Monthly news & updates
October 1, 2021
Happy Halloween from your friends at the
Fresno County Historical Society
A Message from the President

Dear Friends, Supporters and Members, 

Somehow as the sun sets earlier, our work doesn’t seem to be ending any sooner – but, in this case, that is a really good thing! Our “after dark” events at the Mansion and Museum are exponentially increasing – from Underground Suppers to Murder Mysteries to Birthday Celebrations and even Weddings! M. Theo would surely be ecstatic to see his land come to life once again and, I am confident he would have been an enthusiastic guest at all the functions
This past month, I had the honor of participating in two Farm Tours crafted by the Tour Team of the Fresno County Historical Society and generously sponsored by a number of local businesses who are listed in an article below. Those of you that have known me a while are aware that, previously, my family had been involved in a substantial ag business related to metal stake trellising and expansive shade covering systems as well as the D.O.V. method of drying grapes (among other things). Also, having worked for many years with Ryan Jacobsen on the television series Valley’s Gold, I absorbed a vast wealth of information about dozens of crops, the reality of water in our land, and how regulations can both help and hinder the lifeblood of our region in so many complex ways. 
On these tours, however, which were conducted in partnership with the Fresno County Farm Bureau (thank you Ryan!), he and I split our time between the two busses; my job was to relate ag history and Ryan’s was to teach about ag in our county today. Very symbiotic and effective.

As I was telling the tales of wheat in the fields of what became Clovis, and the unexpected, yet fortuitous, discovery of “Peruvian Importations,” more commonly known as raisins, I realized we had a rapt audience – ok, they were trapped on a bus with me, but, hey, they were not asleep anyway…
At the break, Ryan and I compared notes as we were going to switch busses for the ride back. He, too, had experienced a similar ENGAGED interest in what he was speaking about. And while we were both pleased, these folks did sign up for an Ag Tour, so you might expect them to get the most out of the day as they could.

However, the following week, I reprised my history stories for a group of college students who were primarily marketing entrepreneurs with, seemingly, very little connection to agriculture. Surprisingly, the same engagement phenomenon occurred throughout the trip. We were on to something here!
After giving some thought to the two experiences, the answer was clear – these folks were being EDUCATED about agriculture, its roots, its place in our economy, its obstacles over the decades due to a myriad of reasons such as water, (obviously), labor shortages (not so obviously) and the reasons farmers were having to fallow land or switch crops away from traditional plantings of cotton and even many tree fruits. All the same information, commonly shared on the news, in articles and on social media, was there. What was clearly missing, was the RHETORIC.
People were not being told what to think or feel in relation to agriculture – there were no “sides.” What they were hearing were facts, not supposition, not personal perspectives, just facts. And they appropriately responded with insightful questions. Points of view were diverse but not caustic. Civilized debate could occur without vicious attacks. It was an eye-opening experience for me, one we at the FCHS hope to replicate in all the educational programs we create.
Participatory education is possible. Not only possible, it is also VITAL. Our next generations must have the gift of education about hundreds of issues in the world, not just history and agriculture (although that is a big one here where we all live). It is incumbent upon us all to wrest the conversations we have away from a culture where a varying opinion gets you “cancelled.” We have to make room for all sides to work together to form long lasting solutions, not just expedient, stopgap measures, How? Just take the rhetoric out and you will like, and more importantly, respect, the resulting discussion.
Make sure to come on one of our Farm Tours next years and see for yourself!

Now, the other eye-opening aspect of the tours was HOW LITTLE PEOPLE HERE KNOW ABOUT THE AG HISTORY OF THE COUNTY! And that is something we will be changing beginning in this newsletter with the story of wheat and how the town of Clovis got its name. Enjoy ROOTS OF THE VALLEY: Clovis Cole, The Wheat King of California.

Stay safe in all ways – the Covid-bug has hit close to home, even for those who are vaccinated. Hope to see you at our Mystery Dinner later this month and, for sure, make time to visit during the Christmas at Kearney - Sounds of the Season exhibit.
Until next time, all the best,
Elizabeth Laval
President, Fresno County Historical Society
ROOTS OF THE VALLEY: Clovis Cole, The Wheat King of California
By Esther Henderson

Reprinted from the October 15, 1969 issue of The Fresno Bee with permission.
Esther Henderson was a Bee reporter at the time of original publication.
Clovis Cole, The Wheat King of California
The town of Clovis, the last town of size before Shaver and Huntington Lakes, was created when the Fresno Flume and Irrigation Company developed its flume to bring lumber from Pine Ridge to rail connections. Clovis Cole, who has been called the "Wheat King" of the United States and for whom the town was named, donated the site for a railroad depot when the "Pollasky Railroad Line" was intercepted by the lumber flume, in 1891.

