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 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, however in 1882 the Bessie Brady was destroyed by fire. There was a 300-foot 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. 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 1800s. A second boom of zinc mining in the early 1900s brought new life to the town and a 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; however, 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 ofLos Angeles in the 1920s led the Owens Lake to eventually dry up, causing alkali dust storms to blow through Keeler, driving many residents away. 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.
Demographics
2010
At the 2010 census Keeler had a population of 66. The population density was 50.7 people per square mile. The racial makeup of Keeler was 63 White, 0 African American, 0 Native American, 2 Asian, 0 Pacific Islander, 0 from other races, and 1 from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6 people. The census reported that 100% of the population lived in households. There were 40 households, 4 had children under the age of 18 living in them, 13 were opposite-sex married couplesliving together, 2 had a female householder with no husband present, 2 had a male householder with no wife present. There were 0 unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 0 same-sex married couples or partnerships. 23 households were one person and 12 had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 1.7. There were 17 families ; the average family size was 2.5. The age distribution was 9 people under the age of 18, 1 person aged 18 to 24, 1 person aged 25 to 44, 33 people aged 45 to 64, and 22 people who were 65 or older. The median age was 59.3 years. 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 51.5 per square mile, of which 40 were occupied, of which 33 were owner-occupied, and 7 were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 3%; the rental vacancy rate was 22%. 55 people lived in owner-occupied housing units and 11 people lived in rental housing units.
2000
At the 2000 census there were 66 people, 36 households, and 19 families in the CDP. The population density was 54.9 people per square mile. There were 67 housing units at an average density of 55.7 per square mile. The racial makeup of the CDP was 97% White, 1% from other races, and 1% from two or more races. 12% of the population were Hispanic or Latino. Of the 36 households 11% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39% were married couples living together, 6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47% were non-families. 39% of households were one person and 22% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 1.8 and the average family size was 2.4. The age distribution was 14% under the age of 18, 2% from 18 to 24, 11% from 25 to 44, 36% from 45 to 64, and 38% 65 or older. The median age was 57 years. For every 100 females, there were 112.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 111.1 males. The median household income was $19,625 and the median family income was $26,250. The per capita income for the CDP was $18,621. There were no families and 9% of the population living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and none of those over 64.
Politics
In the state legislature, Keeler is in, and. Federally, Keeler is in.
