April 1, 2025

A Message from the President

Dearest Members, Supporters, and Friends,

This month is surely time for some light-hearted memories – without a doubt. So, when I need a personal reminder of the crucial nature of the work that your Fresno City & County Historical Society has been tasked with for over 106 years – yep, our birthday was officially last week and tremendous heartfelt thanks to all of you who joined us for a trip back to the 1960s with Mania! The LIVE Beatles Experience, I love to take a dive into the Fresno Guide columns of Pop Laval, not only my great-grandfather, but my inspiration in so many ways. He always has surprises for me.

Over two decades ago, when the Pop Laval Foundation was born as a means to provide for the digitization of Pop’s extraordinary collection, some amazing volunteers hopped on board to help. One special woman, Jackie, who has since passed away, typed and cross-indexed every one of the Pop Says columns – he wrote weekly from 1956 through 1964. What an endeavor this was and, bless her heart, Jackie, we will always be grateful to you. Now I can search his words of wisdom easily and am always buoyed by his cheery disposition and foresight as so much of what he said is applicable to our Valley of today.

Back to the surprise – I decided to look at the very last column he wrote and enjoy what I found from December 1964…

“POP SAYS …  The Building Of A Pioneer Community”

“Top of the morning to you all out there. And I just know that most of you good folks are really taking to heart my weekly suggestions that you greet everyone you meet throughout the day with a cheery smile and that it has really paid off.

“So, what do you say we get right along with the subject I am going to chit chat about with you this week.

“As most of you know by this time, I continually deplore the fact that in the past few years every historical structure that represented the early day efforts of our pioneers has been demolished.

“Yes, we still have an opportunity to see the shining dome of our beloved grand old courthouse but that will only be until such time as the new country office building will be completed. 

“What I really want to chat with you about is the old Kearney Mansion out in Kearney Park.”

“Read Article”



“It was back around 1905 –I was living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at the time – when I read an article in the papers about the M. Theo Kearney, who lived in solitary grandeur in a chateau on an estate that he had developed into a beautiful park.

“I also read about that grand boulevard, 11 miles long, extending west from the terminus of Fresno Street. It was a triple driveway, lined and shaded with palms, and alternating with white and red flowering oleanders, pampas grass clumps and eucalyptus trees.

“Little did I dream at that time that Mom and I, Junior and his sister were going to settle down in Fresno some five years later, 1910 to be exact. And little did I dream that that same year I was going to be called upon to go out to this famous mansion and take photographs all over the estate.”

“Grand Job”

“That alone is quite an interesting story, but right at the present time this mansion is occupied by the Fresno County Historical Society, which is doing a grand job of preserving this grand old mansion, filled with historical articles and even Theo Kearney’s old office and desk, still in its original location.

“If you haven’t visited this historical building, you sure are missing something and I would suggest that you drive out there some day. I’m sure you will never regret your visit.

“I am given to understand by Dan Pollard, who at the present time is in charge that plans are being made for the building of a pioneer community which will cover some 18 acres of ground.”

“Waiting Decision”

“On this acreage will be placed such historical buildings as the old Block House, which is now located in Roeding Park, and also the historical, quaint entrance building that was the gateway to the entrance of the world famous Tarpey Winery. They were only waiting for the decision of the Planning Commission, which, I am told, has been granted. I am sure this should prove interesting news to most of us who are interested in preserving some of the old history of our beloved community.”

“Bye Now, I’ll Be Seeing You,”

“POP”

Well, how do you think he would feel about the little bitty girl he once held lovingly in his arms more than six decades ago continuing to fight for his passion of preserving our heritage one image, artifact, and building at a time? What a concept to ponder – and make one smile. Thank you, Pop, for your vision and spirit which lives on within everyone who is reading this article right now. He would have probably embraced technology with unparalleled vigor.

I couldn’t help but share a little about a couple of my favorite photos taken 100 years ago in Roeding Park in April 1925. Fortunately, Pop even has film of this incredible occasion.