Cole came to Fresno County with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen H, Cole, from Vevay, Ind., in 1872. He was l5 years old. Clovis Cole's father homesteaded property in the area later known as the Balfe ranch. In 1891 he was elected mayor of Fresno and served two years, Young Clovis Cole started his career as a teamster at the age of 16 when his father presented him with a gift of four horses. For a time young Cole hauled lumber out of the mountains over the early road, the forerunner of the Tollhouse Road, which at that time was hardly more than a trail winding its circuitous way down the steep mountain. Soon Cole filed on his own homestead near where the town of Clovis is now.
According to Mrs. Ida Cole Beal, daughter of Clovis and Elizabeth Reynolds Cole, her father purchased additional land in the Clovis area in 1874, At that time Cole was 17 years old. Up to the time of purchase by Cole the land had never been cultivated for any type of crop. In 1880 Cole purchased 480 acres of land from Mr. Sweet of Visalia. Four years later in 1884, he was farming 40,000 acres of land planted to wheat. At that time he ran a thrashing machine from Centerville to Herndon. All of that country was one large wheat field--and it belonged to him.
At the height of his farming career Cole farmed 50,000 acres; 25,000 acres in Fresno County and 25,000 in Madera. He owned 400 mules that were used to keep his machinery in motion. Cole operated his own blacksmith shop to keep the animals shod and the machinery in repair. Mrs. Beal recalls that the barn on the Clovis place was so large that when looking from one end to the other, it seemed to telescope.
It was necessary for Cole to keep a cook at each of his headquarters and he had several of these. Mrs. Beal recalls the four headquarters as Dog Creek, Red Banks near the foothills, Deep Well in Madera County, and Bank Glen, in Madera County, but there were several others. Quite regularly the cooks went on a bender and one of the hands would then have to take over at that ranch. No one was happy with this situation. One of Cole's worries was keeping a good cook at each ranch. Sometimes Cole rode all night to find a cook and take him where he was needed.
 
Cole retired from ranching in 1904 and moved to Fresno. The family rented Judge Sayles' home on the corner of J (Fulton) and Tuolumne. They lived there three years and then Cole built a home on U Street, where he lived until he died in 1939, at the age of 83.
THERE IS A MYSTERY TO SOLVE AT
KEARNEY MANSION THIS MONTH
Join the Fresno County Historical Society in solving its first ever Murder Mystery! Guests are invited to bring their sleuthing skills to dine at the Kearney Mansion for a special and immersive experience. Five opportunities to attend are available over three nights. Capacity is limited to only 35 ticket holders for each performance.

This special event is a multiple-room mystery where guests will play detective and work to solve the murder of Mark Roundim during the grand opening of his family's newly-renovated boutique hotel on the Fruit Vale Estate.

Guest will move through the Mansion in small, socially-distanced groups of four to six, interviewing suspects, hunting for clues and enjoying a feast of delicious courses served at several tasty stations along with specialty cocktails to sharpen the senses. Everyone will visit the crime scene and submit their solutions to the case before our Detective arrives on the scene.

Tickets are limited and selling fast.
ARCHIVES SPOTLIGHT: Richard James Poulsen
Hello friends of the Archives! As we are beginning to open the Archives to research requests and donations, we are rediscovering some of our most amazing collections. A recent research request about a WWII Fresno soldier led to a dive into our WWII collection which features diaries, images, yearbooks, and so much more! This collection gives researchers a detailed view into the lives of these brave men and women. Though we did not have information on the specific soldier we were looking for, we were able to help this student with information about other soldiers, one of which she chose to write about, Richard J. Poulsen. 

Richard James Poulsen was born on November 24, 1921 to parents of Danish descent, Cora Hansen and Elton Christian Poulsen. Poulsen lived in the city of Easton in Fresno County until his graduation from Washington Union High School. In 1942, Poulsen went on to attend Fresno State College. However with the arrival of the second World War, he was drafted on February 14, 1942. Poulsen was enlisted as an Army Air Force pilot due to his slender muscular build. 

