Clarksburg, California

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Clarksburg is an unincorporated community in Yolo County, California. It is located on the Sacramento River, in the extreme southeastern corner of the county.

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. 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 smal California towns in that many of the families who initially settled the area are still present, thus lending a small-town and almost East Coast charm to the community.

Present Day

The community is mostly centered on the two churches in town, the Holland Market, the volunteer fire department, and the two schools. The 1930s era Old Sugar Mill (which closed in 1988) is now the center of development with 162 new homes being approved for construction some time in 2007. 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 November 2006 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 Clarksburg Community Church has a website that serves as a community bulletin board and it can be found here: http://www.clarksburgcc.org

The population in 2006 is approximately 300. This is an approximation as the community borders are undefined and opinions on what outlying areas are actually part of Clarksburg vary from one source to the next.

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 & Crafts and Storybook Houses of the 1920s and 1930s. More information can be found here: http://www.ced.berkeley.edu/cedarchives/profiles/yelland.htm

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 principle crop as it was prior to the 1920s.

Events & Culture

The Paul Reese Memorial run occurs every November as it as since 1965 and includes a marathon, a 20 mile 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.

[edit] References

• United States Geological Survey

[edit] External links

• Clarksburg at the USGS site
• Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 38.42056° -121.52611°
  • Street map from Google Maps or MapQuest
  • Satellite image from Google Maps, Microsoft Virtual Earth, or WikiMapia
  • Topographic map from TopoZone
  • Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA