Douglas City is an unincorporated community in Trinity County, California, United States. who became well known after the Lincoln–Douglas debates of 1858.
History
The prehistoric residents of the area were Wintun people; from North Fork to Douglas City the group was called Tien-Tien which means "friends". The Karuk called the same people the Kashahara. Local people suffered loss of population beginning with the epidemic of 1842. The explorer Jedediah Smith and his party came through the Hayfork area in 1828, killing several local people to intimidate the others and permit their passage. The Tien-Tien population was further reduced during the gold rush along the Trinity River.
In 1848, Pierson B. Reading found gold along the Trinity; the bar he worked is at Reading's Creek just south of the Douglas City bridge. Reading took out over $80,000 of gold on his first trip. (associated more with Hayfork than Douglas City) was the site of the Bridge Gulch Massacre in March 1852. Trinity Sheriff William H. Dixon and a number of men set out to catch the individuals (thought to be Wintu Indians) who killed a well-liked local butcher by the name of J. R. Anderson. The posse never found the assailants of Anderson, but after two days of tracking, did find another (and much larger camp) of Wintu Indians at the natural bridge. They attacked in the early morning hours and killed nearly every man, woman, and child. Accounts vary, but the numbers usually trend toward 150 killed with one to three children surviving.
The streams and hillsides of the area suffered during the Great Flood of 1862. The first Post Office in Douglas City started in 1867.
Until 1857 all transport to and from Douglas City was by foot, mule or horse. When a private road was built through the area, four-horse stagecoaches ran from Weaverville through Douglas City to Redding Creek, Brown's Creek and Hayfork Valley.
Geography
Nearby towns and cities include Big Bar, French Gulch, Igo, Junction City, Lewiston, Redding, Weaverville, and Whiskeytown.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP covers an area of , 99.96% of it land and 0.04% of it water.
Climate
This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Douglas City has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.
Demographics
The 2020 United States census reported that Douglas City had a population of 868. The population density was . The racial makeup of Douglas City was 677 (78.0%) White, 3 (0.3%) African American, 18 (2.1%) Native American, 33 (3.8%) Asian, 2 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 22 (2.5%) from other races, and 113 (13.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 53 persons (6.1%).
The census reported that 99.0% of the population lived in households, 1.0% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized.
The age distribution was 153 people (17.6%) under the age of 18, 27 people (3.1%) aged 18 to 24, 174 people (20.0%) aged 25 to 44, 279 people (32.1%) aged 45 to 64, and 235 people (27.1%) who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 51.9years. For every 100 females, there were 124.3 males. In 2010, the enrollment for the K-8 school was 114; spending was about $12,000 per student.
Infrastructure
California State Route 299 and California State Route 3 junction across the Trinity River from Douglas City and continue co-joined through the town on the way to Weaverville. Steiner Flat Road continues from Douglas City downstream along the Trinity.
Government
In the state legislature, Douglas City is in , and .
Federally, Douglas City is in .
See also
- Trinity County, California