Mariposa (California)

Mariposa
Downtown Mariposa
Location in California
Basic data
Foundation :	1850
State :	United States
State :	California
County :	Mariposa County
Coordinates :	37 ° 29 ′  N , 119 ° 58 ′  W Coordinates: 37 ° 29 ′  N , 119 ° 58 ′  W
Time zone :	Pacific ( UTC − 8 / −7 )
Residents :	2,173 (as of 2010)
Population density :	65.3 inhabitants per km 2
Area :	33,361 km 2  (approx. 13 mi 2 ) of which 33,282 km 2  (approx. 13 mi 2 ) is land
Height :	594 m
Postal code :	95338
Area code :	+1 209
FIPS :	06-45932
GNIS ID :	1659063

Mariposa (formerly Aqua Fria ) is a small town ( census-designated place ) and the administrative seat of Mariposa County in California , United States . In 2010, 2173 inhabitants were registered there, after 1373 in 2000. The name comes from Spanish and means "butterfly", which is due to the fact that the first immigrants saw monarch butterflies overwinter.

geography

Geographical location

Mariposa lies at an altitude of 594 m in the first foothills of the Sierra Nevada . The place is about 65 km southwest of Yosemite National Park . The Mariposa Creek flows through the village.

geology

The soil in the inhabited area is mostly brown to red-brown loam . Gravelly loam is found in other areas. These soils allow the growth of dense grass and trees such as the blue oak , the California black oak , the digger pine or the yellow pine . In the north-west of the village there is a large, little overgrown area and a stone desert.

During the California gold rush in the 19th century, local streams were used for panning for gold and deep mines were built into the ground.

climate

Mariposa has a Mediterranean climate. Winters are usually very wet.

Climate diagram
J F. M. A. M. J J A. S. O N D.     152   13 -1     142   15th 0     140   15th 1     76   19th 3     25th   24 7th     7.6   29 11     2.5   34 14th     2.5   34 14th     18th   30th 11     36   25th 7th     109   18th 2     124   14th -1 Temperature in ° C ,  precipitation in mm Source: intellicast - Mariposa, CA

Average monthly temperatures and rainfall for Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Max. Temperature ( ° C ) 13 15th 15th 19th 24 29 34 34 30th 25th 18th 14th O 22.5 Min. Temperature (° C) -1 0 1 3 7th 11 14th 14th 11 7th 2 -1 O 5.7 Temperature (° C) 7.2 9.4 12.2 15th 20.6 23.3 27.2 25.6 22.2 16.7 12.2 7.2 O 16.6 Precipitation ( mm ) 152.4 142.24 139.7 76.2 25.4 7.62 2.54 2.54 17.78 35.56 109.22 124.46 Σ 835.66 Source: intellicast - Mariposa, CA

history

The place was founded as a mine workers camp on the banks of the only temporarily water-bearing river Aqua Fria. Originally, the place was about 10 km west of today's Mariposa. After a flood in the winter of 1849/50, the place was moved to its current location. The move was mainly because of the better terrain and proximity to Mariposa Creek, a stream known for its gold deposits . The gold deposits in the smaller Aqua Fria river were quickly depleted.

After the move, the large Mariposa Mine opened with a water wheel with a diameter of 12 m. The mine ensured a stable job market and Mariposa soon became the center of many surrounding mines as the southernmost part of the "gold chain" in the Californian gold rush. But the gold deposits in Mariposa Creek were also quickly exhausted, so they started to go underground.

In 1851 Mariposa became the capital of the county of the same name, which at that time extended to the borders of Los Angeles . Mariposa has had a courthouse since 1854 , which is still in use today. This makes it the oldest courthouse still in operation west of the Rocky Mountains . The local newspaper, the "Mariposa Gazette", founded in the same year, is the oldest newspaper in California with a weekly publication frequency.

The American explorer John C. Frémont had a Spanish right of use, which made him the owner of most of the mining district . The enforcement of his interests was impossible due to the enormous number of gold prospectors and few law enforcement officers.

On July 18, 2017, the entire place was evacuated because a forest fire was moving dangerously fast in the direction of the place.

politics

In the Californian parliament , Mariposa is represented in the 8th Senate district by Republican Tom Berryhill and in the 5th lower house district by Republican Frank Bigelow .

In the United States House of Representatives , the place in the 4th Congressional District is represented by the Republican Tom McClintock .

Personalities

sons and daughters of the town

• George Radanovich (* 1955), American politician
• Jacoby Shaddix (* 1976), American singer and songwriter with the rock band Papa Roach

Personalities who work and have worked on site

• John C. Frémont (1813-1890), American explorers , major general and politician
• Logan Mankins (* 1982), former American football player
• Frederick Law Olmsted (1822–1903), leading American landscape architect after the Civil War

Individual evidence

1. ↑ http://censusviewer.com/city/CA/Mariposa/2010
2. ^ Mariposa, California. weatherbase.com, accessed November 7, 2017 . 
3. ↑ ^{a b} Durham, David L .: California's geographic names: a gazetteer of historic and modern names of the state . Word Dancer Press, Clovis, Calif. 1998, ISBN 978-1-884995-14-9 (English).
4. ↑ Carsten Knop : Head of the local newspaper: "I believe in print - until I take my last breath". In: FAZ.net. August 6, 2019, accessed August 6, 2019 . 

Web links

• Mariposa County History
• Mariposa County History - part 2
• Mariposa facts & stats
• NORTHERN MARIPOSA COUNTY HISTORY CENTER - MARIPOSA MUSEUM AND HISTORY CENTER
• California State Mining and Mineral Museum in historic Mariposa