A Message from the President
Dear Friends, Supporters and Members,
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When most of us were growing up, this would have been a letter that was written in September, not August. However, with nearly all schools reopening this month, many for the first time in-person for nearly 18 months, I thought it would be timely to take a look back at some of the early schools in our county. Let’s start at the top! |
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On April 10, 1910, the California State legislature approved a bill to establish a normal school in Fresno and, in 1911, Fresno State was born. The purpose was to serve the educational needs of the San Joaquin Valley by training prospective teachers. At the time, Fresno was, as it is today, the largest city within a 200-mile radius in the Valley with a population of 32,000. The first class had an enrollment of 153 students, all but two of whom were women. and tuition was free. Fresno State Normal School, as it was called, grew steadily until 1921 when it became Fresno State Teachers College, and offered a four-year Bachelor of Arts degree in Education as opposed to the previous two-year general education degree. In 1935, addition degree programs were added, and the school officially became Fresno State College. The College started granting advanced degrees in 1949 but it wasn’t until 1972 that the school got official university status and was renamed California State University, Fresno.
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Normal School Gym Class, November 2, 1915, courtesy of the Pop Laval Foundation |
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Of course, it wasn’t long before the school decided to initiate an intercollegiate athletics curriculum. The first few years of teams and competition were infantile, as Fresno State competed against the likes of the local high school teams, some local area colleges, and even the Sacramento YMCA. While it would take several decades to reach greater heights, Fresno State’s athletics notoriety would not have been possible if not for the contributions of the founding fathers, coaches and student-athletes, whose dedication and commitment were unparalleled.
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In the meantime, what would become the State Center Community College District was expanding. Reedley College began in 1926 at Reedley High School. It gained its own campus, complete with a school farm, along the Kings River in 1956. Reedley and Fresno City colleges became part of the new State Center Community College District in 1964. The SCCCD now operates additional centers in Clovis, Madera and Oakhurst as well as a Career and Technology Center. |
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In 1941, Coalinga College was organized at Coalinga High School. A separate campus was developed in 1956, followed five years later by a separate district. The school was renamed West Hills College in 1969 and has grown to include campuses in Firebaugh and Lemoore.
Secondary schools in Fresno County have always been much more than halls of education. From September 16, 1889, the day that Fresno High School became the county’s first public secondary school to ring its bell for classes, until the present, high schools have occupied a unique place in community life. It goes well beyond the quality education that has been provided to generations of students.
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Fresno High School, March 1911, courtesy of the Pop Laval Foundation |
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High schools, with their many events and athletic competitions, quickly grew into centers of community activity and pride. They helped foster the pleasant provincialism and friendly competition between cities, towns and their schools that endures to this day.
When Fresno High School opened in the K Street School at Santa Clara and K (now Van Ness Avenue) streets, its curriculum was traditional. Students learned Latin, English, history, science and math. Naturally, curriculum has changed greatly since Fresno High’s first class of seven graduates received diplomas in 1891. In case you were wondering, here is the order in which our county high schools were established:
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Fresno High, 1889
Selma Union High, 1892
Washington Union High, 1892
Fowler Union High, 1898
Clovis Union High, 1899
Sanger Union High, 1899
Laton High, 1905
Reedley Joint Union High, 1905
Kingsburg Joint Union High, 1906
Coalinga Joint Union High, 1908
Kerman Union High, 1910
Riverdale High, 1912
Caruthers Union High, 1914
Tranquillity Union High, 1917
Parlier Union High, 1920
Edison High, 1921 (was a middle school and technical school previously)
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Fresno Tech, 1921 (later closed)
Central High West, 1922
Sierra Joint Union High, 1922
Roosevelt High, 1928
Bullard High, 1955
McLane High, 1959
Hoover High, 1963
Clovis West, 1977
Firebaugh High, 1979
Duncan Polytechnical, 1985
Buchanan High,1993
Mendota High,1993
Central High East, 1996
Clovis East High, 1999
Sunnyside High, 1999
University High, 2000
Orange Cove High, 2005
Clovis North High, 2007
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There are so many wonderful primary schools to explore that we will continue this topic soon. In the meantime, we would like to introduce you to Mrs. Mary J. Hoxie who, in 1873, became Fresno City's first schoolteacher. She was a life-long resident of this region and was widely known as an educational and social leader in the early days of Fresno. She owned a considerable property here. She was the widow of John C. Hoxie, a pioneer rancher and mine operator.
