Central Camp, California

Unincorporated community in California, United States

37°20′58″N 119°29′01″W / 37.34944°N 119.48361°W / 37.34944; -119.48361CountryUnited StatesStateCaliforniaCountyMadera CountyElevation

^[1]

5,417 ft (1,651 m)

Central Camp is an unincorporated community in Madera County, California.^[1] It is located 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Shuteye Peak,^[2] at an elevation of 5417 feet (1651 m) from the sea-level.^[1]

History

The Sugar Pine Lumber Company established Central Camp, which became the premier and most expensive logging camp in the Sierra Nevada. Home to about 500 people, it housed both single and family lumberjacks, as well as a variety of other staff. The camp, hidden in a grove of towering trees, featured modern buildings designed to withstand harsh winters. The Fresno Republican praised its modernity at the 1923 grand opening.^[3]^: 43

The camp boasted an investment of $600,000, making it elaborate for a temporary work site. It featured a hydroelectric plant for electricity, a central boiler for heating, and a well-staffed kitchen serving fresh produce brought in by refrigerator car. The site also provided entertainment facilities, including a theater, recreation hall, and boxing ring.^[3]^: 79 ^[4] Despite operating during the Prohibition era, whiskey occasionally made its way into the camp.^[3]^: 79

References

^ ^a ^b ^c U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Central Camp, California
^ Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Clovis, Calif.: Word Dancer Press. p. 756. ISBN 1-884995-14-4.
^ ^a ^b ^c Johnston, Hank (2011). Rails to the Minarets: The Story of the Sugar Pine Lumber Company (Fourth Edition (Revised) ed.). Fish Camp, California: Stauffer Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9846848-0-9.
^ "California Railroad Will Tap Rich Area". San Francisco Call. San Francisco, California. July 20, 1922. Retrieved October 1, 2022.