Chester, California

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For the former settlement in Merced County with this name, see Chester, Merced County, California.
Chester
census-designated place
Aerial photograph of Chester, California.
Aerial photograph of Chester, California.
Location in Plumas County and the state of California
Location in Plumas County and the state of California
Chester is located in the United States
Chester
Chester
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 40°18′09″N 121°14′05″W / 40.30250°N 121.23472°W / 40.30250; -121.23472Coordinates: 40°18′09″N 121°14′05″W / 40.30250°N 121.23472°W / 40.30250; -121.23472
Country United States
State California
CountyPlumas
Area
 • Total7.369 sq mi (19.084 km2)
 • Land7.288 sq mi (18.875 km2)
 • Water0.081 sq mi (0.210 km2)  1.1%
Elevation4,534 ft (1,382 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total2,144
 • Density290/sq mi (110/km2)
Time zoneUTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code
96020
Area code(s)530
FIPS code06-12930
GNIS feature IDs277487; 2408021
U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Chester, California; U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Chester, California

Chester (formerly Big Meadows) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Plumas County, California, United States.[2] Chester is located on Lake Almanor, 30 miles (48.3 km) north-northwest of Quincy.[3] The town is located along State Route 36. The US Postal Service ZIP code for the community is 96020. The population was 2,144 at the 2010 census, down from 2,316 at the 2000 census.

The primary industries in Chester are lumber production and tourism. Chester serves as the retail center for the Lake Almanor region of California, and derives a significant portion of its economy from the tourist trade, and to a lesser degree from construction to new residents and businesses.

History[edit]

The town was founded and named by two settlers, one from Chester, Vermont, and another from Chester, Missouri.[3] The Chester post office opened in 1894 and moved in 1908.[3] Notable figures born in Chester: On September 18, 1975 Rev. Jonathan E.D. Brown was born in Chester to his father Rev. Edward Brown and mother Frances Brown. Rev. Jonathan Brown is noted as being one of America's leading ministers of Inclusion, Teaching "that all faiths are like the different streams leading into lake Almanor in my home town of Chester CA, so in spirituality all faiths are just individual streams leading to one God." He credits this teaching of the gospel of inclusion, as he has been quoted saying in published works " I learned this truth from fishing all over this area as a boy." Having been raised in a classical pentacostal church, he believed that God was bigger than any one denomination or particular faith. He is famous for being a preacher of the power of positive thinking. Following in the steps of two of his spiritual mentors, Rev.Dr. Norman Vincent Peal; who once visited Chester and Susanville himself and Rev. Dr. Robert Schuler, founding Pastor of the world famous Crystal Cathedral in southern California; who also vacationed in Chester and Lake Almanor on many occasions, who stated that "Chester was like a beautiful garden to explore."

Geography[edit]

Chester is located at 40°18′10″N 121°14′5″W / 40.30278°N 121.23472°W / 40.30278; -121.23472 (40.302395, -121.234672).[4]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 10.1 km2 (3.9 sq mi). 18.9 km2 (7.3 sq mi) of it is land and 0.2 km2 (0.077 sq mi) of it (1.10%) is water.

Chester is situated almost directly over the buried north end of the fault-block Sierra Nevada[5] and the southernmost end of the volcanic Cascade Range.

Climate[edit]

Chester has a transitional Csb/Dsb climate.

Climate data for Chester (1909-2012)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 62
(17) 		70
(21) 		77
(25) 		84
(29) 		93
(34) 		97
(36) 		104
(40) 		103
(39) 		98
(37) 		90
(32) 		76
(24) 		62
(17) 		104
(40)
Average high °F (°C) 41.8
(5.4) 		45.7
(7.6) 		50.8
(10.4) 		58.1
(14.5) 		67.5
(19.7) 		76.6
(24.8) 		85.3
(29.6) 		84.4
(29.1) 		78.3
(25.7) 		66.3
(19.1) 		50.3
(10.2) 		42.1
(5.6) 		62.3
(16.8)
Average low °F (°C) 19.8
(−6.8) 		22.3
(−5.4) 		25.2
(−3.8) 		28.4
(−2.0) 		34.5
(1.4) 		40.7
(4.8) 		44.8
(7.1) 		43.3
(6.3) 		38.1
(3.4) 		31.5
(−0.3) 		25.8
(−3.4) 		20.7
(−6.3) 		31.3
(−0.4)
Record low °F (°C) −11
(−24) 		−10
(−23) 		−3
(−19) 		5
(−15) 		14
(−10) 		24
(−4) 		27
(−3) 		27
(−3) 		15
(−9) 		12
(−11) 		3
(−16) 		−16
(−27) 		−16
(−27)
Average precipitation inches (cm) 6
(15) 		5.15
(13.1) 		4.15
(10.5) 		2.22
(5.6) 		1.53
(3.9) 		0.82
(2.1) 		0.27
(0.69) 		0.26
(0.66) 		0.64
(1.6) 		1.88
(4.8) 		3.77
(9.6) 		5.16
(13.1) 		31.83
(80.8)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 35.4
(90) 		26.2
(67) 		20.6
(52) 		7.1
(18) 		1.4
(3.6) 		0.1
(0.25) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0.1
(0.25) 		0.8
(2.0) 		10.5
(27) 		25.7
(65) 		127.8
(325)
Average precipitation days 11 10 10 8 6 4 1 1 3 5 9 10 78
Source: WRCC[6]

