Woody, California

Woody (formerly, Weringdale)[3] is an unincorporated community in Kern County, California, in the United States.[1] It is located in the foothills of the Greenhorn Mountains, 25 miles (40 km) north-northeast of Bakersfield[3] at an elevation of 1,654 feet (504 m).[1]

Woody
Unincorporated community
Woody
Location in California
Woody
Woody (the United States)
Coordinates: 35°42′15″N 118°50′03″W
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
CountyKern County
Elevation1,654 ft (504 m)
Population
 (2008)
 • Total135
Time zoneUTC-8 (PST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP codes
93287
Website[2]

History

Woody was named after Dr. Sparrell Walter Woody, who homesteaded with his wife at the foot of Blue Mountain in 1862.[3] The Woody School District was founded in 1873 and a post office opened in 1889.[3] Copper was discovered near Woody in 1891 by Joseph Weringer, who founded the Greenback Mine and built the nine-room Weringdale Hotel. Quartz gold was found on Blue Mountain in 1894, and the population of the town, then known as Weringdale, grew to over a hundred. By the time the townsite was subdivided by Weringer in 1909, the community's name had reverted to Woody.[3]

A small ranch town, the total population of Woody has changed little since the mid-1890s. The post office, fire department, and Blue Mountain Graveyard are situated on the outskirts of town. There is also an elementary school and a community hall where the Woody residents have gatherings and events. There used to be a restaurant/ bar in Woody, but financial problems caused it to close.

A local legend states that the outlaw Joaquin Murrieta once had a cave/hideout in the area that he used while on the run.

California Historical Landmark
Mountain House Station
Location7977 Highway 155, Woody, California, in Kern County, California
Official nameMountain House Station
DesignatedMay 22, 1957
Reference no.589

Just outside of Woody is California Historical Landmark number 589, the Mountain House Station signed May 22, 1957. The spot was a Butterfield Overland Mail Stagecoach stop and station from 1858 to 1861. The location of the Mountain House Station was on Dry Creek, on Bakersfield-Glenville Roads about 6.3 miles from Woody.[4]

Mountain House Station California Historical Landmark reads:

NO. 589 MOUNTAIN HOUSE - One and one-half miles north of this point stood the Mountain House Station on the route of the Butterfield Stage. Operating through present Kern County during 1858-1861, this famous line ran from St. Louis, Missouri to San Francisco until the outbreak of the Civil War.[5]



See also

References
  1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Woody, California
  2. "Info on Woody (zip 93287), California". analyzed data. Retrieved 2009-03-17.
  3. Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Clovis, Calif.: Word Dancer Press. p. 1129. ISBN 1-884995-14-4.
  4. California parks, Mountain House Station
  5. californiahistoricallandmarks.com Landmark chl-589



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