West Point was originally the name of a camp established here by scout Kit Carson, who was searching for a pass over the Sierra Nevada. The town was originally named Indian Gulch when founded in 1852; the name was changed to West Point in 1854. The first post office was opened in 1856, the name changed to Westpoint in 1895 and changed back to West Point in 1947.
One emigrant road forked by Big Meadow – its north branch came directly to West Point, which was a thriving trading post prior to the gold discovery. Author Bret Harte lived there for a time.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikipedia, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
