It is named after Darwin French. According to Erwin Gudde, French of Fort Tejon was with a party of prospectors in the area during the fall of 1850. French also led a party into Death Valley in 1860 to search for the mythical Gunsight Lode via the local wash, lending his first name to the wash, canyon and future town. Silver and lead discovery at the place led to the founding of a settlement in 1874. A post office opened in 1875, closed for a time in 1902, and remains open. The town prospered when Eichbaum Toll Road opened in 1926, opening Death Valley from the west. When Death Valley became a National Monument in 1933 it was decided to buy the toll road to allow free access to the new park. In 1937, a new cutoff bypassed Darwin, isolating the town. In 2011, the town was the subject of a documentary film, titled Darwin. In April 2012, BBC News featured a video of local residents describing their wishes to replace dial-up Internet access with broadband.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of, all of it land. The census definition of the area was created by the Census Bureau for statistical purposes and may not precisely correspond to local understanding of the area with the same name.
At the 2010 census Darwin had a population of 43. The population density was 32.0 people per square mile. The racial makeup of Darwin was 38 white, 0 black, 2 Native American, 1 Asian American, 1 Pacific Islander, 0 from other races, and 1 from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2 people. The whole polulation lived in households, no one lived in non-institutionalized group quarters and no one was institutionalized. none lived in non-institutionalized group quarters or were institutionalized. There were 28 households, 0 had children under the age of 18 living in them, 11 were opposite-sex married couplesliving together, 0 had a female householder with no husband present, and 1 had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1 unmarried opposite-sex partnerships and 0 same-sex married couples or partnerships. 14 households were made up of individuals, and 9 had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 1.5. There were 12 families ; the average family size was 2.1. The age distribution was 0 people under the age of 18, 0 people aged 18 to 24, 2 people aged 25 to 44, 20 people aged 45 to 64, and 21 people who were 65 or older. The median age was 63.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 168.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 168.8 males. There were 46 housing units at an average density of 34.2 per square mile, of which 28 were occupied, of which 24 were owner-occupied and 4 were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 4%; the rental vacancy rate was 0%. 37 people lived in owner-occupied housing units, and 6 people lived in rental housing units.
2000
At the 2000 census there were 54 people, 36 households, and 14 families in the CDP. The population density was 39.3 people per square mile. There were 54 housing units at an average density of 39.3 per square mile. The racial makeup of the CDP was 91% White, 2% Black or African American, 4% Native American, and 4% from two or more races. 6% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 36 households 8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 22% were married couples living together, 14% had a female householder with no husband present, and 6% were non-families. 56% of households were one person and 8% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 1.5 and the average family size was 2.0. The age distribution was 6% under the age of 18, 2% from 18 to 24, 17% from 25 to 44, 59% from 45 to 64, and 17% 65 or older. The median age was 53 years. For every 100 females, there were 145.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 142.9 males. The median household income was $13,333 and the median family income was $15,000. Males had a median income of under $2500 versus $36,250 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $11,048. There were 33% of families and 38% of the population living below the poverty line, including 100% of under eighteens and none of those over 64.
Government
In the state legislature, Darwin is in, and. Federally, Darwin is in.
