| Keeler, California | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Inyo |
| Area | |
| - Total | 1.2 sq mi (3.1 km²) |
| - Land | 1.2 sq mi (3.1 km²) |
| - Water | 0 sq mi (0 km²) |
| Elevation | 3,602 ft (1,098 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 66 |
| - Density | 55/sq mi (21.3/km²) |
| Time zone | Pacific (PST) (UTC-8) |
| - Summer (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
| ZIP code | 93530 |
| Area code(s) | 760 |
| FIPS code | 06-37918 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0244213 |
Keeler is a census-designated place (CDP) in Inyo County, California, United States. The population was 66 at the 2000 census.
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Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), all of it land. Keeler is located along the eastern shores of Owens Lake (a dry lakebed) along State Route 136.
History
When the 1872 Lone Pine earthquake rendered the pier in nearby Swansea useless by uplifiting the shoreline, a new pier was constructed to the south at a community named Hawley. In 1880 a new mill was constructed at Hawley by the Owens Lake Mining and Milling Company for processing ore from the Cerro Gordo Mines in the mountains to the east. A town was laid out by the company agent Julius M. Keeler for whom the town of Hawley was later renamed. The steamship "Bessie Brady" brought ore from Keeler across the lake to the town of Cartago, however in 1882 the Bessie Brady was destroyed by fire. The Carson and Colorado Railroad constructed a narrow gauge railway to Keeler in 1883. The success of the Cerro Gordo mines caused Keeler to boom until silver prices plummeted in the late 1800s. A second boom of zinc mining in the early 1900s brought new life to the town and a tramway was built to bring the ore from Cerro Gordo to Keeler. There were small surges in the mining of silver, lead, zinc, and even limestone, however by the 1950s all mining had ceased. Train service was stopped in 1960 and the tracks were removed in 1961. Water exports from the Owens Valley to the City of Los Angeles in the 1920s led the Owens Lake to eventually dry up, causing alkili dust storms to blow through Keeler, driving many residents away. Dust remediation efforts in the early 21st century reduced this problem, but few residents remain.
Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 66 people, 36 households, and 19 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 54.9 people per square mile (21.2/km²). There were 67 housing units at an average density of 55.7/sq mi (21.6/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 96.97% White, 1.52% from other races, and 1.52% from two or more races. 12.12% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 36 households out of which 11.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.9% were married couples living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.2% were non-families. 38.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 22.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.83 and the average family size was 2.37. In the CDP the population was spread out with 13.6% under the age of 18, 1.5% from 18 to 24, 10.6% from 25 to 44, 36.4% from 45 to 64, and 37.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 57 years. For every 100 females there were 112.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 111.1 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $19,625, and the median income for a family was $26,250. The per capita income for the CDP was $18,621. There were no families and 8.5% of the population living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and none of those over 64.
Reference in fiction
Keeler is mentioned in the final chapters of Frank Norris's novel, McTeague (1899).
External links
Keeler Post Office: http://stampcollectingroundup.blogspot.com/2007/06/save-keeler-post-office.html
- Keeler, California is at coordinates Coordinates:
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Inyo County, California |
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| County seat: Independence | ||
| Cities |
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| CDPs |
Big Pine | Cartago | Darwin | Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek | Furnace Creek | Homewood Canyon-Valley Wells | Independence | Keeler | Lone Pine | Mesa | Olancha | Pearsonville | Round Valley | Shoshone | Tecopa | West Bishop | Wilkerson |
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| Unincorporated communities | ||