“The Bee's Easter Egg Hunt Is Magnet For Many Happy Kiddies”                

“Joyful Search For 10,000 Eggs Taken Part In By Crowd Jamming Park”            

“800 Prizes Are Distributed To The Winners”

“Fuzzy rabbits, wiggling chickens, happy children, mirth everywhere ushering in the happy Easter tide. 

“That describes way the southern portion of Roeding Park looked early this afternoon when The Fresno Bee’s annual Easter egg hunt began at 2:30 P.M. The park was literally jammed with eager members of the younger generation and a goodly number of elders for The Bee's annual party.                 

“What fun those kiddies were having as they started the search for 10,000 eggs that had been carefully hidden in the park! What joy covered little faces, when some little boy or girl found one of the eggs with colored pictures on it that meant he or she was entitled to of the 800 prizes that The Bee gave away at its party. Kiddies frolicked everywhere. Children from homes of Fresno and from neighboring cities came to Roeding Park to have a good time with The Fresno Bee on the day before Faster. 

“Roeding Park looked like a juvenile city when the word came to start the egg hunt and the scurrying groups of youngsters went on their way, hoping to secure some of the prizes that The Bee was to give away later in the afternoon. The prizes themselves were enough to draw interest with the added incentive of striving to secure the colored eggs. The colored egg was the symbol that a prize had been secured but the little tots could not know what that prize was until later, when they went to the prize booth to redeem their find.

“To the prize winners were to go chickens, rabbits, ice cream bricks, stilts, kites, chocolate eggs, and more than 500 ice cream bricks given by the Sierra Ice Cream Company and Benham Ice Cream Company to the kiddies. 

“Twenty Easter rabbits and six small white chickens were the major prizes. These awards were to go to the children finding eggs in small boxes with a slip of paper inside telling what prize might be claimed. And while the youngsters cavorted around the lawn of the park on the quest for the Easter eggs and the many prizes, moving pictures were being taken under the direction of George F. Sharp, managing director of the Liberty and Strand Theaters. These pictures will be shown at the Liberty Theater beginning next Wednesday and the participants in The Bee's Easter egg hunt will have a chance to see themselves in the films.”

My grandfather, Claude Laval, Jr., was one of the lucky Boy Scouts tasked with keeping the throngs of youngsters in check prior to the official start. As you can see from the pictures, some were much more enthused than others to receive a “coveted” prize!  

With that, I bid you adieu for another month – oh, don’t forget to snap up some tickets to our Mother’s Day Tea Party in May and Sip & Smoke in June as gifts to those hard-to-buy-for dads.

Sunny Spring Wishes, 

Elizabeth Laval                                               

President                                                 

Fresno City and County Historical Society 

MARK YOUR CALENDARS:

Mother's Day Tea Party and Sip & Smoke

Great Gifts for Mom & Dad!

Join us and celebrate Mom on Saturday, May 10, 2025 at the Kearney Mansion Museum with a traditional tea party. This special event features your choice of seating in the Mansion dining room or on the veranda overlooking Kearney Park.

The event offers two seating times at 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM and includes a traditional tea service and a tour of the Kearney Mansion Museum and Gallery along with a 10% discount on store merchandise. 

Thanks so very much to the Fresno Coin Gallery for their generous support.

Back by popular demand, Sip & Smoke will return to Kearney Mansion on June 21st - just in time for Father's Day Gift Giving.

This is sure to be a smooth evening complete with the opportunity to learn about and taste eight tequilas, enjoy savory bites, and puff a cigar at Kearney Mansion after dark, following in the tradition of M. Theo himself.

The evening will explore the uniquely Mexican spirits: Blanco, Reposado, Joven, Anjeo, Xtra Anejo, Cristalino, Sotol and Mescal. 

All guests must be 21-years-old.

For more information or to sign up, contact:

ccipolla@valleyhistory.org | 559.777.4092

You can also register directly HERE.

