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74-537: Oakhurst (formerly Fresno Flats ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Madera County , California , United States, 14 miles (23 km) south of the entrance to Yosemite National Park , in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada . At an elevation of 2,274 ft (693 m), Oakhurst is situated at the junction of Highway 41 and Highway 49 , marking the southern end of California's Gold Country . It

148-414: A 79.9% ownership rate and a median value of $ 369,900. Monthly housing costs average $ 2,189 for owners with mortgages and $ 637 for those without. Median rent is $ 1,303. Households average 2.29 persons, with 87.2% of residents living in the same house for at least one year. Additionally, 10.5% of households speak a non-English language at home. Technological use is widespread, with 92.4% of households owning

222-424: A CDP name "be one that is recognized and used in daily communication by the residents of the community" (not "a name developed solely for planning or other purposes") and recommend that a CDP's boundaries be mapped based on the geographic extent associated with inhabitants' regular use of the named place. There is no provision, however, that this name recognition be unanimous for all residents, or that all residents use

296-403: A computer and 85.9% having broadband internet. Education levels are high: 91.3% have a high school diploma, and 29.4% hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Regarding health, 18.1% of those under 65 have a disability, and 8.3% lack health insurance. Employment is robust, with 57.9% of those 16 and older in the workforce, showing equal participation by women. Financially, the median household income

370-535: A considerable effort involving transport by the San Joaquin Valley and Yosemite Railroad to Raymond and then by mule teams to the Sugar Pine mill, approximately 30 miles (48 km) miles away. Operationally, Engines 2, 3, and 4 typically moved 15 empty log cars from the sawmill to the logging areas. The larger Engines 5 and 6, with three trucks each, could pull 22 empty log cars. The capacity of

444-401: A cost of $ 250,000, ready for the 1877 season. Facing the problem of lumber slipping over the sides of the flume, William Thurman, one of the company’s co-founders, developed a new technique to clamp bundles of lumber together, enhancing their stability during transport. His invention, known as the flume clamp, was patented in 1877 and effectively reduced the risk of losing lumber and damaging

518-463: A parade, barbecue, rodeo, and beauty pageant, celebrating the region's history. It focused on the 19th-century miners' lifestyle and the importance of the logging industry, highlighting the area's rich heritage. In the late 1990s, the festival experienced a revival and was renamed Mountain Heritage Day, now held at Fresno Flats Historic Village. This modern version of the event continues to honor

592-461: A population of at least 10,000. For the 1970 Census , the population threshold for "unincorporated places" in urbanized areas was reduced to 5,000. For the 1980 Census , the designation was changed to "census designated places" and the designation was made available for places inside urbanized areas in New England. For the 1990 Census , the population threshold for CDPs in urbanized areas

666-400: A proposal to incorporate Oakhurst as a city. The measure failed with 56% voting against and 44% in favor. Oakhurst, an unincorporated area, does not have an official mayor. Instead, an Honorary Mayor is selected annually through a fundraising competition where candidates generate funds for selected non-profits, with each dollar equating to one vote. The top fundraiser is named Honorary Mayor,

740-606: A significant increase in households and a shift towards a younger age demographic. While remaining predominantly White, the community saw fluctuations in its Hispanic or Latino population, rising from 9.94% in 2000 to 16.7% in 2010, and then slightly decreasing to 12.0% by 2020. Socio-economic developments included a substantial rise in median household income from $ 27,679 to $ 73,333, alongside high rates of educational attainment and technological adoption. Despite these socio-economic improvements, challenges in poverty rates and health insurance coverage persist, reflecting ongoing issues within

814-516: A tradition that has supported local charities by raising significant amounts over the years. Oakhurst is home to Yosemite High School and the headquarters for the Yosemite Unified School District. Many primary schools across eastern Madera County feed into the high school. Oakhurst Community College Center is a two-year institution that offers programs in two-year degrees and general education for transfer. Founded in

