Introduction
Even to the casual visitor to Sierra County, it is obvious that the population of the area was much larger in the past than now, as one sees a number of deserted communities and other communities which still exist but which have shrunk in extent and population. Actually, in the twelve decades since the first census of the area (1852), Sierra County’s population has declined in six decades and has risen in the other six. The decreases, however, have tended to be larger than the increases, as is shown in Table 1.
Table 1. Sierra County Population Changes, 1852 - 1970
Year Population Change Since Previous Census
| Year | Population | Change Since Previous Census |
|---|---|---|
| 1852 | 3,741* | - |
| - | - | - |
| 1860 | 11,387 | +7,646 |
| 1870 | 5,619 | -5,768 |
| 1880 | 6,623 | +1,004 |
| 1890 | 5,051 | -1,572 |
| 1900 | 4,017 | -1,034 |
| 1910 | 4,098 | +81 |
| 1920 | 1,783 | -2,315 |
| 1930 | 2,422 | +639 |
| 1940 | 3,025 | +603 |
| 1950 | 2,410 | -615 |
| 1960 | 2,247 | -163 |
| 1970 | 2,365 | +118 |
*1852 State Census as given in Federal Report; population was given as 4,855 in the State Report.
Table 1 gives population changes for Sierra County as...
