Durham

History

Durham was built on the site of a former Maidu settlement known as Eskini (also, Erskins and Es-kin). Durham was founded by the Durham Family. It is named for W. W. Durham, member of the California State Assembly. The Durham station on the California and Oregon Railroad was established in 1870. In the mid-1900s the Northern Electric Railway (later the Sacramento Northern Railway) built an electrified rail line through Durham. Both railroads served Durham for many years with both passenger and freight service; the Sacramento Northern line was removed by the 1980s, and the California and Oregon (now Union Pacific) railroad no longer stops in Durham. The Durham House is a reminder of what Durham was back in its early years. Durham grew considerably as the site of the first California State Land Settlement Colony, established by an act of the state legislature in 1917. The Durham Flour Mill, which burned down several times, was an integral part of this community. Originally focused on cattle and sheep ranching, the Durham economy is strongly focused on almond production. The first almond trees in the area were planted experimentally in 1875, and on a commercial scale in 1895. Today, almonds, walnuts, and rice are the most important crops grown in the area. On June 1, 2011, a tornado rated EF1, struck south of Durham, uprooting thousands of almond trees, destroying an out building and damaging a barn.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , of which is land and (0.19%) is water.

Race & ethnicity