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888-489: A two-mile (3 km) section of the original railroad grade used between 1908 and 1924. The California Lumber Company was founded in February 1874, initiating an ambitious project to move lumber from the Sierra Nevada to the new railroad in the San Joaquin Valley . This extensive project required setting up lumber camps and mills in the mountains and building a log flume to transport the lumber from higher elevations to

962-719: Is $ 73,333, with a per capita income of $ 44,763. The poverty rate is at 16.2%. In the California State Legislature , Oakhurst is in the 8th Senate District , represented by Democrat Angelique Ashby , and in the 5th Assembly District , represented by Republican Joe Patterson . In the United States House of Representatives , Oakhurst is in California's 5th congressional district , represented by Republican Tom McClintock . On February 5, 2008 residents voted on Measure C,

1036-429: Is White. Other groups include Black or African American (0.3%), American Indian and Alaska Native (0.2%), Asian (1.8%), and those identifying with two or more races (7.7%). Hispanic or Latino residents make up 12.0%, with non-Hispanic Whites at 83.0%. The community includes 357 veterans and has a 5.7% foreign-born population, highlighting some cultural diversity. Housing predominantly consists of owner-occupied units, with

1110-460: Is located 3 miles (5 km) south-southwest of Yosemite Forks , along the Fresno River , and sits at an elevation of 2,274 feet (693 m). Surrounded by mountains in the upper Sierra Nevada foothills , Oakhurst acts as a significant geographic crossroads. It is bordered by the Fresno River to the west and north. To the south, there are roads leading to the San Joaquin Valley , and to

1184-505: Is part of the Madera metropolitan statistical area . Oakhurst originated in 1858 as Fresno Flats, evolving from a ranching community to a hub for the timber industry and later, tourism. The town was renamed Oakhurst in 1912 following a secret petition by a resident after a local stagecoach robbery. The area was historically a meeting ground for the Miwok , Yokut , and Mono tribes. However,

1258-654: The 1890 Census , in which the Census mixed unincorporated places with incorporated places in its products with "town" or "village" as its label. This made it confusing to determine which of the "towns" were or were not incorporated. The 1900 through 1930 Censuses did not report data for unincorporated places. For the 1940 Census , the Census Bureau compiled a separate report of unofficial, unincorporated communities of 500 or more people. The Census Bureau officially defined this category as "unincorporated places" in

1332-461: The 1950 Census and used that term through the 1970 Census. For the 1950 Census, these types of places were identified only outside " urbanized areas ". In 1960 , the Census Bureau also identified unincorporated places inside urbanized areas (except in New England , whose political geography is based on the New England town , and is distinctly different from other areas of the U.S.), but with

1406-680: The California Gold Rush . Many Native Californians were displaced by white settlers following the enactment of the Act for the Government and Protection of Indians in 1850. This act facilitated the removal and displacement of Native Californian Indians from their traditional lands, and led to the Mariposa War , the first battle of which was fought near present-day Oakhurst on January 11, 1851. By June 1851, most Native Americans in

1480-614: The Fresno Flats Historical Village and Park including the 1869 Taylor Log House, where Boot Taylor, one of the first Sierra National Forest rangers was raised, the two-story Laramore-Layman House, built in the 1870s, the Raymond Jail built in 1890, and several single-room schoolhouses. Sierra Mountaineer Days, an annual festival established in 1964, became a significant event, drawing over 10,000 visitors each year at its peak. The three-day event featured

1554-485: The Great Depression . With the economic situation showing no signs of improvement by 1933, the flume, lumber yard, planing mill and box factory were permanently closed. Every locomotive was sold or scrapped. he Madera Sugar Pine Company (MSP) managed a fleet of seven locomotives. Four of these engines were named, while the others were known by numbers. The first engine, known as Betsy or Engine Number One,

