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Census-designated place in California, United States
Wired telephone numbers in the community follow the format (530) 279-2xxx or 279-6xxx and appear to be served out of the Cedarville central office. Wired telephone service is provided by Citizens Utilities.
History
Fort Bidwell in 1877John Bidwell in 1860
In 1865, General John Bidwell backed a petition from settlers at Red Bluff, California to protect Red Bluff's trail to the Owhyhee Mines of Idaho. The U.S. Army commissioned seven forts for this purpose, and dispatched a Major Williamson in April to explore a site for a fort in either Goose Lake Valley or Surprise Valley, from which he selected a site near Fandango Pass at the base of the Warner Mountains in the north end of Surprise Valley, and orders to build the fort were issued on June 10, 1865.[9][10] Although Surprise Valley settlers desired Army protection, ranchers dispossessed of lands for the fort complained, and claimed damages from the Army.[9][11]
Both Fort Bidwell and Camp Bidwell, near Chico were named for General John Bidwell. However, Camp Bidwell was commissioned in 1863, renamed Camp Chico by the time Fort Bidwell was commissioned in 1865, and was decommissioned in 1893.[11] Observing confusion between the two,[6] Robert W. Pease explained that such a transfer of name between outposts was a common Army practice of the time.[9]
The Fort Bidwell post office opened in 1868.[6] A 1913 book described Fort Bidwell as having a population of about 200, and containing a school and reservation for the Northern Paiute Kidütökadö band (Gidu Ticutta - ‘Yellow-bellied marmot-Eaters’, also called "Northern California Paiute").[12]
The Census reported that 173 people (100% of the population) lived in households.
There were 79 households, out of which 17 (21.5%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 24 (30.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 16 (20.3%) had a female householder with no husband present, 3 (3.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 7 (8.9%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 0 (0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 30 households (38.0%) were made up of individuals, and 14 (17.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19. There were 43 families (54.4% of all households); the average family size was 2.95.
The population was spread out, with 35 people (20.2%) under the age of 18, 26 people (15.0%) aged 18 to 24, 29 people (16.8%) aged 25 to 44, 51 people (29.5%) aged 45 to 64, and 32 people (18.5%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.5 males.
There were 126 housing units at an average density of 39.2 per square mile (15.1/km2), of which 45 (57.0%) were owner-occupied, and 34 (43.0%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 14.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 12.8%. 80 people (46.2% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 93 people (53.8%) lived in rental housing units.
^ ab"Fort Bidwell". Office of Historic Preservation, California State Parks. Retrieved October 10, 2012.
^Liljeblad, Sven; Fowler, Catherine S.; Powell, Glenda (2012). "Fort Bidwell". Northern Paiute–Bannock Dictionary. Salt Lake City, Utah: University of Utah Press. p. 765. ISBN9781607819684.
^ abcdDurham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Clovis, Calif.: Word Dancer Press. p. 378. ISBN1-884995-14-4.
^ abcdPease, Robert W. (1965). Modoc County; University of California Publications in Geography, Volume 17. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press. pp. 75–78, 97.
