| Happy Camp | |
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| — census-designated place — | |
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Happy Camp
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Siskiyou |
| Area[1] | |
| • Total | 12.346 sq mi (31.976 km2) |
| • Land | 12.107 sq mi (31.357 km2) |
| • Water | 0.239 sq mi (0.619 km2) 1.94% |
| Elevation | 1,660 ft (505 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 1,190 |
| • Density | 96.4/sq mi (37.2/km2) |
| Time zone | PST (UTC-8) |
| • Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
| ZIP Code | 96039 |
| Area code(s) | 530 |
Happy Camp is a census-designated place (CDP) in Siskiyou County, California in the United States. The population was 1,190 at the 2010 census.
The town of Happy Camp "The Heart of the Klamath" is located on State Route 96, about 70 miles (110 km) west of Interstate 5 and 100 miles (160 km) northeast of Willow Creek. The town of O'Brien, Oregon is accessible from Happy Camp (which is nearly 40 miles (64 km) away). The shortest route to Oregon, over the Grey Back pass, is a seasonal summer road and is not cleared or maintained in snowy conditions. Check with the Forest Service located in town on SR 96,[2] for road closure information.
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Prior to 1851 - The area now occupied by Happy Camp is the ancestral homeland of the Karuk tribe. Karuk means "upriver people". Their cousins, the Yurok, are the "downriver people". There was a Karuk village on the banks of Indian Creek near the Klamath River.
1851 - European Americans began to settle in the area, then known as Murderer’s Bar because of cultural clashes and claim jumping. Later that year, the area's name was changed when a group of about thirty miners arrived to seek gold in the Klamath River Valley. According to Vera Toleman's history, published by the Siskiyou County Historical Society, "At a time of celebrating their survival of the hardships of the trip up the treacherous Klamath and of having found a spot where 'the pickings' seemed so promising, they named it 'Happy Camp'." They made their way up the Klamath River in the late spring or early summer from the Salmon River, southwest of Happy Camp, working the Klamath's gravel bars as they came.
1856 - By this year Henry Doolittle owned a home on the east bank of Indian Creek, a hotel, the American House, and a general merchandise business. The American House is probably the original name of the Cuddihy Hotel, which still exists as of 2002 on the corner of 2nd Avenue and Indian Creek Road.
1857 - James and Heil Camp and John Titus bought the buildings at Ferry Point, downriver, and started operating the ferry there. Later they moved to Happy Camp where they built the Camp Mercantile store, which still exists as of 2002.
1862 - Henry Doolittle appointed to be postmaster in Happy Camp and served in that office until 1870.
1865 - By this year the Camp Mercantile store had been built at the corner of Bridge and Main (now 2nd and Indian Creek Rd.) by James Camp, his brother, Heil Camp, and John Titus. They had purchased the lot from Henry Doolittle, whose American House hotel is still right across the street.
1866 - Henry Doolittle appointed to be Justice of the Peace and served in that office until 1870.
1872 - March - Henry Doolittle sold out his mining companies to the Happy Camp Hydraulic Mining Company. This sale included "water rights on Indian Creek, Elk Creek, Grider Creek, and Perkins Creek—the Keystone Ditch, the Empire Ditch, the Eureka Ditch, and the Hornback Ditch together with all dams belonging to said ditches—all gravel benches, and mining claims and mining ground covered by said ditches and creeks, together with all flumes, tunnels, improvements, pipes—a sawmill located in Happy Camp, with its lot and barn and adjoining lot, flume and dam belonging to said sawmill, two yoke of oxen, the butcher shop, corral and barn, also dwelling house and lot." Henry Doolittle left town after this sale and went to Washington state, according to his great-grandson, Richard Ramsey.
1875 - Staples Sawmill - 1/2 mile downriver on south side of Klamath River. Bought by James Camp Co.
1877 - Happy Camp Hydraulic Mining Company sold to Horace Gasquet. This included 298.92 acres (1.2097 km2).
1880 - Happy Camp Hydraulic Mining Company claims patented by Horace Gasquet, owner. This included Schoolhouse Flat (northeast of town) and the mine southwest of town (now at the Happy Camp Airport). The census for 1880 shows Happy Camp population 597 including 250 Chinese and 97 Karuks.
1883 - James Camp, Heil Camp, John Titus built a bridge over Indian Creek using steel and wood. The long irons were brought into Happy Camp by pack train.
1884 - Howard Gasquet sold Happy Camp Hydraulic Mining Company lands plus the Ferguson and Frazier patent (39.93 acres) to an eastern gentleman, excepting a strip of land on the east bank of Indian Creek. Bridge over Indian Creek built by James and Heil Camp and John Titus in 1883 sold to Del Norte County.
1885 - Happy Camp Hydraulic Mining Company purchased by Siskiyou Mining Company, a New York based firm. They operated the mine for ten years.