LET'S STEP INTO HISTORY: 

WHY YOUR STUDENTS SHOULD ATTEND THE TIME TRAVELERS EXPERIENCE AT THE HISTORIC KEARNEY MANSION MUSEUM 

Most people would agree that learning about history is greatly enriched when experienced and not just memorized from textbooks! The Time Travelers' Education Days conducted this school year have been an enormous success.

All dates have been filled with fun activities for students from all across the Valley. With the 2025-2026 school year around the corner, we already have the following dates available for next year: October 1st, November 5th, January 14th, February 11th, April 1st and May 6th.

Calling All Educators!

Participating in Time Travelers is a memory-making benefit for the children in your classroom. This event is designed to engage students through interactive, educational stations that let them experience local and California history first-hand. Instead of just reading about the past, our young history detectives will join in activities that demonstrate how people lived, worked, and solved challenges in different historical periods.

Please consider this unique and impactful opportunity for your students to immerse themselves in our Valley’s roots, bringing the past to life in ways that lectures and worksheets never could. As an educator, you have the power to spark curiosity and inspire a love for learning through this program. 

WHAT YOUR STUDENTS WILL GAIN

Hands-On Learning: Whether trying out historical tools, doll-making, and quill pen writing, watching live demonstrations, or engaging in re- enactments, this is a truly unforgettable experience for the children.

Critical Thinking & Curiosity:

Simply put, history is full of mystery. Through hands-on presentations, students will develop questions, analyze comparative contexts from multiple points of view, and practice how to draw their own conclusions from evidence they uncover.

Connection to the Curriculum:

Time Travelers aligns with state standards in History and Social Studies, making it a perfect supplement to classroom lessons.

Why Teachers and Parents Love Time Travelers

Educators who have attended past events rave about how their students become engaged. This is a field trip that entertains while educating in a way that sticks with students long after they return to school. Plus, Time Travelers provides a fresh way to reinforce topics covered in class, helping students build deeper connections to their authentic roots.

How to Get Involved

Spaces fill up fast and are limited, so do not wait! Reservations are now open for all Time Travelers sessions for the 2025-2026 school year. Give your students the chance to step back in time and experience history like never before.

For more information and to reserve your spot, contact Debbie Unger by phone at 1-559-777-4087 or click HERE to email Debbie directly. 

Generously sponsored by Kaye Bonner-Cummings and the Educational Employees Credit Union.

GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH GENERAL SHERMAN & YOUR INVITATION TO NEW WALKING TOURS

By Candice Hill, Director of Tourism & Strategic Initiatives

FIELDS OF FRESNO AG TOUR



On Saturday, April 26th, join the Fresno City & County Historical Society and Tour Director, Candice Hill, in this full-day Ag Tour with two stops.

The first, you will visit Welker's Custom Cut Lumber, where you will hear from owner, Kristopher Welker, about the connection between agriculture and forestry with examples of sustainable timber and lumber practices.

Then, we will head up to the Sequoia National Park, to take a walk to the iconic General Sherman Tree, led by Alexis Newlin, owner of Authentic Adventures Central CA. The walkabout is two hours, round trip, so be sure to wear comfortable shoes for the paved pathway.

Parking at the Kearney Mansion Museum, breakfast snacks, coffee, water, and lunch are included in the ticket price. It is going to be amazing; you do not want to miss it. Tickets are available now.

NEIGHBORHOOD WALKING TOURS

Neighborhood Walking Tours during the Spring and Fall will return in May this year during the City of Fresno's Historic Preservation Month.

San Joaquin River Walking Tour - $10 non-member/ members FREE

We will kick off on Saturday, May 3rd at 9:00AM with a 1.5-hour history and nature tour with Tour Director, Candice Hill, on a trail by the San Joaquin River. The starting point will be from Sumner Peck Ranch's U-Pick store to Ball Ranch. Be prepared to walk 45 minutes in both directions, wear closed-toe and closed-heel walking shoes, bring a hat, and a water container. Sign up to take part in this tour HERE.

