Three Rivers, California

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Three Rivers is a census-designated place (CDP) in Tulare County, California, United States. The population was 2,248 at the 2000 census.

The town's name comes from its location near the junction of the North, Middle and South Forks of the Kaweah River.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 Rhodesian Pioneers
4 External links

[edit] Geography

Three Rivers is located at 36°27′15″N, 118°53′11″W (36.454212, -118.886466)^GR1. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 117.5 km² (45.3 mi²), all land.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 2,248 people, 985 households, and 659 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 19.1/km² (49.6/mi²). There were 1,217 housing units at an average density of 10.4/km² (26.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 89.86% White, 0.22% African American, 1.29% Native American, 0.67% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 3.74% from other races, and 4.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.58% of the population.

There were 985 households out of which 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.9% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.75.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 20.9% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 20.3% from 25 to 44, 32.1% from 45 to 64, and 22.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.5 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $42,727, and the median income for a family was $48,843. Males had a median income of $39,355 versus $31,875 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $23,475. About 7.5% of families and 9.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.3% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.

Three Rivers was one site of a handful of U.S. boarding schools run by the Hare Krishna movement. These schools, called "gurukulas," were closed by the mid-1980s. Other locations included Los Angeles; Moundsville, W. Va.; and Dallas.

[edit] Rhodesian Pioneers

The Three Rivers cemetery contains the bodies of nine Rhodesian pioneers who lived in Africa ca. 1900 and fought in several Anglo-African wars:

Frederick Russell Burnham (May 11, 1861 - September 1, 1947), the highly decorated Scout, best known for his service in the First Matabele War, Second Matabele War, the Second Boer War, and for teaching woodcraft (i.e., scoutcraft) to Robert Baden-Powell, becoming one of the inspirations to the founding of the Boy Scouts and recognized today as the father of the international scouting movement.
Blanche Blick Burnham (1862 - 1939), wife of Fred Burnham, lived in Africa during the First Matabele War and the Second Matabele War.
Roderick Deane Burnham (August 22, 1886 - July 1, 1976), son of Fred & Blanche Burnham, moved to Africa at age 4 and lived there from 1893-1897. Served in World War I and went on to lead a rich and adventurous life after finding oil at Dominguez Hills, California.
John C. Blick (1875 - 1960), a fearless man who fought and won a famous hand-to-hand duel with a Ndebele after the charge broke the impis on their last effort to take Bulawayo in the Second Matabele War.
Judd Dunning Blick (March 17, 1873 - December 9, 1951), participated in the Barotseland expedition of 1895, during which he and his party nearly died of thirst, and fought in the Second Matabele War.
Pearl "Pete" Ingram Mills (1871 - 1933), a Montana cowboy who was one of only three men to survive the Shangani Patrol (along with Burnham) during the First Matabele War. Also fought in the Second Matabele War.
Grace Blick Ingram (July 22, 1870 - May 22, 1951), wife of Pete Ingram and a member of the Blick clan.
Homer Blick, fought in the Second Matabele War.
James S. Blick (November 15, 1833 - October 14, 1916), father of the Blick family, fought in the Second Matabele War.

The Burnhams and the Blicks started a cattle ranch, La Cuesta, in Three Rivers and built homes there. The scenery at Three Rivers is said to be almost identical to that of the Rhodesian kopje country.