A History of Parkfield
Parkfield is located in the coastal mountain range of Central California surrounded by rolling hills covered with oaks and prominent mountains. The first to discover this special place were the Yokut Indians. They came to hunt and gather acorns, and named the valley in which Parkfield rests "Cholame," which means "the beautiful one." The first white settlers arrived in the area in 1854 and were followed by a steady stream of homesteaders. By the turn of the century, quicksilver and coal had been discovered, and the hope for oil discovery had transformed Parkfield into a robust town of 900 people.
However, Parkfield's prosperity was short lived as the mines played out and water flooded the coal mine. The homesteaders were the last to go, unable to yield a living off of the land. Today, only a handful of ranchers and farmers remain to enjoy a beautiful tranquil valley with four seasons and bountiful wildlife. Parkfield has risen in popularity again, only this time because of its seismic activity.
Along with the natural beauty of our area, Parkfield is considered "The Earthquake Capital of the World". Geologists, as well as earthquake enthusiasts, flock to Parkfield. There are more ongoing studies of what it takes to have an earthquake, carried by the United States Geological Survey, than any other place in the world.
The United States Geological Survey has been keeping a watchful eye on Parkfield since the last big earthquake in 1966, in hopes of using data gathered in the area to predict earthquakes. Parkfield has traditionally had a fairly large earthquake (approximately 6.0 Richter scale) every 22 years. Scientists saw this pattern and flocked to the area in hopes of gathering data from an earthquake of this magnitude. Since no one knows when and where an earthquake will occur, Parkfield gave the scientists at least a little bit of a head start.
Since 1985, the United States Geological Survey has been working on a project known as "The Parkfield Experiment", a long-term research project on the San Andreas fault. "The experiment's purpose is to better understand the physics of earthquakes - what actually happens on the fault and in the surrounding region before, during and after an earthquake."
In 1985, the US Geological Survey predicted that there would be a major earthquake in this community in 1993, but no such earthquake came until September 28, 2004, when a magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck at 10:15 am Pacific Daylight Time. The additional time did offer the opportunity to add improvements in instrumentation as the technology was further developed.
Don't let the earthquakes scare you away from visiting this beautiful town, not a single person has ever been injured from a Parkfield quake. As the sign at the Parkfield Cafe reads, "Eat Here When It Happens," the same goes for the Parkfield Inn, "Sleep Here When It Happens." People come from around the world to visit and enjoy the beauty of the Parkfield Area.
The biggest event of the year is the Parkfield Rodeo at the Parkfield Rodeo Arena. It is held the last weekend of May each year. At the Parkfield Cafe, also in May, we hold our annual Bluegrass Festival, with entertainment coming from as far away as Nashville, Tennessee. In the fall, we host a mountain bike race sponsored by the Cal Poly University Wheelman. All year, the Parkfield Cafe serves barbequed meals that are well worth the drive.