Huntington Boulevard Walking Tour -

$10 non-member/ members FREE

Saturday, May 10^th at 9:00AM will feature the historical Huntington neighborhood with Tour Director Candice Hill. The starting point will be from Huntington and First street heading East down Huntington Blvd. A special resident of that neighborhood, Sherril Nells, will join us briefly with some personal insights. This excursion is a 1-hour history and nature tour with 30 minutes one-way and 30 minutes back. Be prepared to wear comfortable walking shoes and fill your water container. Sign up to take part in this tour HERE.

Mural District Walking Tour-

$20 non-member/ $10 members

Occurring during "Why Not Wednesday Art Hop" in Downtown Fresno on the third Wednesday of the month starting Wednesday, May 21st from 5:30PM - 7:00PM. Take the time to become immersed in and internalize what the surrounding murals mean to you during this 1.5-hour tour that begins from the North/West Corner of Stanislaus and Broadway (heading West on Broadway), turning right on Sacramento, right on Fulton, and ending at the Fresno Stamp Mural. Enjoy one complimentary beverage midway of the tour at South of Shaw Brewery for a 30-minute break as you may view one of the Tour Director's favorite murals from your seat - The Field of Abundant Possibilities. There are over 15 murals that will be pointed out. You'll have a chance to see how many of these unique artistic creations your eyes can catch, besides the highlighted ones, and win Mural District Bingo! Sign up to take part in this tour HERE.

ARCHIVAL SPOTLIGHT

By Cami Cipolla, Director of Educational Services and Community Engagement

Hello Friends of the Archives,

We’re thrilled to announce two exciting community workshops coming to The Archive On Kern this May in honor of Historic Preservation Month: Archives In Action.

• A Community Cataloging
• Archiving Workshop Demystifying Digitization

In collaboration with California Revealed, these workshops are open to anyone interested in learning how to document, care for, digitize, collect, and catalog photographs, documents, and more!

WORKSHOP DETAILS

Archives In Action (May 19th | 10 AM – 4 PM | Lunch provided)

Step into the world of historical preservation with a hands-on introduction to cataloging and conserving artifacts from the Fresno City & County Historical Society Archives. In this immersive experience, you’ll gain valuable insight into both traditional and modern archival techniques, learning how to organize, describe, and digitize historical collections from start to finish.

Guided by experienced archivists, you’ll handle real historical materials, uncover best practices for preserving delicate documents and photographs, and explore the technology used to make these treasures accessible for future generations. Whether you're an aspiring historian, a dedicated researcher, or simply curious about the process, this workshop offers a unique opportunity to engage with Fresno’s rich past while developing essential archival skills. No prior experience is necessary—just a passion for history and a willingness to learn!

Register today! Space is limited: RSVP | 2025 Archives in Action! Workshop

Demystifying Digitization (May 20th| 1 PM – 4 PM)

This workshop will provide participants with general guidelines for a range of digitization projects, covering six steps to achieve digitization and digital preservation of print-based and audiovisual materials. California Revealed’s in-house workflows will be explored, along with factors to consider when working with digitization vendors, including creating a timeline and performing quality control of digital files.

During the workshop, California Revealed team members will lead participants through the steps of how to inventory, assess, and prioritize materials for digitization, as well as determining standards for metadata description, preparing items for digital capture, and providing long-term digital preservation and online access. By the end of the workshop, we hope that participants will walk away feeling empowered to approach analog-to-digital conversations and digital preservation projects in their own organizations. 

Demonstration kits for audio and video digitization and film inspection will also be available to help participants envision a simple in-house setup. 

Register today! Space is limited: RSVP | 2025 Demystifying Digitization Workshop

Both workshops will take place at The Archive On Kern (2120 Kern Street).

Don’t miss these unique opportunities to dive into the world of archiving and digitization—whether for personal projects or professional collections. We can’t wait to see you there!

Cheers friends!

