The city and county of Fresno is located in the central
San Joaquin Valley of California. To the west it is predominantly flat,
with thousands of acres devoted to agriculture. To the east, the
snow-capped Sierra Nevada Mountains rise out of the low foothills. It
is the only county in the country that can claim three national parks in
its backyard.
Fresno County, California
The area now known as Fresno County, once a dry desert, was discovered
during a search by Spaniards for suitable mission sites. In 1846, this
area became the property of the United States as a result of the Mexican
War.
Fresno incorporated (April 19,1885) during the development of the
railroad, and derived its name from the Spanish word for ash trees, which
flourished on the riverbanks. The county attracted farmers, ranchers, and
immigrants seeking a place to settle. Fresno County is a melting pot of
ethnic heritages and rich in cultural diversity. The population of Fresno
County now exceeds 786,000 and includes Basque, Asian, Indian, Armenian,
Hispanic, Hmong, Chinese, Portuguese, and Japanese among its residents.
The settling of Fresno County was not without its conflicts, land
disputes, and natural disasters. Floods caused immeasurable damage to the
Millerton area so much so that the county seat was moved to Fresno and the
little town never fully recovered. Fires also plagued the settlers of
Fresno County. In 1882, the greatest of the early day fires wiped out an
entire block of the city of Fresno, and was followed by another
devastating blaze in 1883.
At the same time residents brought irrigation, electricity, and
extensive agriculture to the area. Moses Church developed the first
canals, called "Church Ditches," for irrigation. These canals transformed
the barren desert of Fresno County into rich soil, thus enabling extensive
wheat farming in Fresno County. Frances Eisen, leader of the wine industry
in Fresno County, also began the raisin industry in 1875, when he
accidentally let some of his grapes dry on the vine. A.Y. Easterby and
Clovis Cole (aka the "Wheat King of the Nation") developed extensive grain
and cattle ranches. These and other citizens laid the groundwork for the
cultivation of Fresno County - now the nation's leading agricultural
region which produces $3 billion per year in over 200 commercial crops.
To date, over thirty structures in Fresno County are on the National
Register of Historic Places, including the Fresno Water Tower, which once
held over 250,000 gallons of water for the city of Fresno, the Meux Home,
and Kearney Mansion Museum.
