Ben Hur, California

Unincorporated community in California, United States

37°21′06″N 119°57′28″W / 37.35167°N 119.95778°W / 37.35167; -119.95778CountryUnited StatesStateCaliforniaCountyMariposa CountyElevation

^[1]

1,752 ft (534 m)

Ben Hur is an unincorporated community in Mariposa County, California.^[1] It is located 9 miles (14 km) south of Mariposa,^[2] at an elevation of 1752 feet (534 m).^[1]

The community was established as a cattle ranch by Morgan Quick in 1859 and was originally called the Rancheria Place; the ranch would be owned and operated by the Quick family for six generations.^[3]

A post office operated at Ben Hur from 1890 to 1902, and after moving from 1904 to 1951.^[2] The name comes from the hero of the novel Ben-Hur.^[4]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Ben Hur, California
^ ^a ^b Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Clovis, Calif.: Word Dancer Press. p. 745. ISBN 1-884995-14-4.
^ Shields, Allan (May 2, 1980). "Ben Hur ranch is home for six generations of Quick family". Merced Sun-Star. Merced, CA. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
^ Gallant, Frank K. (December 27, 2012). A Place Called Peculiar: Stories About Unusual American Place-Names. Dover Publications. p. 88. ISBN 978-0-486-31081-7.