Editing Lake Isabella, California (section)

==History==
The area was inhabited for millennia by the indigenous [[Tübatulabal people|Tübatulabal]] and [[Northern Paiute|Owens Valley Paiute]]. Gold was discovered nearby in 1853, leading to a gold rush and the founding of [[Keyesville, California|Keyesville]]. The 1863 [[Keyesville massacre]] occurred a few miles north.

The town of [[Isabella, California|Isabella]] was founded by Steven Barton in 1893 and named in honor of [[Isabella I of Castile|Queen Isabella]] of Spain while her name was popular during the [[1893 Columbian Exposition]].<ref name=durham>{{cite book |last= Durham |first= David L. |title= Durham's Place Names of Central California: Includes Madera, Fresno, Tulare, Kings & Kern Counties |publisher= Quill Driver Books |year= 2000 |isbn= 978-1-884995-33-0 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=_f3oxY4_GSUC |page= 132}}</ref> [[Lake Isabella]] was created in 1953 by a dam on the Kern River, forcing the town to move about {{convert|1.5|mi|km}} south of the original site.<ref name=CGN /> The Isabella post office, which had opened in 1896, operated at the new site; the name was changed to Lake Isabella in 1957.<ref name=durham/>

The dam's reservoir also inundated the original site of [[Kernville (former town), California|Kernville]]. Like Isabella, [[Kernville, California|it was relocated]], along with several of its historic buildings, to higher ground.

The area is a joy for hikers, boaters, water skiers, fishermen, birders, hunters, wind surfers, kayakers, and other outdoor recreationists. Tourist trade is a major part of the area's economy.