Poulsen’s first deployment was to the Santa Ana Army Air Base located in Costa Mesa, California where he received his preflight training. In 1943, Poulsen was sent to the Roswell Army Flying School in Roswell, New Mexico where he learned how to fly the B-29 bomber. While in Roswell, Poulson met his wife, Florence Ann Ward (Ann), whom he married in 1944. Several of the letters Poulsen sent to his parents during this period are very apologetic due to his marrying Ann without their knowledge. In a 1944 letter to his parents, Poulsen wrote, “Ann and I are both so happy you approve, etc. That means so much. Guess it’s quite a surprise to people but it sounds like they are taking it.” It was quite common during wartime for soldiers to marry quickly before deployment and, like many others, Poulsen felt guilt over the “non-traditional” marriage but his parents were kind and forgiving people. 

At the age of 24, Poulsen received his wings and was sent off to the Pacific Theatre in the war against Japan. Upon his deployment, Ann went to live with Poulson’s parents on Orange Avenue in Fresno. As Second Lieutenant, Poulsen participated in a number of flying raids over Japan from January 22, 1945 to March 27, 1945. At the height of his Army Air Force career, Poulsen participated in a bombing raid over Tokyo, Japan. This particular battle lasted for forty-five minutes and an estimated one hundred Japanese fighter planes were shot down. Poulsen’s B-29 bomber suffered damage from anti-aircraft weapons that were stationed on the ground. This left Poulsen slightly injured, forcing him to return to base for medical care. During his final bombing raid on March 27, 1945, Poulsen’s B-29 bomber was shot down during a mission over Osaka, Japan. Sadly, Poulsen’s body was never recovered due to his plane having nose-dived into the ocean. On November 11, 1945, Poulsen’s wife and parents accepted an air medal at Hammer Field Army Air Force Base in Fresno in his honor.

Stories like Poulsen’s are able to be shared and learned from due to people donating to the Archives. We are able to care for and share with researchers the items, documents and images that tell the legacy of our culture, our people, and our history. We appreciate donations of all kinds because they help us gauge historic events and how they impacted people’s lives during and after the event. 
Christmas at Kearney: Sounds of the Season
November 26 to December 31, 2021
This holiday season, the Society will bring magic back to the Kearney Mansion Museum & Gallery with our annual display of Christmas at Kearney. The Mansion will be filled with decorated trees, each representing a local decorator's interpretation of a favorite Christmas Carol for our Sounds of the Season theme. 
 
From November 26 through New Year's Eve, guests will learn the history of some of the oldest, most popular and well-known Yuletide songs as well as that of M. Theo Kearney and the Fruit Vale Estate. Special events are planned during the month, including a Meet & Greet with Santa and Holiday Tea Parties. Details are listed below. 
November 26, 2021 with tours at 1PM and 2PM
Sounds of the Season Holiday Display Grand Opening
Take a self-guided tour of beautifully decorated trees, each representing a different Christmas Carol throughout Kearney Mansion. Over fifteen trees will be on display until New Year's Day.

December 4 & 5, 2021 from 10AM to 3PM
Meet Santa at the Kearney Mansion Museum
Create a unique family memory in a gorgeous setting this year. Bring your family to take pictures with our Victorian Santa and enjoy a self-guided tour of this historic home, decorated and themed Christmas trees and antique toys that just might not be on your children's wish list!

December 11, 2021 at 11AM
Holiday Tea Party
Enjoy the elegance of Holiday Tea served in the glorious Kearney Mansion Museum this December. This event will fill quickly and space is limited. 
FIELDS OF FRESNO AG TOUR A SUCCESS!
2022 Season Schedule Planned
FCHS hosted our first Fields of Fresno Ag Tour on Saturday, September 18th.

Guests enjoyed a continental breakfast with a tour of Kearney Mansion before boarding a luxury coach tour bus for three stops in Fresno County. Along the way, Ryan Jacobson, Executive Director of the Fresno County Farm Bureau, talked agri-business during a Q&A along with Elizabeth Laval, President of the Fresno County Historical Society, who shared the history of agriculture in the Valley.

Destinations included a visit to the African American Farmers of California's Demo Site, where gleaning okra in the field was a highlight. During the visit to VF&B Farms, Paul Betancourt shared personal stories of his experiences growing almonds in Kerman and how farming has changed over the decades. The last stop at Solitary Cellars on Sumner Peck Ranch was a treat complete with lunch and a three flight wine tasting before strolling down to the river on a guided tour led by Candice Hill-Troutman, FCHS's Tour Director.

Thanks to everyone that attended and helped to make this special day possible!

Fields of Fresno Ag Tours will resume in February 2022 with monthly trips planned through September next year.
Thank you to these generous donors:
THE FRESNO COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
valleyhistory.org