Keyesville, California


Keyesville is an unincorporated community in Kern County, California. It is located west of Lake Isabella and the Kern River Valley, at an elevation of. Keyesville, founded in 1854 is named for Richard M. Keyes, whose discovery of gold in 1853 started the Kern River Gold Rush.

History

A petition to the commander of Camp Babbitt about the depredations of the local Native Americans led to the Keyesville Massacre nearby on 19 April 19, 1863. The community is registered as California Historical Landmark #98.

Natural history

Keyesville lies in the lower elevation Greenhorn Mountains. There are scattered trees and brushy chaparral slopes surrounding it. A number of wildflowers are in evidence in this part of the Greenhorn Mountains, including the yellow mariposa lily, Calochortus luteus, which species is at the southern limit of its range within the Greenhorn Mountains.