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1628-559: The Madera Flume and Lumber Company started building a log flume by the Fresno River, sparking the local timber industry. By 1876, a wagon road from Madera to Yosemite was complete, shifting the area's main economic focus to tourism. Fresno Flats grew into a key station on this road to Wawona, boasting hotels, stores, a blacksmith, a skating rink, a dancehall, a schoolhouse, and saloons by 1884. The first school, made of logs,

1702-654: The San Joaquin Valley and the Yosemite Valley via Highway 41 . Nearby communities include Ahwahnee , Coarsegold and Bass Lake . According to the United States Census Bureau , the CDP has a total area of 33.5 square miles (87 km), of which 0.007 square miles (0.018 km), or 0.02%, are water. Oakhurst was a common meeting ground for the Miwoks , Yokuts , and Monos before the time of

1776-564: The White House under Theodore Roosevelt . Overall, the company logged more than 6,200 acres (25 km ) acres and generated over 1.3 billion board feet of lumber before its closure in 1933, a downturn driven by the declining supply and demand during The Great Depression . Despite these economic challenges, the Madera Sugar Pine Company maintained profitability in each year of its operation. A key moment for

1850-545: The 1923 case Madera Sugar Pine Co. v. Industrial Accident Commission of California , the United States Supreme Court upheld death benefits to the non-resident alien dependents of employees who died as a result of no-fault industrial accidents. The decision upheld the Workmen's Compensation Act of California , which was found to not be in violation of the U.S. Constitution . The ruling required that

1924-407: The 1980s, it is located on Road 426 off Highway 41, near the local Madera County Library branch as of September 2020. The State Center Community College District Board of Trustees approved plans to relocate the college to a new 30-acre site along Highway 49. Construction is estimated to cost $ 25 million and be completed by spring 2022. Celebrated as both a local landmark and roadside attraction ,

1998-464: The CDP is named, plus surrounding inhabited countryside of varying dimensions and, occasionally, other, smaller unincorporated communities as well. CDPs include small rural communities, edge cities , colonias located along the Mexico–United States border , and unincorporated resort and retirement communities and their environs. The boundaries of any CDP may change from decade to decade, and

2072-437: The Census Bureau considers some towns in New England states, New Jersey and New York as well as townships in some other states as MCDs, even though they are incorporated municipalities in those states. In such states, CDPs may be defined within such towns or spanning the boundaries of multiple towns. There are a number of reasons for the CDP designation: Madera Sugar Pine Company The Madera Sugar Pine Company

2146-485: The Census Bureau may de-establish a CDP after a period of study, then re-establish it some decades later. Most unincorporated areas within the United States are not and have not been included in any CDP. The boundaries of a CDP have no legal status and may not always correspond with the local understanding of the area or community with the same name. However, criteria established for the 2010 census require that

2220-617: The Chinese workers' experience, particularly in the wake of the Chinese Exclusion Act . In 1922, Madera Sugar Pine decided to replace these Chinese laborers with Mexican laborers who had become readily available following the Immigration Act of 1917 . In a move that would send a clear signal that Chinese workers were no longer welcome, the company set fire to Chinatown at the end of the logging season, waiting until

2294-593: The Hill was built in 1894 and moved from Chapel Hill to its current location in Oakhill Cemetery in 1957. Built from sugar pine lumber from the local mills, it was the first house of worship in Fresno Flats and met the needs of all denominations for over 50 years. The church and cemetery were designated as California Point of Historical Interest in 1994. Many original pioneer structures are on display at

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2368-697: The Lewis Fork of the Fresno River served two purposes. It formed a log pond to serve the new Sugar Pine mill and created a water source for a new flume head. The completely rebuilt flume followed the original fifty-four miles (87 km) route through Fresno Flats, dropping a total of 4,500 feet (1,400 m) elevation on the journey to Madera. To maintain the proper grade, over 200 trestles were built, some of them 65 feet (20 m) high. The flume cost $ 275,000 to construct, an average of $ 5000 per mile. It used approximately 5,700,000 feet of redwood lumber and 2100 kegs of nails. A catastrophic fire swept through

