Famoso, California

Famoso is an unincorporated community in Kern County, California. It is located on Poso Creek 5.5mi south-southeast of McFarland, at an elevation of 427 feet .Famoso is located at the junction of State Route 99 and the eastern terminus of State Route 46. The U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System shows a feature ID of 242167 for the community, making its existence official.The Spottiswood post office opened in 1888, changed its name to Famoso in 1895, closed for a period in 1919, moved in 1940, and closed for good in 1946. The name Poso was bestowed by the Southern Pacific Railroad when it reached the site in the 1870s. Famoso is a Spanish word meaning "famous" or "celebrated".Early in its history, the city of Famoso was named Poso, California. This name conflicted with the community of Pozo along the Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoach route in San Luis Obispo County and officials in Washington renamed it Spottiswood. The residents later requested the name to be changed to Famoso, meaning "famous" in Spanish. The route of an early irrigation project, the Pozo Canal, is visible from aerial photos of this area. Poso Creek flows to the northwest, passing immediately north of town.