Capay, California
Capay (formerly Munchville and Langville)[1] is an unincorporated community in Yolo County, California. It is located on Cache Creek 2 miles (3.2 km) west-northwest of Esparto,[2] in the Capay Valley, in the northwestern part of the county. Capay's ZIP Code is 95607 and its area code 530. It lies at an elevation of 210 feet (64 m). The name Capay comes from the Southern Wintun Indian word for "stream".[3]
Capay | |
---|---|
Capay Location in California | |
Coordinates: 38°42′28″N 122°02′53″W | |
Country | United States |
State | California |
County | Yolo County |
Elevation | 210 ft (64 m) |
ZIP code | 95607 |
Area code | 530 |
GNIS feature ID | 220568 |
History
Capay is located on the Mexican land grant Rancho Canada de Capay. Capay was originally named Munchville after one of the first white settlers, a man named Munch, who built a house on the Cache Creek at the site in 1857.[4] Mr. Empyre and Mr. Munch built a two-story building in the area.[3] The town acquired the name Langville after John A. Lang.[3] In 1870 Lang operated a hotel and owned a brick yard and a store. Langville grew enough to have a town plat filed on January 1, 1875, which renamed the town as Capay.[3]
A post office opened in Capay in 1868.[2]
The Kirkwood Auxiliary Field (1942-1945) was used to train World War 2 pilots. The Airfiled was west of the city. No trace of the airfield remains.[5][6]
Climate
This region experiences hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Capay has a typical Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csa" on climate maps.[7]
References
- "Feature Detail Report for: Capay (Yolo County, California)". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved December 19, 2008.
- Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Clovis, Calif.: Word Dancer Press. p. 461. ISBN 1-884995-14-4.
- Three Maps of Yolo County. Woodland, CA: Yolo County Historical Society. 1970. p. 6.
- Thomas Jefferson Gregory, History of Yolo County, California (1913), available online at Internet Archive
- airfields-freeman.com, Kirkwood Auxiliary Field
- militarymuseum.org Kirkwood Auxiliary Field
- Climate Summary for Capay, California