Alderpoint (formerly, Alder Point) is a census-designated place in Humboldt County, California, United States, at an elevation of , east-northeast of Garberville. Its population is 137 as of the 2020 census, down from 186 from the 2010 census. The ZIP Code is 95511 and its area code is 707.
History The town, named after the abundance of alder trees, began in 1910 as a center for construction of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad. The first post office at Alderpoint opened in 1911.
Demographics
Alderpoint first appeared as a census designated place in the 2010 U.S. census.
Racial and ethnic composition
+ Race and Ethnicity Racial and ethnic composition 2010 2020 White (non-Hispanic) 87.1% 62.77% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 5.38% 16.06% Two or more races (non-Hispanic) 2.15% 9.49% Native American (non-Hispanic) 4.84% 8.76% Asian (non-Hispanic) 0.54% 1.46% Pacific Islander (non-Hispanic) 0.0% 0.73% Other (non-Hispanic) 0.0% 0.73% Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 0.0% 0.0%
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Alderpoint had a population of 137. The population density was . The median age was 40.3 years. The age distribution was 19.7% under the age of 18, 4.4% aged 18 to 24, 31.4% aged 25 to 44, 24.1% aged 45 to 64, and 20.4% who were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 121.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 115.7 males age 18 and over.
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 62 households, of which 17.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 21.0% were married-couple households, 25.8% were cohabiting couple households, 33.9% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present, and 19.4% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 37.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21. There were 26 families (41.9% of all households).
There were 74 housing units at an average density of , of which 62 (83.8%) were occupied and 16.2% were vacant. Of the occupied units, 91.9% were owner-occupied and 8.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 0.0%.
Climate
Politics In the state legislature, Alderpoint is in , and .
Federally, it is in .
Notable people Michael Bear Carson and Suzan Carson, serial killers Frank Cieciorka, graphic artist ED Denson, managed the prominent band Country Joe and The Fish that performed at Woodstock. In later years, he built a successful law practice centered around representing the local marijuana growers in the area. Bruce Loose, singer and bassist of the punk band, Flipper.
Historic "Murder Mountain" The Rancho Sequoia area of Alderpoint is called "Murder Mountain" from the actions of the Carson serial killers (Michael Bear Carson and Suzan Carson), including the murder of 26-year-old Clark Stephens on May 17, 1982,“‘Religious Reasons’ Cited – Murder Suspects Admit Slayings”, The Press-Courier, Oxnard, California, April 28, 1983, p. 31, accessed July 13, 2013 and for other disappearances, murders and rumored murders.McDonough, Elise, Humboldt County: Murder, Mayhem and Marijuana, Huffington Post, November 6, 2013, accessed December 23, 2013
Two high-profile missing persons are Robert "Bobby" Tennison, a 38-year-old father of four, missing since January 2009,Stover, Franklin, Robert 'Bobby' Tennison still missing in SoHum; holidays heighten painful loss, Humboldt Beacon, November 25, 2009, accessed July 13, 2013Stover, Franklin, Robert 'Bobby' Tennison still missing Last seen in Alderpoint area two years ago Humboldt Beacon, February 2, 2011, accessed July 13, 2013 and Garret Rodriguez, a 29-year-old from San Diego, California, who was reported missing on April 25, 2013, by his father.Man believed to be in Humboldt to work on marijuana farm reported missing , Eureka Times-Standard, April 30, 2013, accessed July 13, 2013 In their last conversation in December 2012, Rodriguez told his father, Val Rodriguez, he was headed to "Murder Mountain" to work on a marijuana grow.Father reports son missing after talk of 'Murder Mountain' , Eureka Times-Standard, May 1, 2013, accessed July 13, 2013 After he went missing, his truck was found in June 2013.Chalmers, Colleen, Family seeks answers in disappearance of SoCal man headed to 'Murder Mountain'; Private investigator: His truck was found in Garberville area , The Willits News, June 22, 2013, accessed July 13, 2013Williams, Linda, Where have all the missing persons gone? , Ukiah Daily Journal, September 28, 2013, accessed December 23, 2013 On November 28, 2013, human remains were found in a grave on private property on Jewett Road, one day after a group of locals forced the admission from the suspect known to have committed the murder, about the exact location of a grave believed to be Rodriguez's.Kemp, Kym, Private Investigator Chris Cook Reveals Sources May Have Heard Confession of Garret Rodriguez's Murder, Lost Coast Communications, December 6, 2013, accessed December 20, 2013 On December 17, the remains were identified as Rodriguez's, and he was confirmed a victim of a homicide.Greenson, Thaddeus, Body on Humboldt County's 'Murder Mountain' is that of missing California man, San Jose Mercury News, December 18, 2013, accessed December 23, 2013 It is suspected that the anonymous tip came from a confession extracted from the man responsible for the murder, who gave up the information after being kidnapped, shot twice, and threatened by a group of eight local vigilantes on Thanksgiving Day.Kemp, Kym, Humboldt Co. Sheriff's Office Unready to Confirm Connection in Recent SoHum Cases to Garret Rodriguez, Lost Coast Communications, December 5, 2013, accessed December 20, 2013 In 2018, Rodriguez and "Murder Mountain" were featured in the Netflix documentary series Murder Mountain.
Across the valley from Rancho Sequoia on Pratt Mountain, in 1973, 24-year-old Dirk Dickenson was shot in the back by Federal agent Lloyd Clifton during a military-style federal raid which arrived at his property by helicopter.Petition of Lloyd Clifton for a Writ of Habeas Corpus, Petitioner-Appellee, v. Gene Cox, Sheriff of Humboldt County, California, Respondent-Appellant , 549 F.2d 722 No. 75-1585, United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, March 4, 1977, accessed July 13, 2013 Dickenson was found blameless by a Federal Department of Justice investigation; charges against his killer were moved to federal court and ultimately dismissed.10 police raids gone wrong: 1972: Dirk Dickenson, ABA Journal, American Bar Association, 2013, accessed July 13, 2013 Dickenson was posthumously featured on the cover of Rolling StoneRS135: Dirk Dickenson, Nark Crime Victim, Illustration by James McMullan, Rolling Stone, May 24, 1973, accessed July 13, 2013 and is recognized as the first victim of the U.S. war on drugs.Moskos, Peter, Lockdown Nation, Pacific Standard, July 9, 2013, accessed July 13, 2013
See also
Sequoia County, California Murder Mountain (TV series)
References
Further reading