County Histories

Yolo County

 by H. S. Maddox

“Situated sixty miles from the Exposition City, in a northeasterly direction; immediately across the Sacramento river from and west of California’s capital city; lying directly between San Francisco, Portland and Sacramento – is Yolo County.

“Almost in the center of California, and the great fertile Sacramento Valley – is Yolo County.

“Our argument has to do primarily and principally with the farmer, the man of family who is seeking a location in the last great West, the Pacific Coast States of America.

“To such a man, three factors stand out most prominently in the development of the varied resources of Yolo County, to wit:  in order of their importance, irrigation, reclamation, subdivision.  More money has been expended in irrigation enterprises during the past two years than in all previous history; more has been expended in reclaiming low and overflow lands and placing them in a high state of production in the past three years than in all previous years combined.  Results?  More than twenty subdivision propositions are now on the market, many of them offering small farm units at tempting figures and terms to the purchaser who may have but a little ready cash to apply.

“Water, both surface and subterranean, everywhere present for irrigation at all seasons; with diversified crops intensively farmed, proves conclusively that the man with but a few acres, say twenty to forty, is accomplishing larger and more certain results with less of labor and of worry than the man with an excess of acres.

“Yolo is truly a progressive county.  It is really an agricultural community without any great city to overtop and dominate its affairs.  There is a cohesiveness about the county that gives it strength.  It is governed by a board of five Supervisors, every one of them a man of the soil, individually and collectively; men who think first of the benefit and needs of those who make more grow than ever grew there before.  To this end they maintain a County Horticultural Commission with eight assistants who are in constant touch with every farmer in the county; a government ‘Farm Adviser’ who devotes his entire time in the field, giving attention and encouragement to farmers who seek it, maintaining bureaus throughout the county at convenient places where neighborhood meetings are held at frequent intervals; a magnificent public school system with free books for pupils; a free Carnegie library with 53 county branches, and a County Board of Trade with a number of branches in charge of competent men.  These organizations are all supported by the County Supervisors, and they obtain funds from no other source, that the home-seeker and investor may be supplied with accurate, unbiased information, advice and helpful suggestions free of charge.

“The county contains nearly half a million acres of about floor level land; the largest contiguous body of unbroken soil of any county in the West.  Let us quote Elwood Mead, United States Government soil expert, who in reporting result (sic) of his soil and production investigations in Yolo County said:  ‘It is ideal grain, alfalfa and fruit land.  You may find growing on this soil wheat, barley, corn, oats, alfalfa; all the vegetables of a temperate and sub-tropical climate; apples, figs, pears, apricots, nectarines, plums, prunes, oranges, lemons, limes, pomegranites, grapes (table, wine and raisin), almonds, olives, English walnuts, berries of all kinds, and melons.’

“The transportation problem has been splendidly solved in Yolo County.  A number of steam and electric railways permeate every section of the county, and with a frontage of ninety miles on the Sacramento river, which is always navigable, give every town and village within its borders excellent shipping and marketing facilities.

“Yolo County producers are within one hundred miles of more than one million consuming peoples (sic).

“This county has the lowest tax rate, with but one or two exceptions, of any county in Northern California, and is virtually out of debt with all current bills paid in full.

“This county is favored with nearly one hundred rail and water shipping points.  Many of them are splendid towns and villages, having fine schools, churches, a high class American citizenship, and with one or two exceptions, are free of saloons.

“Woodland, the county seat, in the center of the county, is one of the most progressive cities in California, and its clean, well-paved streets are lined with magnificent residences and fine business blocks.  Woodland has more money in bank, and bank assets than any town of similar size in the entire country, and this wealth came from Yolo County’s peerless soil.

“Winters, situated twenty miles southwest of Woodland, is the second largest town in the county.  It lies at the base of picturesque hills, and is in the very center of Putah Creek’s rich delta lands.

“Guinda and Rumsey are located near the head of Capay Valley, one of the most beautiful and picturesque spots in the Sacramento Valley.

“Capay is situated where the Capay Valley opens into great Sacramento Valley.  Esparto is three miles from the entrance to Capay Valley.  Madison is twelve miles west from Woodland.  These are all thriving towns in important farming sections.

“Davis is situated on Putah Creek, thirteen miles west of Sacramento and ten miles south of Woodland.  It is a railroad junction and enjoys excellent transportation facilities.

“The University farm operated in conjunction with the Agricultural department of the University of California, is situated at Davis.  This site was chosen after considering seventy-seven other localities in California.  This was due to the superior climate, soil and transportation advantages of Yolo County.  The soil is adapted to almonds, fruits of all kinds, and alfalfa.

Dunnigan and Zamorra (sic) are railroad towns in the northern part of the county.  Yolo is a flourishing village in the heart of a great fruit county.  Then we have Washington and Bryte City just across from Sacramento, also West Sacramento and Clarksburg nearby.  All these towns, in fact, all the towns throughout the county, are in flourishing condition.  All are making, and will continue, a good substantial growth indefinitely.”