ROOTS OF THE VALLEY:

THE EARLY YEARS - PART 1

April 19th is Fresno County’s 169th birthday – if you do the math, that means we were founded in 1856! One aspect of our history we don’t often share is how did this land actually come to be? So, this month, we will start at the beginning of our epic story. Part 2 will follow in a future issue of The Grapevine. The following version of events was compiled for a book, Celebrating The Journey, proudly co-authored by the late, great historian, Cathy Rehart, William Secrest, Jr., J. Randall McFarland, and our FCCHS President, Elizabeth Laval. Now, let’s take you way back… 

The formation of what we now know as Fresno County has its roots in three distinct geological phases. The first occurred some 185 million years ago, when the massive Pacific plate began to burrow underneath its North American counterpart. (This was the beginning of a process that has yet to end and is noticeably felt whenever California experiences an earthquake.) As this convergence continued, upthrust ground and volcanoes were the result. This formed a now-extinct mountain range known as the Nevadan. Wind, water and geological instability began to push large masses of its rock and sediment westward, creating the foundation of the San Joaquin Valley.

After more than 100 million years passed, and the great Nevadan range had been largely eroded, a new cycle of geological activity commenced the second major phase of geological activity, creating today’s Sierra Nevada. Glaciers and water runoff continued to deposit layers of soil, further building up the valley floor. Brought to the surface during this process was the gold and copper that contributed so much to California’s wealth. 

At a much later time -- approximately 11 million years ago -- the Coast Range was created much as the Nevadan and Sierra Nevada chains were, trapping small animals and organic matter underneath its surface. In this fashion were born the large areas of oil and gas, which likewise became economically important. All that remained to complete this picture was the coming of the flora and fauna, beginning about 10 million years ago. 

Much of what would have been seen in those early years -- poppies, lupine, coyotes, gophers, and horned toads -- has remained a part of the Fresno County natural environment, though some extinctions have taken place. Most notable among them are the mastodons, gone for 11,000 years, and the grizzly bear, last sighted in 1924 (in Sequoia National Park). Other than that, large portions of the Sierra and the western and eastern foothills remain as the Native Americans and pioneers saw them, right down to the animal and plant life forms.

For thousands of years, the land that would become Fresno County was part of a peaceful valley. Native villages dotted the banks of the rivers and streams. Wild elk, antelope, horses, and ground squirrels roamed the large valley tucked between two mountain ranges on the east and west. Three great rivers cut across the land bringing sustenance to the natives who caught the salmon that swam their waters in great abundance. The Valley oak trees lining the banks of the rivers provided acorns -- the basis of the natives’ diet.  

The foothill and mountain tribes -- the Southern Sierra Miwok, the Western Mono, Chukchansi, Gashowu, and the Choinimni – say they have always been there. 

The native peoples were interdependent upon one another and had developed a remarkable system of communication. The Yokuts would dig a hole about two feet across and two feet deep. In the hole they built a small fire with dried weeds they stored for that purpose. When the fire was burning well, they partially smothered it to create dense smoke. They used a wet blanket, wet tule mat, or wet skin--to interrupt the smoke and divide it into puffs. The resulting smoke signals described the size of the invading party, whether or not it was hostile, the kind of people in the party, the direction it was traveling, and its actions. The alarm signal was a long series of short puffs. The all-clear signal was a series of widely separated puffs. Within four hours, there were columns of smoke rising from one lookout station to another along the Sierra and Coast Range foothills from the Cosumnes River in Sacramento County to the south end of Kern Lake. 

There were many ancient trails into the Valley -- one over a pass in the Coast Range Mountains much used by the Yokuts Tribes who would meet the coastal Olthone natives at an artesian well and exchange acorns and animal pelts for salt and shells. The site is marked today by Casa de Fruita.

