Keeler, California

File:SodaWorksAtKeeler.jpg

When the 1872 Lone Pine earthquake rendered the pier in nearby Swansea inaccessible by uplifting the shoreline, a new pier was constructed to the south at a community named Hawley. In 1880 a new mill was constructed at Hawley by the Owens Lake Mining and Milling Company for processing silver ore from the Cerro Gordo Mines in the mountains to the east. A town was laid out by the company agent Julius M. Keeler, for whom the town of Hawley was later renamed.

The steamship Bessie Brady brought ore from Keeler across the lake to the town of Cartago. There was a {{convert|300|foot||adj=mid| wharf}} at Keeler, and the steamship route cut days off the time a freight wagon would have taken to circle the lake. She carried 700 ingots at a time in a three-hour crossing, but in 1882 the Bessie Brady was destroyed by fire.Roberta Starry, "Dirty Sock and Beyond", Desert magazine, November 1970. The Carson and Colorado Railroad constructed a narrow-gauge railway to Keeler in 1883. The success of the Cerro Gordo mines caused Keeler to boom until silver prices plummeted in the late 19th century.

A second boom of zinc mining in the early 20th century brought new life to the town and an aerial cable tramway was built to bring the ore from Cerro Gordo to Keeler. There were small surges in the mining of silver, lead, zinc and limestone, but by the 1950s all mining had ceased. Train service was stopped in 1960 and the tracks were removed in 1961. Water exports from the Owens Valley to the City of Los Angeles in the 1920s led the Owens Lake to eventually dry up, causing alkali dust storms to blow through Keeler, driving many residents away.{{Cite web |last=Reheis |first=Marith C |date=December 9, 2016 |title=Owens (Dry) Lake, California: A Human-Induced Dust Problem |url=https://geochange.er.usgs.gov/sw/impacts/geology/owens/ |access-date=2023-07-05 |publisher=U.S. Geological Survey}} Dust remediation efforts in the early 21st century reduced this problem, but few residents remain.

A post office operated at Keeler from 1883 to 1898 and is still operating today.

There is a California Historical Landmark in Keeler for the furnace of the Owens Lake Silver Company.[https://ohp.parks.ca.gov/ListedResources/Detail/752 California Parks, California Historical Landmark][https://www.californiahistoricallandmarks.com/landmarks/chl-752 californiahistoricallandmarks.com Landmarks chl-752]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of {{convert|1.2|sqmi|km2}}, all land.

Keeler is located along the eastern shores of Owens Lake (a dry lakebed) along State Route 136.

{{US Census population

|2000=

|2010= 66

|2020= 71

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|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.html|title=Decennial Census by Decade|website=United States Census Bureau|access-date=}}
1860–1870{{Cite web|title= 1870 Census of Population - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties - California - Almeda County to Sutter County |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1870/population/1870a-12.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}}{{Cite web|title= 1870 Census of Population - Population of Civil Divisions less than Counties - California - Tehama County to Yuba County |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1870/population/1870a-13.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}} 1880-1890{{Cite web|title= 1890 Census of Population - Population of California by Minor Civil Divisions |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1890/bulletins/demographics/134-population-of-ca.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}}
1900{{Cite web|title= 1900 Census of Population - Population of California by Counties and Minor Civil Divisions |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1900/bulletins/demographic/10-population-ca.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}} 1910{{Cite web|title= 1910 Census of Population - Supplement for California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1910/abstract/supplement-ca.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}} 1920{{Cite web|title= 1920 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1920/bulletins/demographics/population-ca-number-of-inhabitants.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}}
1930{{Cite web|title= 1930 Census of Population - Number and Distribution of Inhabitants - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1930/population-volume-1/03815512v1ch03.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}} 1940{{Cite web|title= 1940 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1940/population-volume-1/33973538v1ch03.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}} 1950{{Cite web|title= 1950 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1950/population-volume-1/vol-01-08.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}}
1960{{Cite web|title= 1960 Census of Population - General population Characteristics - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1960/population-volume-1/vol-01-06-d.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}} 1970{{Cite web|title= 1970 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1970a_ca1-01.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}} 1980{{Cite web|title= 1980 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1980a_caAB-01.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}}
1990{{Cite web|title= 1990 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/cen1990/cph2/cph-2-6.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}}

2000{{Cite web|title= 2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2003/dec/phc-3-6.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}} 2010{{Cite web|title= 2010 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - California |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/2010/cph-2/cph-2-6.pdf|website=United States Census Bureau}}

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Keeler first appeared as a census designated place in the 2000 U.S. Census.