1890 - John Titus sold his interests to James Camp and moved to Fruitvale, California. Soon afterward James Camp gave up his 20 year job as postmaster in Happy Camp and sold his business interests to Horace Gasquet. Camp moved to Fort Jones where he had other business interests.[3]
| Average / Period | July | January | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum Temp. (F) | 94.8° | 46.9° | - |
| Minimum Temp. (F) | 51.7° | 31.2° | - |
| Precipitation (in.) | 0.3 | 10.4 | 52.5 |
| Snowfall (in.) | - | 9.4 | 20.5 |
Happy Camp sits on the Klamath River and a nexus of creeks including: Elk Creek; Little Grider Creek; Indian Creek; Doolittle Creek; Ikes Creek; Deer Lick Creek and Cade Creek.
Take the virtual tour of the State of Jefferson Scenic Byway along the Klamath River.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP covers an area of 12.3 square miles (32.0 km²), 12.1 square miles (31.4 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.6 km²) of it (1.94%) is water.
The town of Happy Camp is also known as the "Gateway to the Marbles." There are many trailheads for this Wilderness Area within ten miles (16 km) of the town. Check with the Forest Service for trail information. The Marble Mountains cover thousands of acres, and contain almost a hundred lakes. Among the most interesting lakes are Spirit Lake, which contains a luminescent chemical and has been seen to "glow" in the dark; Ukonom Lake, which is very large and beautiful even though the area is recovering from fire damage; and the Green and Blue Granite Lakes, where trout swim in the cold and clear waters. Deer, bear, elk, and mountain lion are common in the Wilderness Area.
With the town situated at above 1,000 feet (300 m) in elevation and located at the merging of the Klamath River and Indian Creek, camping is one of the biggest summer tourism draws to the community. Commercial campsites are available. Many public campgrounds can be found along State Highway 96, with many more located in remote and beautiful places like the nearby Marble Mountain Wilderness Area, Kelly Lake, Dillon Creek, and Greyback.
Mining in Happy Camp is not generally a recreational activity, although many people here make a living mining for gold.
Available game include deer, bear, elk, quail, turkey, and mountain lion. Contact the California Department of Fish and Game for more information. The Klamath River and surrounding area, including the creeks are famous for their salmon.
The wet, rainy autumns, winters, and springs provide ideal conditions for mushrooms to grow. These are harvested by individual local mushroom hunters, who receive anywhere from $7–$50 per pound for their efforts.
River rafting and kayaking is a popular activity, and there are several outfitters in the region who will launch at Happy Camp.
Hills, canyons and dense treecover can and will scatter GPS signals,[5] so coverage may be spotty in many places around town.
The Happy Camp Family Resource Center (HCFRC/FRC) is a non-profit organization providing family-oriented services in Happy Camp, California.[6]
The Karuk Tribe is headquartered in Happy Camp.
The US Forest Service maintains an office in town. Happy Camp is the administration site for the Happy Camp/Oak Knoll Ranger Districts of the Klamath National Forest.[2]
The 2010 United States Census[7] reported that Happy Camp had a population of 1,190. The population density was 96.4 people per square mile (37.2/km²). The racial makeup of Happy Camp was 814 (68.4%) White, 2 (0.2%) African American, 277 (23.3%) Native American, 7 (0.6%) Asian, 1 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 18 (1.5%) from other races, and 71 (6.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 95 persons (8.0%).
The Census reported that 1,190 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.
There were 525 households, out of which 129 (24.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 208 (39.6%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 63 (12.0%) had a female householder with no husband present, 26 (5.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 63 (12.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 5 (1.0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 175 households (33.3%) were made up of individuals and 67 (12.8%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27. There were 297 families (56.6% of all households); the average family size was 2.84.
The population was spread out with 238 people (20.0%) under the age of 18, 98 people (8.2%) aged 18 to 24, 232 people (19.5%) aged 25 to 44, 428 people (36.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 194 people (16.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47.3 years. For every 100 females there were 107.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.2 males.
There were 646 housing units at an average density of 52.3 per square mile (20.2/km²), of which 299 (57.0%) were owner-occupied, and 226 (43.0%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.4%; the rental vacancy rate was 8.0%. 677 people (56.9% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 513 people (43.1%) lived in rental housing units.
Klamath Controversy: Gold prospectors, conservation groups, the Department of Fish & Game, the Forest Service, and the Karuk, Hoopa and Yurok tribes are at odds with each other over what constitutes fair and ethical use of the river. Issues range from property rights, to endangered species, to Native American civil rights.[8]
Happy Camp is located within the State of Jefferson, a proposed U.S. State and call for secession from Oregon and California.
In the state legislature Happy Camp is located in the 4th Senate District, represented by Republican Doug LaMalfa, and in the 2nd Assembly District, represented by Republican Jim Nielsen. Federally, Happy Camp is located in California's 2nd congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of R +13[9] and is represented by Republican Wally Herger.
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