Another ancient trail came over the mountains from Los Angeles, then turned west skirting the base of the Coast Range foothills. When it reached just south of present-day Fresno County it divided. The western branch kept on its course near the hills, passed near the present-day city of Avenal, and continued north. The eastern branch went east of the Kettleman Hills, then swung north passing near present-day Riverdale, on to Las Juntas (near Mendota), then turned west and reunited with the western branch. The road continued over the Altamont Pass to what is today east Oakland. Later, the Spaniards would name it El Camino Viejo a Los Angeles (the Old Road to Los Angeles). During the Spanish period, it would become an escape route for military deserters and others from the coast fleeing the colonial authorities. In time, the villages on its paths became way stations for cattle and horse droves, and earned a reputation for being tough places in which fistfights and murder were common. Along with Las Juntas, the settlements included Posa Chine, close to the later site of Coalinga; La Libertad (Liberty), near today’s Lanare; and the California Ranch, on the southern bank of the San Joaquin and roughly ten miles west of Firebaugh.

The native people’s lives were disrupted in 1776 when two groups of Spaniards came into the valley to see what the terrain and native peoples were like. Don Pedro Fages and Father Francisco Garces led the two expeditions. During the next several years a number of brief incursions into the valley by the Spanish -- mostly to either capture Native Americans to take to the missions or to capture runaway natives -- were made.  

By 1804, the coastal areas were filling up. Missions had been established from San Diego to San Francisco. It was time to look to the interior valley for possible mission sites. The man put in charge of this task, Gabriel Moraga, was the son of a very distinguished Californio Jose Joaquin Moraga, a Spanish Basque, who was second in command of the De Anza colonizing expedition into California in 1776. On September 17th of that year, he founded the presidio at Yerba Buena (San Francisco) and served as its first commandante. He also founded the Pueblo de San Jose. Later in September, Moraga and several soldiers rode their horses over the Altamont Pass into the Central Valley. They saw a river filled with fish and named it El Rio de Los Pescadores -- the river would be renamed the San Francisco River. In 1804, Ensign Gabriel Moraga was put in charge of an expedition into the interior valley. His charge was to look for mission sites. A deeply religious man, his other hope was to convert the natives to Christianity. On this trip, Moraga discovered the river that is now the southern boundary of Fresno County. His party camped along its banks for several days and, on January 6, 1805, the feast day of the Holy Kings, Moraga named it El Rio de los Santos Reyes -- the River of the Holy Kings. Today, it is called the Kings River. The party traveled north and discovered the river his father had seen so many years before. He named the river the San Joaquin in honor of his father and of the saint whose name his father bore. 

In 1806, Moraga’s party left Mission San Juan Bautista and came across the Coast Range Mountains following the ancient Indian trail that had provided trading opportunities for the coastal and valley tribes. They followed San Luis Creek, crossed the San Joaquin River north of present-day Firebaugh, and headed east to present-day Chowchilla. It was on this trip that they were greeted by swarms of yellow butterflies (mariposas) and named the area Mariposa in their honor. The name was eventually used for the original California county that occupied most of the central state.

Thanks to the diary of Fray Pedro Munoz, who accompanied Moraga, the 1806 expedition gave us the first extended, unhurried look at what became Fresno County. On October 12, Munoz wrote: From the Santa Ana [Fresno River] to the San Joaquin there is a little pasturage, although it is sparse and spread out widely, the neighboring hills and the Sierra itself are covered with oaks. The next day, the group met with a band of Pitkachi Yokuts living near the foothills, presided over by a chief named Sujoyucomu. At first, the Indians were hesitant to make contact with Moraga’s party, and some slight dialogue explained why. It was discovered that twenty years earlier, a Spanish military group arriving from the east had attacked the tribe. The Indians thought that Moraga’s soldiers, though attired just as the earlier invaders were, might be peaceful since they came from the opposite direction. This hunch turned out to be correct and the men departed peacefully after baptizing four aged Indians.

After commenting on how Pitkachi country was barren and lacked firewood and grazing, Munoz journeyed the relatively short distance to the Kings River country with the others and found a relative paradise: The country appeared to have moderately good pasturage, excellent in the river bottoms. All the meadows are well covered with oak, alder, cottonwood, and willow. The river abounds with beaver and fish. It is a location suitable for a mission, although there would have to be a presidio [adjoining military settlement].In this area, the men split into two groups, one taking a course upriver and the other going downstream. They found a few Indian villages, often appearing to be depopulated in haste; it seemed that the earlier conquistadors had left behind bad memories in places other than Pitkachi territory.