Demographics[edit]

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
U.S. Decennial Census[7]

2010[edit]

At the 2010 census Chester had a population of 2,144. The population density was 291.0 people per square mile (112.3/km2). The racial makeup of Chester was 1,954 (91.1%) White, 10 (0.5%) African American, 46 (2.1%) Native American, 21 (1.0%) Asian, 4 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 37 (1.7%) from other races, and 72 (3.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 178 people (8.3%).[8]

The census reported that 2,131 people (99.4% of the population) lived in households, 1 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 12 (0.6%) were institutionalized.

There were 943 households, 249 (26.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 454 (48.1%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 81 (8.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 46 (4.9%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 73 (7.7%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 3 (0.3%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 288 households (30.5%) were one person and 95 (10.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.26. There were 581 families (61.6% of households); the average family size was 2.81.

The age distribution was 465 people (21.7%) under the age of 18, 154 people (7.2%) aged 18 to 24, 456 people (21.3%) aged 25 to 44, 758 people (35.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 311 people (14.5%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 44.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.7 males.

There were 1,237 housing units at an average density of 167.9 per square mile, of the occupied units 568 (60.2%) were owner-occupied and 375 (39.8%) were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 15.7%. 1,317 people (61.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 814 people (38.0%) lived in rental housing units.

2000[edit]

As of the 2000 census,[9] there were 2,316 people in 956 households, including 647 families, in the CDP. The population density was 320.5 people per square mile (123.7/km2). There were 1,130 housing units at an average density of 156.4 per square mile (60.3/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.62% White, 0.22% Black or African American, 2.12% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 1.55% from other races, and 2.89% from two or more races. 6.04% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 956 households 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were non-families. 28.1% of households were one person and 11.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.90.

The age distribution was 27.1% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% 65 or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.2 males.

The median household income was $33,413 and the median family income was $45,195. Males had a median income of $33,417 versus $26,164 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $17,569. About 9.6% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.7% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.

Activities and features[edit]

Chester Museum, an addition to the Chester Library.

Chester is near several areas of interest for outdoor activities, within a 50-mile radius the town has numerous CDF and USFS trails and campgrounds, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Drakesbad and Lake Almanor are other areas of interest for vacationers and tourists with outdoor hobbies. The Boy Scouts of America's Nevada Area Council also operates Camp Fleischmann in the region.

Lake Almanor is a popular hunting, fishing and boating destination. The lake is home for a variety of fish and bird species, many of which make for good sport and game. Chester and the greater Lake Almanor area are home to many seasonal and year-round resorts and restaurants that cater to the locals and the summer seasonal tourists. The winter tourism tends to be quieter, the town is often a way point for people traveling to ski resorts at Mount Shasta and Lake Tahoe.

Economy[edit]

The primary industries in Chester are lumber production and tourism. Collins Pine (a division of The Collins Companies) has been in operation since the 1940s under a "sustained yield" management plan using selective harvesting. The company's forest management practices have been certified as FSC sustainable by Scientific Certification Systems, which designated it a "state-of-the-art well-managed forest."[citation needed] Collins no longer maintains the distinction of Chester's dominant employer, though it remains the single business with the most employees.[citation needed]

Other logging companies operating in the area are Roseburg Forest Products, and Sierra Pacific Industries. Clear cutting is performed in the area.[10][11]

Lake Almanor has developed as a vacation/tourist destination and Chester serves as the retail center for the area. All of the Almanor basin's four gas stations are located in Chester, as well as the Almanor basin's only full-sized grocery store.

Resident celebrities[edit]

Politics[edit]

In the state legislature, Chester is in the 1st Senate District, represented by Republican Brian Dahle,[12] and the 1st Assembly District, represented by Republican Megan Dahle.[13]

Federally, Chester is in California's 1st congressional district, represented by Republican Doug LaMalfa.[14]

School District, Chester Elementary School, Chester Junior Senior High School, and Almanor High School (continuation) are part of the Plumas Unified School District based in Quincy, California. The Chester Learning Center is a private charter school. It is accredited K-12 by the WASC, Western Association of Schools and Colleges and managed by the Plumas Charter School system.

References[edit]

  1. ^ U.S. Census Archived 2012-01-25 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Chester, California
  3. ^ a b c Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Clovis, Calif.: Word Dancer Press. p. 364. ISBN 1-884995-14-4.
  4. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  5. ^ Roadside Geology of Northern California. Alt and Hyndman 1975.Map Page 222
  6. ^ "Chester, CA (041700)". Western Regional Climate Center. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  7. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  8. ^ "2010 Census Interactive Population Search: CA - Chester CDP". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
  9. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  10. ^ [1]
  11. ^ [2]
  12. ^ "Senators". State of California. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
  13. ^ "Members Assembly". State of California. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
  14. ^ "California's 1st Congressional District - Representatives & District Map". Civic Impulse, LLC. Retrieved March 3, 2013.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chester,_California&oldid=971187327"