In the later years of her life when her health began to fail she moved from an apartment house she had built and operated on Stanislaus Street to the home of Mr. and Mrs. L.A. Winchell, her friends since childhood, at 1009 Echo Street.
Mrs. Hoxie was born as Mary J. McKenzie December 21, 1855, at Fort Miller, a pioneer military settlement on the upper San Joaquin River, where her father, James McKenzie, had been sent as an Indian fighter in 1854. Her mother was Ann Brennan whose honeymoon trip with McKenzie was the journey west with the army detachment to Fort Miller.
The Scottish Irish family lived at Fort Miller until 1861 when they located upon a stock ranch a few miles above it.
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Old Millerton House, John Hoxie in front yard |
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There McKenzie died and the widow returned to the fort with the children. She later married Judge Charles A. Hart, the first judge of Fresno County.
Mary McKenzie attended the first school conducted in Fresno County at the E.C. Winchell home at the fort in 1860. When she was 18 years old, she was called at the new town of Fresno as its first schoolteacher.
Three school trustees had been elected here and one of them, B.S. Booker, offered the upper floor of his store at Tulare and H Street for a classroom. Miss McKenzie, having been graduated the year before from the San Jose Normal School, she was brought from Fort Miller to teach the first class of fifteen pupils.
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The school lasted only three months, having been conducted by private subscription to meet the state requirement of a three-month term before it could be recognized as a public school.
At the end of the initial term, the school idea was dropped for over a year and Miss McKenzie was married at the fort on December 18,1873 to John C. Hoxie. Hoxie, a native of England, came to California as a boy of 10 in 1858 and five years later was raising stock near Millerton, the first seat of Fresno County. By the time of his marriage, he owned several thousand acres of land. After the election in March 1874, making Fresno the county seat, Mr. and Mrs. Hoxie moved to Fresno, where he bought a block at Calaveras Street and K Street now Van Ness Avenue. He turned to the mining business in his 50s and was engaged in that activity until his death, November 21, 1918.
Mrs. Hoxie took a prominent part in the women’s activities of Fresno for many years. She was one of the organizers of the Catholic Church here. She was a charter member and president for four years of the Leisure Hour club, which she helped organize at the turn of the 20th Century for literary study.
After John Hoxie sold his property at Calaveras and K Street, they moved to the block at Stanislaus and L Street where Mrs. Hoxie lived for many years. The old Hoxie home at the corner has been removed, but an apartment house they built in the block still is occupied.
Mrs. Hoxie was a sister of William H. McKenzie and Edward P. McKenzie and a half-sister of the Truman Hart, an early Mayor of Fresno.
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So, to all the parents and grandparents of youngsters heading back to the classroom in the next few weeks, know they are returning to an educational system rooted in excellence and tradition.
Until next time, all the best,
Elizabeth Laval
President, Fresno County Historical Society
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ROOTS OF THE VALLEY: Gottschalk's Remembered |
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Back-to-School Window Display at Gottschalk's featuring Shirley Temple ,1937, photo courtesy of Pop Laval Foundation
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One of the Valley’s most long-for memories revolves around a mainstay of our region for over a century…Gottschalk's Department Store. Especially during the holidays, shoppers flocked to their downtown location to find that perfect gift for everyone special. Here is a look back at the history of this local and still missed institution.
German immigrant Emil Gottschalk came to Fresno in 1890 to work in the dry goods business after honing his skills in Sacramento. Known for his keen merchandising ability, he rose to the position of manager but quit when his employer broke a promise to make him part owner after 10 years.
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Later, while getting his daily shave at a barber shop, he overheard a conversation that would change his life. Developer T.W. Patterson was looking for a tenant for the ground floor of the four-story Forsyth building he was constructing at Tulare and J (now Fulton) streets. Gottschalk seized the opportunity to lease the 30,000-square-foot space and open his own business. (The Forsyth building was destroyed by fire in 1922 and replaced by the Patterson building). |
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With great fanfare, he launched his own business, E. Gottschalk & Co., on September 17, 1904. His motto was "the store that cares." The store quickly became known for quality merchandise and exceptional customer service. It would remain open often, sometimes until midnight, until the last customer went home. Horse and carriage delivered even the smallest item to a customer's front door. |
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Gottschalk's Building - October 29, 1914
photo courtesy of Pop Laval Foundation
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Main Entrance to Gottschalk's
January 29, 1926 photo courtesy of Pop Laval Foundation
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His flourishing business quickly outgrew the space, and he envisioned something bigger: a full-fledged department store providing a shopping experience unlike anything outside of San Francisco. Fresno, then a fast-growing city of 35,000, was in the midst of a major building boom.