In the wake of Moraga’s expeditions, it seems likely that soldiers from the coast ventured into what became Fresno County to look for deserters and runaway Indians. Records of these entries into the virgin land are absent from the historical record, however, until 1815 and 1826, when Sergeant Jose Dolores Pico and his men arrived on the scene. Sent to return Indians to the missions, Pico made contact initially with the Nutunutu and Wilmilche Yokuts and found them quite hospitable. On his second foray into the San Joaquin Valley, he and his men did battle with driving winter rains and, searching for a suitable fording place, were forced to go a fair distance up the San Joaquin River. Here they obtained a good look at the foothills and, if the weather cleared at all, the Sierra Nevada beyond. (Interestingly, in between these times -- in 1822 -- the military command changed. Mexico won its independence from Spain that year, and Alta California became part of the new nation.) In this same year, the first American saw the region between the Kings and the San Joaquin. The high demand for fur goods in the East had sent intrepid men into many unexplored western places with their guns and traps. One of these was Jedediah Strong Smith, born in frontier New York, who became -- by default -- one of the great explorers of the North American continent. By 1826, he had found his way to the banks of the Kings and set up camp among the friendly Wimilche. He trapped beaver, noticed a considerable abundance of elk and wild horses, and took note of the hog wallows--undulations in the soil, common in the era when the land was untouched. Smith believed the mounds were artificial, though they were altogether natural. The relentless grading and leveling of the San Joaquin Valley landscape has eliminated all but a few of them. Prophetically, and speaking like one seeing opportunities at every turn, Smith wrote of the Fresno County region: The country generally is a most excellent grazing country the soil is such to admit of many fine farms.

Three years after Smith, another party of fur tradesmen led by Ewing Young, worked its way north of the Tehachapi Mountains and into the San Joaquin Valley. The men mostly hunted, as it was past trapping season, and rendezvoused with a number of men from the vast, Canada-based Hudson’s Bay Company, who also happened to be idling in the area. The Hudson’s Bay group was led by Peter Skene Ogden, one of the most important leaders in the fur trade. It was a fairly dull trip but was made memorable by the fact that one of Young’s group was none other than famed frontiersman Christopher Carson. It seems that during this period, fleeting contacts between the coastal authorities and the Indians of the interior continued, the bulk of them lost to the history books. There was, however, continuing interest in the mission system’s possible expansion, and to this end, an expedition left the coast in 1831 and attempted to build a colonial complex in the vicinity of Laton. Along for the ride was an American stone mason, Caleb Strong Merrill, who had spent some time employed by the Mexican government. This expedition found a profusion of Indian acorn granaries in the Kings region, supposedly assembled as a hedge against a famine that had ravaged the area for seven years. While the party members spent three months casting adobe bricks and started to build an irrigation system, they were eventually driven out by a profusion of grizzly bears nested in the fertile river bottom areas. Both bricks and canals remained visible for years afterward and became objects of great curiosity to those residing in the southern county.

This abortive mission-building exercise was followed, in 1833-1834, by two American expeditions of note. One was led, again, by Ewing Young, who found a strong Hudson’s Bay presence between the Kings and San Joaquin. Sadly, funeral pyres and scattered corpses in the same region suggested that a plague had hit the Yokuts Tribes. Subsequent investigation has indicated that a malaria epidemic was in progress, which had first broken out in Oregon and had spread south, hastened by the incidental contacts between trappers and Native People.

