Isabella | |
|---|---|
Former settlement | |
  Isabella Location in California | |
| Coordinates: 35°39′20″N 118°27′40″W / 35.65556°N 118.46111°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Kern County |
| Elevation | 2,516 ft (767 m) |
Isabella is a former settlement in Kern County, California.[1] It was located 4.5 miles (7.2 km) north-northeast of Bodfish,[2] at an elevation of 2516 feet (767 m).[1] The site was inundated by Lake Isabella.[1] In 1953, the U. S. Corps of Engineers built earthen dams across two forks of the Kern River to create the Isabella reservoir, Kern County's largest body of water year round with a surface area of 11,200 acres.
A post office operated at the original site of Isabella from 1896 to 1953, then at the relocated site from 1953 until the name was changed to Lake Isabella in 1957.[2] The town was founded by Steven Barton in 1893 and named in honor of Queen Isabella of Spain while her name was popular during the 1893 Columbian Exposition.[2]
- ^ a b c d U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Isabella, California
- ^ a b c Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Clovis, Calif.: Word Dancer Press. p. 1050. ISBN 1-884995-14-4.