By selling stock to manufacturers he did business with and getting family and friends to invest, Gottschalk raised enough money to buy property at the outskirts of the business district, a quarter block at Kern and J streets, the site of the Armory Livery Stables.
Famed San Francisco architect Conrad Alfred Meussdorffer designed the two-story building in the elegant Beaux Arts style.
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About 10,000 were present for the grand opening on September 12, 1914. And grand it was. One of several full-page ads proclaimed: "This Magnificent Modern Structure is a Monument to Fresno's Industrial Enterprise." Display windows were cased in English Circassian walnut, and the store boasted elevators and the first air conditioning system in Fresno -- coiled water pipes and huge electric fans. The temperature inside could be 20 degrees cooler than outside. |
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Early version of Black Friday! Pre-Christmas Sale at Gottschalk's - November 22, 1940, photo courtesy of Pop Laval Foundation
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In 100,000 square feet of floor space, shoppers found fine merchandise from the East and Europe. Employees wore hats and gloves as they greeted the first customers, with a 12-piece orchestra in the background. Small metal trays, bearing an embossed picture of the store, were given as souvenirs. Hundreds of French mirrors, illuminated showcases, inlaid floors of Hawaiian hardwood, and mahogany fixtures finished with antique brass added to the elegance.
Departments included clothing, home goods, jewelry, cosmetics, toys, furniture, a candy shop, soda fountain and beauty salon.
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A mainstay of downtown Fresno - Gottschalk's headquarters - June 4, 1945, photo courtesy of Pop Laval Foundation
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Mr. Gottschalk died in 1939 at age 77, but his legacy lived on and the company grew for decades, with family members, including beloved nephew, Joe Levy, carrying on in leadership roles. The elegant building was extensively remodeled in late 1940s, and '60s, and the Beaux Arts features were stripped away. The store remained the company's flagship location until its closure on the Fulton Mall in 1988.
Gottschalk's lasted 105 years, surviving the Great Depression, two world wars, and other national tragedies, to become part of the fabric of the Central Valley. Sadly, the brand was forced to close its nearly 60 stores in 2009.
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The Bathing Beauties! Gottschalk's Swimwear - 1928, photo courtesy of Pop Laval Foundation
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BIKE TOUR OF HISTORIC KEARNEY BOULEVARD A SUCCESS |
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The Fresno County Historical Society partnered with the Fresno County Bicycle Coalition to provide a guided bike ride along historic Kearney Blvd. from Chandler Executive Airport to the Kearney Mansion Museum and Gallery on Saturday, July 24th. Just under two-dozen riders joined the tour on a clear and sunny Saturday for a fun outdoor adventure. Everyone met at the Flight Line Café inside of Chandler Airport, another historic site, prior to departing on the ride. The group made their way seven miles to Kearney Mansion for a guided tour of the Mansion, Ranch Kitchen and a viewing of the Fashionable Fresno exhibit in the Gallery.
We would like to thank everyone who joined the inaugural ride as well as our partner, the Fresno County Bicycle Coalition. We hope to announce additional bike tours in the near future.
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TICKETS ON SALE NOW FOR
FIELDS OF FRESNO AG TOUR: A Farmer's Story
September 18, 2021
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On September 18th, the Society will partner with the Fresno County Farm Bureau to provide an engaging, educational and fun Ag Tour in and around Fresno County. This experience will include a coach bus ride through beautiful farmland, Q&A with local farmers, several stops with guided tours and a delicious lunch. Our FCHS special event will directly fund impactful and ongoing History and Social Studies curriculum to schools in Fresno County. All lessons present broad historic topics with local connections that can be accessed virtually or in-person and teach all children that they are personally Making History Every Day.
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This unique experience will start at the Kearney Mansion Museum & Gallery at 7:15 AM with hot coffee and a brief history of M. Theo Kearney and his historic Kearney Ranch and Fruit Vale Estate. Our comfortable and spacious coach bus will depart for three planned stops at Fresno County farms followed by a return to Kearney Park for lunch at 1:15 PM. Each guest will also receive a bag of goodies provided by the Fresno/Clovis Convention & Visitors Bureau. Space is limited so secure your tickets today.
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Made possible by these generous donors: |
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THE FRESNO COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
valleyhistory.org
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