The second group had been sent out of Wyoming’s Green River area, descending to California from the Great Basin and into the Sierra Nevada. Led by Joseph Rutherford Walker, this expedition has a secure place in history for having stumbled onto a place with high peaks and long waterfalls -- no doubt, Yosemite Valley. After forging west and entering the San Joaquin Valley, they found the bodies of native peoples in the tule marshes -- victims of the malarial plague -- and witnessed a spectacular meteor shower. After spending the winter in the general region south of San Francisco Bay, they turned back east and into the San Joaquin, joining a military party entrusted with picking up runaway Indians. The men got involved in the grisly business of cutting off the ears of dead Yokuts, proving to the priests and alcaldes that their retrieval efforts had been serious -- in fact, too much so. After this unfortunate interlude, the men trudged through the southern end of the valley and started north through the Sierra, discovering one of Fresno County’s notable landmarks along the way -- Mono Hot Springs.

As California concentrated on its cattle and hide trades during the late 1830s and early 1840s, and political and military intrigue began that eventually placed the state in American hands, interest in what became Fresno County declined. At least one notable Californio, Manuel Castro, bucked the prevailing wisdom and thought this might be a time to capitalize on the interior’s economic potential, which was no doubt well-known at this time. On December 3, 1843, he applied with the Mexican government to claim the vast Laguna de Tache grant, hugging the northern banks of the Kings and encompassing much of what would become the county’s southwestern section.

To ensure that land grants would stick, and not be overtaken by outsiders, claim-makers such as Castro always sought to physically settle on their properties. Obviously interested yet apparently busy with other matters, it took Castro more than two years to send Isidro Villa to the Laguna de Tache and commence the “civilizing” process. It was a tentative and ultimately unsuccessful move. In early 1846, Villa erected a small house and started to build a corral but was forced to leave in less than a month, due to threatened Native hostilities. This shift in attitude, markedly different from what Moraga and Pico had witnessed, may safely be attributed to the sporadic conflicts between coastal soldiers and the Yokuts Tribes.



Meanwhile, the United States government was hoping to eventually take Alta California from Mexico. In 1844, they sent an expedition headed by topographical engineer, Brevet Captain John C. Fremont, to map the area. In April, Fremont’s group rode through the Central Valley noting the wild poppies, lupine, and alfilaria that formed carpets of color. He also noted smoke signals and told his men they were being watched closely by the natives. They crossed the San Joaquin River somewhere near Gravely Ford and continued south.

In 1848, the war that the United States began fighting with Mexico in 1846 ended. Now Alta California was a territory of the United States. 

MAKING HISTORY EVERY DAY:

Fresno visit for former U.S. Ambassador to Russia: ‘Too early to judge what President Trump will do’

By John Houghton, March 19, 2025, reprinted from yourcentralvalley.com

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul was a guest speaker in Fresno on Wednesday at the San Joaquin Town Hall series.

McFaul addressed high school students, covering topics from his academic work on political science and revolutions to his experiences in international relations, including his time as the U.S. Ambassador to Russia under President Obama. 

“I think it’s too early to judge what President Trump will do – he might have some limited success,” said McFaul referencing the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

McFaul was the ambassador to Russia from 2012 to 2014 under President Obama and said he was able to play basketball with him.

“In 2002, right after September 11th, terrorist attacks in our country, Putin and President Bush were cooperating against terrorism, that was probably one of the most cooperative times in U.S.-Russian history,” said McFaul.

McFaul answered student questions about the causes of the conflict in Ukraine, the future of U.S.-Russia relations, and potential parallels between President Trump and Vladimir Putin. 

A Sunnyside High School senior asked on the topic of Ukraine, the origins of the conflict desire to join NATO.

“So ever since its creation, NATO has been, a contentious issue between the West, the United States, the Soviet Union, and then Russia…but I don’t think NATO expansion was the central cause of this conflict,” said McFaul.

McFaul added that one of the fears Russia has is due to its connections with Ukraine.

“Ukrainians can be democratic and they have a lot of cultural and historical ties with Russia, then that means Russians can be democratic,” said McFaul. “And that is a real threat.”

The San Joaquin Valley Town Hall is a non-profit organization that is run by an all-volunteer board of directors.