Murphys, California
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Image:Murphys pokey.jpg Murphys is a census-designated place located in Calaveras County, California. As of the 2000 census, the CDP had a total population of 2,061.
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History
John and Daniel Murphy were part of the Stevens-Townsend party, the first immigrant party to bring wagons across the Sierra Nevada to Sutter's Fort in 1844. They earned a living as merchants, but like many others, began prospecting when the California Gold Rush began. They first started in Vallecito, which was known as "Murphys Old Diggings," before moving to another location in 1848 which became "Murphys New Diggings" and eventually just "Murphys."
The placer mining in this location was wildly successful. Miners were limited to claims of 8 square feet (0.75 m2) and yet many were still able to become rich. The Murphy brothers themselves, however, made far more money as merchants than as miners. In fact, John was so successful that he left town at the end of 1849 and never returned, having a personal fortune of nearly $2 million. Roughly $20 million in gold was discovered in Murphys and the surrounding area.
Murphys was also a popular destination as a tourist resort, as the nearby giant sequoia trees in what is now Calaveras Big Trees State Park were a major draw, and they continue to be so today.
Like many other mining towns, fire was its bane and the town was destroyed three times by flames, in 1859, 1874, and 1893. After the second major fire, there was little gold left to mine, and so the town was never rebuilt to its boomtown condition. However, Murphys continued to thrive as a merchant center, supplying many of the silver mines in Nevada with provisions via Ebbetts Pass.
The town is registered as California Historical Landmark #275.
Landmarks
- Murphys Hotel (CHL #267), one of the oldest continually operating hotels in California. Its historic register contains such names as Ulysses S. Grant and Mark Twain.
- The Old Mining Camp of Brownsville (CHL #465) sits just to southwest of the town. A thriving mining camp on rich Pennsylvania Gulch in the 1850s and 1860s, the camp was named for Alfred Brown, former owner of Table Mountain Ranch. Laws of the Brownsville mining district provided that each miner could own one wet and one dry claim, not to exceed 150 square feet each
- The Peter L. Traver Building (CHL #466) is the oldest stone building in Murphys. Its iron shutters and sand on the roof protected it from the fires of 1859, 1874, and 1893. It served as a general store, a Wells Fargo office, and later a garage. Today, it houses a not-for-profit museum documenting Murphys' gold-rush history.
Geography
Image:CAMap-doton-Murphys.pngMurphys is located at 38°8'23" North, 120°27'9" West (38.139669, -120.452472)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 26.7 km² (10.3 mi²). 26.7 km² (10.3 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 2,061 people, 945 households, and 611 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 77.2/km² (200.0/mi²). There were 1,094 housing units at an average density of 41.0/km² (106.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 94.27% White, 0.34% Black or African American, 0.97% Native American, 0.87% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 2.38% from other races, and 1.07% from two or more races. 5.63% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 945 households out of which 22.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.71.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 19.8% under the age of 18, 4.0% from 18 to 24, 19.6% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 28.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females there were 88.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.3 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $42,344, and the median income for a family was $58,194. Males had a median income of $44,125 versus $31,394 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $24,567. 10.0% of the population and 6.6% of families were below the poverty line. 19.4% of those under the age of 18 and 4.5% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Tourist attractions
Mercer cave
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