2442-693: The Madera Flume and Trading Company. This new entity expanded its operations by adding a four-mile narrow gauge railway connecting the Soquel Mill with the flume, facilitating the transport of timber from more remote locations. In the late 1880s, the Madera Flume and Lumber Company made history by being the first logging operation to swap traditional oxen teams for steam-powered donkey engines . These compact yet potent steam engines allowed loggers to cut and transport trees under any weather conditions, thereby boosting overall timber production throughout

2516-520: The Madera Sugar Pine Company compensate the partially dependent survivors of two Mexican laborers who had died on the job. This case established the legal principle that non-resident alien dependents are entitled to the same compensation as citizens under the state's worker's compensation laws . The mill at Sugar Pine ceased activity in November 1931 with wood piling up in the Madera lumber yard due to

2590-600: The Talking Bear is a prominent fiberglass grizzly bear statue located at the intersection of Highway 41 and Road 426. Known for its distinctive design and cultural significance, the statue has become a notable feature in the area since it was installed in 1965. Visitors press a button to hear a recorded message about the California Grizzly Bear . Hugh Schollenbarger installed the bear which was made by Alpine's Fiberglass Menagerie Co. The Little Church on

2664-611: The area's unique cultural and historical background. Highway 41 connects Oakhurst to Fresno and Yosemite . Highway 49 has its southern terminus at Highway 41 in Oakhurst and connects to Mariposa . Oakhurst is served by the YARTS Highway 41 bus route between Fresno and Yosemite, and by the Madera County Connection bus system, which travels to Madera and Bass Lake . Cable television services for

2738-484: The boundaries for CDPs. The PSAP was to be offered to county and municipal planning agencies during 2008. The boundaries of such places may be defined in cooperation with local or tribal officials, but are not fixed, and do not affect the status of local government or incorporation; the territories thus defined are strictly statistical entities. CDP boundaries may change from one census to the next to reflect changes in settlement patterns. Further, as statistical entities,

2812-419: The boundaries of the CDP may not correspond with local understanding of the area with the same name. Recognized communities may be divided into two or more CDPs while on the other hand, two or more communities may be combined into one CDP. A CDP may also cover the unincorporated part of a named community, where the rest lies within an incorporated place. By defining an area as a CDP, that locality then appears in

2886-592: The camps to the mill. Expenses at Madera and in the woods now exceed $ 15,000 per month – truly an enterprise of which any area might feel justly proud. Betsy had a unique design, with a small cab that required the engineer to also serve as the fireman. Despite this quirk, Betsy became one of the longest-serving Shay locomotives in the Sierra and remained in service through the 1930s. In the late 1800s, loggers in Nelder Grove cut down many giant sequoias . However,

2960-588: The community for which the CDP is named for services provided therein. There is no mandatory correlation between CDP names or boundaries and those established for other human purposes, such as post office names or zones, political precincts, or school districts. The Census Bureau states that census-designated places are not considered incorporated places and that it includes only census-designated places in its city population list for Hawaii because that state has no incorporated cities. In addition, census city lists from 2007 included Arlington County, Virginia 's CDP in

3034-404: The community's housing needs. According to the 2020 census , the CDP has a population of 5,945 across 2,180 households. The community is diverse, with distinct demographic segments: children under five make up 3.1% of the population, those under 18 comprise 18.2%, and seniors 65 and older represent 25.6%. Women are the majority, making up 56.5% of the residents. Racially, 87.8% of the population

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3108-427: The community. The growth of short-term rental platforms like Airbnb has influenced the housing market. As more property owners opt for short-term rentals due to higher potential earnings, the availability of long-term rental housing has decreased. This shift has contributed to increased competition and rising rental prices for residents, prompting discussions about potential regulations to balance tourism benefits with