The 2020 United States census reported that Keeler had a population of 71. The population density was {{convert|61.6|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of Keeler was 55 (77%) White, 0 (0%) African American, 1 (1%) Native American, 0 (0%) Asian, 0 (0%) Pacific Islander, 2 (3%) from other races, and 13 (18%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13 persons (18%).{{cite web |title=Keeler CDP, California; DP1: Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics - 2020 Census of Population and Housing |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALDP2020.DP1?g=1600000US0637918 |website=US Census Bureau |access-date=May 22, 2025}}

The whole population lived in households. There were 36 households, out of which 5 (14%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 14 (38.9%) were married-couple households, 5 (14%) were cohabiting couple households, 7 (19%) had a female householder with no partner present, and 10 (28%) had a male householder with no partner present. 7 households (19%) were one person, and 3 (8%) were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 1.97. There were 20 families (56% of all households).{{cite web |title=Keeler CDP, California; P16: Household Type - 2020 Census of Population and Housing |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALDHC2020.P16?g=1600000US0637918 |website=US Census Bureau |access-date=May 22, 2025}}

The age distribution was 5 people (7%) under the age of 18, 2 people (3%) aged 18 to 24, 7 people (10%) aged 25 to 44, 29 people (41%) aged 45 to 64, and 28 people (39%) who were 65{{nbsp}}years of age or older. The median age was 61.4{{nbsp}}years. There were 32 males and 39 females.

There were 66 housing units at an average density of {{convert|57.2|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units |units|}}, of which 36 (55%) were occupied. Of these, 27 (75%) were owner-occupied, and 9 (25%) were occupied by renters.

At the 2010 census Keeler had a population of 66. The population density was {{convert|50.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of Keeler was 63 (96%) White, 0 African American, 0 Native American, 2 (3%) Asian, 0 Pacific Islander, 0 from other races, and 1 (2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were six people (9%).{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=06:0637918|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140715025933/http://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=06:0637918|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 15, 2014|title=2010 Census Interactive Population Search: CA - Keeler CDP|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=July 12, 2014}}

The census reported that 100% of the population lived in households.

There were 40 households; four (10%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 13 (33%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, two (5%) had a female householder with no husband present and two (5%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were no unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and no same-sex married couples or partnerships. Twenty three households (58%) were one person, and 12 (30%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 1.7. There were 17 families (43% of households); the average family size was 2.5.

The age distribution was nine people (14%) under the age of 18, one person (2%) aged 18 to 24, one person (2%) aged 25 to 44, 33 people (50%) aged 45 to 64, and 22 people (33%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 59.3 years. Pro rata, for every 100 females, there were 120.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 147.8 males.

There were 67 housing units at an average density of {{convert|51.5|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}, of which 40 were occupied, of which 33 (83%) were owner-occupied, and 7 (18%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3%; the rental vacancy rate was 22%. 55 people (83% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 11 people (17%) lived in rental housing units.

In the state legislature, Keeler is in {{Representative|casd|4|fmt=sdistrict}},{{Cite web |title=Senators |url=http://senate.ca.gov/senators |access-date=April 15, 2025 |publisher=State of California}} and {{Representative|caad|8|fmt=adistrict}}.{{Cite web |title=Members Assembly |url=http://assembly.ca.gov/assemblymembers |access-date=April 15, 2025 |publisher=State of California}}

Federally, Keeler is in {{Representative|cacd|3|fmt=district}}.{{Cite GovTrack|CA|8|accessdate=April 15, 2025}}

Keeler appears in films such as Outlaws of the Desert (1941), Sinister Journey (1948) and The Blazing Sun (1950).Schneider, Jerry L. (2016). Western Filming Locations California Book 6. CP Entertainment Books. Page 121. {{ISBN|9780692722947}}.

• California Water Wars

{{reflist|22em}}

{{commons category|Keeler, California}}

• Keeler Post Office: http://stampcollectingroundup.blogspot.com/2007/06/save-keeler-post-office.html

{{Inyo County, California}}

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Category:Census-designated places in California

Category:Census-designated places in Inyo County, California

Category:Mining communities in California

Category:Populated places in the Mojave Desert