Likely, California

Likely (formerly, South Fork) is a census-designated place in Modoc County, California. It is located near the South Fork of the Pit River, south of the county seat of Alturas, at an elevation of . Its population is 53 as of the 2020 census, down from 63 at the time of the 2010 census. Located north-northwest of Likely Mountain, it is somewhat sheltered from prevailing southwesterly winds, and its microclimate is noticeably drier and less stormy than surrounding areas. The ZIP Code for the community is 96116.

Geography

Likely lies on the south side of the South Fork of the Pit River, in the south end of South Fork Valley, in the northeastern corner of California at . Fragments of the southern edge of the Modoc Plateau surround Likely on most sides.

Climate

Jess Valley, 5400 ft (1646 m), is a nearby weather station. Jess Valley has a dry-summer humid continental climate (Köppen ''Dsb''), bordering on a Warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen ''Csb'').

History

Likely now occupies what was originally an Achumawi (Pit River) village known as Hamawe or Hammawi. The town was initially known as South Fork, named after the South Fork of the Pit River, and was renamed at the insistence of the United States Post Office, which insisted at that time that Post Offices could only have short, unique names. Residents were unable to agree what to name their town until a local rancher observed that they would most likely never agree upon a name, at which point someone nominated the name, "Likely", and the name was voted in. The South Fork post office operated from 1878 to 1882. The Likely post office opened in 1886.

One of the last of the American Indian Wars was fought at Infernal Caverns, a short distance from Likely.

A 1913 book described Likely as having a population of 75, and situated along the main automobile route from Madeline to Bayley.

The Likely Peat Moss Company, Radel Inc. operated in Likely until 1987 when the non-renewing supply of high quality hypnum peat moss in nearby Jess Valley was depleted. The peat moss was strip-mined from the floor of Jess Valley and trucked 13 miles to Likely on the winding canyon road paralleling South Fork Pit River between Likely and Ivy, California. The peat moss was processed and packaged and then shipped by both truck and by Southern Pacific Railroad until rail services to Likely were discontinued. The company, Radel, was dissolved in 1987 upon the owner's retirement.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP covers an area of 1.3 square miles (3.5 km), with 99.66% land, and 0.34% water.

Demographics

The 2020 United States census reported that Likely had a population of 58. The population density was . The racial makeup of Likely was 47 (81%) White, 4 (7%) Native American, and 7 (12%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3 persons (5%).

There were 22 households, of which 18 were families and 3 were one person living alone.
The median age was 59.4years. There were 26 males and 32 females.

There were 42 housing units, of which 22 were occupied. Of these, 11 were owner-occupied, and 11 were occupied by renters.

Politics

In the state legislature, Likely is in , and .

Federally, Likely is in .

Economy

The primary industries of Likely and its surroundings are currently ranching and tourism. A long-running joke among residents is that the Gross National Product of this part of Modoc County is your choice of: rocks, junipers, or sagebrush.

Local, State, Federal, and Tribal governments are the largest employers in Modoc. Timber and peat moss industries collapsed in the 1980s due to increased costs and loss of railroad infrastructure.

The Likely Airport 9CL3, about west of town, is privately owned.

Internet access in Likely is limited to dial-up service, provided by High Desert Online and Frontier Communications.

See also

* Likely Rancheria

Notes

External links

h2g2 Guide Entry A1065278: Modoc County, California, USA
*

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Census-designated places in Modoc County, California
Census-designated places in California