Siskiyou County, California

Siskiyou County is a county located in far northernmost part of the U.S. state of California, in the Cascade Mountains on the Oregon border. As of 2000, the population was 44,301. The county seat is Yreka.

History

Siskiyou County was created on March 22, 1852 from parts of Shasta and Klamath Counties, and named after the Siskiyou mountain range. Parts of the county's territory were given to Modoc County in 1855.

The county is the site of the central section of the Siskiyou Trail, which ran between California's Central Valley and the Pacific Northwest. The Siskiyou Trail was based on Native American footpaths, was expanded by Hudson's Bay Company trappers in the 1830s, and was expanded still further by "Forty-Niners" during the California Gold Rush.

The origin of the word siskiyou is not known. One version is that it is the Chinook Jargon word for "bob-tailed horse." Another version, given in an argument before the State Senate in 1852, is that the French name Six Cailloux, meaning "six stones," was given to a ford on the Umpqua River by Michel LaFrambois and a party of Hudson's Bay Company company trappers in 1832, because six large stones or rocks lay in the river where they crossed. According to some, the Six Cailloux name was appropriated to this region by Stephen Meek, another Hudson's Bay Company company trapper who was known for his "discovery" of Scott Valley, in regard to a crossing on the Klamath River near Hornbrook. Still others attribute the name to a local tribe of Native Americans.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 16,440 km² (6,347 mi²). 16,283 km² (6,287 mi²) of it is land and 157 km² (61 mi²) of it (0.96%) is water.

Adjacent Counties

Demographics

As of the census ² of 2000, there were 44,301 people, 18,556 households, and 12,228 families residing in the county. The population density was 3/km² (7/mi²). There were 21,947 housing units at an average density of 1/km² (4/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 87.07% White, 1.31% Black or African American, 3.90% Native American, 1.19% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 2.76% from other races, and 3.65% from two or more races. 7.57% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 18,556 households out of which 27.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.70% were married couples living together, 10.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.10% were non-families. 28.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the county the population was spread out with 24.00% under the age of 18, 6.70% from 18 to 24, 22.70% from 25 to 44, 28.40% from 45 to 64, and 18.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 96.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,530, and the median income for a family was $36,890. Males had a median income of $31,936 versus $22,650 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,570. About 14.00% of families and 18.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.60% of those under age 18 and 7.30% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

External links

California counties | Siskiyou County, California

Сискию | Siskiyou County | Comté de Siskiyou | Siskiyou County | Condado de Siskiyou