Manhole Covers of Los Banos, California

Created 21 February 2009

This page was last updated on 30 January 2011

This is a study of manhole covers from Los Banos, Merced County, California.

All photos copyrighted by David L. Magney 2009

Manhole Covers of Los Banos, California

Los Banos means, the baths, in Spanish, being so named after the fact that early Spanish explorers soaked in natural pools (baths) in a creek nearby to the west. Los Banos occurs in the west center of the San Joaquin Valley, west of the San Joaquin River floodplain, and due east of the San Luis Reservoir. Los Banos was founded by Gus Kreyenhagen in 1873 when he established a trading post on Los Banos Creek, and the United States Post Office Department decided to establish a post office at his trading post, but the town was really there as a result of the cattle baron, Henry Miller. Miller convinced the Southern Pacific Railroad (now Northern California or California Northern Railroad) to pass through the western part of the county, which came through this part of the San Joaquin Valley in the 1880s. California Northern is a Class III short-line railroad owned by RailAmerica, Inc.

Los Banos is a small-sized city located in the western middle of Merced County. It is at an average elevation of 100 feet above sea level. Los Banos was established in 1890 and incorporated on 8 May 1907, and is the second largest city in Merced County.

State Routes 33, 152, and 165 pass through Los Banos. Los Banos has a population of 35,122 people (2005), consisting of 58.6% White, 50.4% Hispanic, 4.3% African-American, 2.3% Asian, and 1.4% American Indian. The median family income of Los Banos residents is $43,690 and the per capita income is $15,582. Only 9.9% of Los Banos residents have a Bachelor's degree or higher level of education. Agribusiness has been the primary economy of Los Banos, with it becoming a bedroom community for the Silicon Valley (San Jose area) until the house market crash in 2008. The average commute time for working Los Banos residents is over 25 minutes. Additional information about Los Banos can be found at Los Banos Info and Los Banos City web sites.