3182-494: The company introduced Betsy, an early Shay locomotive . She was the first of her kind to operate in the southern Sierra Nevada and represented a significant advancement in logging techniques and efficiency. The Visalia Weekly Delta reported on the innovation. Logging on the Madera Flume and Trading Company has been greatly facilitated this season by a new narrow-gauge (3-foot) railroad. Cars especially made for this purpose have done away with many [ox] teams in bringing lumber from

3256-446: The company store and received medical care at the company hospital. They accepted all customers, showing no discrimination beyond the ability to pay. The first brothel for the loggers of Madera Sugar Pine Company was called Kamook, located four miles from Sugar Pine . Tipperary was the most popular. Named after the popular song , Tipperary featured a main parlor house and four individual cabins. Accommodations at Kamook were scarce, so

3330-498: The company was its involvement in a landmark 1923 U.S. Supreme Court case where the court confirmed death benefits for non-resident alien dependents, marking a major step in workers' rights and setting a precedent against discrimination in cases of industrial accidents . In 1967, service resumed as the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad , a heritage railway . The railroad is built on

3404-473: The east, paths extend to Crane Flat and the High Sierra . Historically, this strategic positioning made Oakhurst an important meeting location for Native American tribes across Central California . Today, Oakhurst remains a critical hub, connecting mountain routes that lead in all four compass directions. Oakhurst is positioned at the southern end of California's Gold Country , on Highway 49 . It bridges

3478-434: The enactment of the Act for the Government and Protection of Indians in 1850 led to the displacement of many Native Americans, catalyzing the Mariposa War , the first battle of which was fought near present-day Oakhurst. From 1981 to 1999, Oakhurst was home to Sierra On-Line , a pioneer in the computer game industry, known for creating the first 3D adventure game and the first dedicated online gaming network . Oakhurst

3552-441: The first snowfall to ensure that no other structures would be damaged in the blaze. This incident highlights the discrimination and injustice faced by Chinese workers in the logging industry during the early 20th century. Prostitution flourished in the Sierra during the logging days. The San Francisco fire of 1906 left many sex workers without work, so they went to the logging camps. Law enforcement left them be, and they traded at

3626-490: The flume. His flume clamp was patented in 1877. However, despite these innovations, the California Lumber Company encountered financial challenges. Lack of sufficient funds and the 1877 drought significantly affected its operations, resulting in the termination of the company's activities after only three seasons. In 1878, the California Lumber Company underwent a major overhaul and was rebranded as

3700-417: The growth of Fresno Flats and the formation of Madera County . At its peak, the Madera Sugar Pine Company employed over 600 men in its logging operations, another 1,000 in its lumber mill , and produced an annual output of 50 million board feet of lumber. Most of its production was exported beyond California, notably supplying two carloads of "the finest Sugar Pine in the world" for the reconstruction of

3774-410: The jobs in the Sugar Pine lumber yards. However, these Chinese workers faced significant discrimination and segregation in the workplace and in their daily lives. They were relegated to low-paying jobs as common laborers, were hired and paid through a middleman, and lived in a separate Chinatown apart from the rest of the community. Anti-Chinese sentiment and lack of legal protection also hindered

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3848-556: The list with the incorporated places, but since 2010, only the Urban Honolulu CDP, Hawaii, representing the historic core of Honolulu, Hawaii , is shown in the city and town estimates. The Census Bureau reported data for some unincorporated places as early as the first census in 1790 (for example, Louisville, Kentucky , which was not legally incorporated in Kentucky until 1828), though usage continued to develop through

3922-433: The mill site. Operations resumed the following April with an expanded capacity of 350,000 board feet a day. The sawmill community at Sugar Pine was diverse, with workers from many different nationalities. Social status within the community was based on a person's position with the company, and housing was allocated accordingly. Management lived in the upper canyon, sawmill workers in the lower canyon, and shop workers on

3996-621: The mining industry collapse, the end of stagecoach travel to Yosemite, and the 1931 closure of the Madera Sugar Pine Company . The All-Year Highway , opened in 1926, rerouted Yosemite bound auto traffic via California State Route 140 through Merced, further reducing visitor numbers and economic activity in Oakhurst. A new highway route to Yosemite came to fruition in the 1930s with the Fresno-Yosemite road, known today as California State Route 41 . This route shortened

