in 1942.


References


External links


Visit Kelseyville
by the Kelseyville Business Association {{authority control Census-designated places in Lake County, California Census-designated places in California