4070-467: The nineteenth century. John Robert Nichols, a rancher, was likely the first Anglo settler in Fresno Flats in 1858. Others joined him, raising livestock and planting orchards, establishing the area permanently. Post-gold rush, the first Chinese family settled by a creek flowing into the Fresno River. As more Chinese families used it, the creek was named China Creek, which remains its name. Fresno Flats opened its first post office in 1873. The following year,

4144-631: The region had been relocated to the Fresno River Farm Reservation, opening the region to the first permanent white settlers. Oakhurst's existence began in 1858 as "Fresno Flats," named for the Spanish word for ash trees and flat, a colloquial term for a mountain meadow. Unlike most nearby towns along what is now the Golden Chain Highway. , Fresno Flats was not founded due to the discovery of precious metals in

4218-457: The same category of census data as incorporated places. This distinguishes CDPs from other census classifications, such as minor civil divisions (MCDs), which are in a separate category. The population and demographics of the CDP are included in the data of county subdivisions containing the CDP. Generally, a CDP shall not be defined within the boundaries of what the Census Bureau regards to be an incorporated city, village or borough. However,

4292-466: The sex workers set up a tent community called "Happy Camp" two miles away in Fish Camp, California . Business boomed, and the sex workers soon hired carpenters to construct a permanent brothel. Prostitution houses stood for just over twenty years, Tipperary being the first to fall when the logs near Big Creek were depleted and the logging moved on. Happy Camp and Kamook persisted until the 1920s. In

4366-435: The side of the hill. Loggers would live in seasonal camps in the woods, where they would sleep four to a shack and eat in a common cookhouse. Chinese laborers, whose jobs were limited to the flume, drying yard and sawmill, lived in a separate Chinatown area south of the mill. Chinese workers, many of whom had arrived during the California Gold Rush , played a significant role in completing the Madera Flume and filling many of

4440-571: The town of Oakhurst are contracted to Vyve Broadband . Sierra Telephone Company, which serves northern Madera County and much of adjoining Mariposa County , is based in Oakhurst. Census-designated place CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places , such as self-governing cities , towns , and villages , for the purposes of gathering and correlating statistical data. CDPs are populated areas that generally include one officially designated but currently unincorporated community, for which

4514-502: The town on September 9, 1922. The sawmill, lumber yard, and 75 acres (0.30 km ) acres of surrounding forest were destroyed. Madera Sugar Pine immediately announced plans to rebuild and expand. Equipment was ordered, manufactured and shipped from the eastern US by rail, including a modern two-band sawmill. Crews worked throughout the winter to transport and assemble over 500,000 pounds (230,000 kg) of equipment, hauling it over 60 miles (97 km) miles of dirt road from Madera to

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4588-461: The trains was largely dictated by the steepness of the railroad grade. Notably, the Shay locomotives were designed to be adaptable, never needing to be turned around; they were always positioned with the front end facing uphill, highlighting their flexibility in handling the rugged terrain. In 1933, the sawmill closed, and the company chose to dismantle the railroad in 1934, marking the end of an era for

4662-782: The trip from Fresno to Yosemite Valley by 35 miles. Over 1.2 million people annually enter Yosemite National Park through its south gate, predominantly passing through Oakhurst on Highway 41. Tourism significantly affects Oakhurst, especially during summer. This season sees the highest traffic on Highway 41, full hotel occupancy, and a peak in jobs serving visitors, including lodging, dining, retail, and transportation services. The total sales for accommodation and food services in 2017 were $ 36.5 million dollars. In contrast, these activities and related employment decrease in winter due to reduced off-season activities in Yosemite and surrounding areas. The pioneering computer game developer Sierra On-Line

4736-541: The turn of the century, the old-growth white pine of the upper Midwest had become depleted. Sugar pine , with its large size and straight grain, became a highly valued substitute for white pine. This led many established lumber interests to push westward into the Sierra Nevada. In 1889, Arthur Hill, a Michigan-born timber magnate, and his associates purchased the assets of the Madera Flume and Trading Company and expanded its operations. Its existing logging railroad

4810-479: The valley. Between 1874 and 1877, a 54-mile (87 km) log flume , the longest ever built at that time, was constructed to transport rough-cut lumber from the mountains to Madera in the valley. There, it could be finished and shipped worldwide via the Southern Pacific Railroad . This project involved constructing many high trestles across the variable foothills' terrain and was finished at

4884-451: The wood from these trees had limited commercial potential due to its tendency to break apart when felled and its inferior suitability for construction compared to old-growth sugar pine and ponderosa. Despite this, more than 100 of the largest sequoias in the grove survived clearcutting by 1897. By the late 1890s, the Madera Flume and Trading Company was in decline. The reasons were twofold: the available timber tracts were depleting, and there

4958-485: The year. In 1881, the company constructed the Soquel Mill and connected it to an extended log flume, positioned upstream from the original California Mill. The following year, they established a second mill near Nelder Grove. However, this new mill did not have a nearby water source, necessitating the use of a forest tramway to move the lumber to the flume. By then, the company had the capability to transport 100,000 board feet of finished lumber to Madera daily. In 1889,

5032-542: Was a United States lumber company that operated in the Sierra Nevada region of California during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The company distinguished itself through the use of innovative technologies, including the southern Sierra's first log flume and logging railroad , along with the early adoption of the Steam Donkey engine. Its significant regional impact led to the establishment of towns such as Madera , Fish Camp , and Sugar Pine , as well as

5106-405: Was a decrease in the demand for lumber exports due to a prolonged economic depression . Earlier, the California Lumber Company mills had been permanently closed, and the company itself had declared bankruptcy in 1878. Despite these setbacks, the Madera lumber yard managed to keep running, albeit on a smaller scale, supported by contracted loggers who continued to supply cut logs to the flume. By

5180-411: Was an early model that became a reliable part of the fleet, serving until the early 1930s despite its unique design requiring the engineer to also act as the fireman. Betsy stood out for its durability and became one of the longest-serving Shay locomotives in the Sierra Nevada, even though it had a tendency to derail occasionally. The company's larger locomotives, Engines 4 and 5, were delivered through

5254-441: Was based in Oakhurst from 1981 to 1999. The company achieved many industry firsts, including the development of the first 3D adventure game ( King's Quest , 1984) and one of the first online gaming networks ( The Sierra Network , 1989). Oakhurst, California, has experienced notable demographic and socio-economic transformations between the 2000 and 2020 census periods. The population more than doubled from 2,868 to 5,945, with

5328-416: Was built in 1871, and by 1884, it had an average attendance of 26.9 students with one teacher. Fresno Flats lost its name in 1912 after a resident secretly petitioned the town be renamed over fear that the town's reputation was forever tarnished because of a local stagecoach robbery. The town was renamed Oakhurst by an Act of Congress that took most people in town by surprise. Oakhurst's decline started with

5402-544: Was extended to newly secured timber tracts, and the flume to Madera was reconstructed. The scale of the operation was expanded to rival the Fresno Flume and Irrigation Company and Sanger Lumber Company , which had sprung up as competitors. The sugar pine tree became the central symbol for the reincorporated company. It featured in the company's name and logo and became the namesake for the newly constructed company town and state-of-the-art mill. A new earth dam on

5476-481: Was reduced to 2,500. From 1950 through 1990, the Census Bureau specified other population requirements for unincorporated places or CDPs in Alaska , Puerto Rico , island areas, and Native American reservations . Minimum population criteria for CDPs were dropped with the 2000 Census . The Census Bureau's Participant Statistical Areas Program (PSAP) allows designated participants to review and suggest modifications to

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