Tulare County

History

History of Tulare and Kings Counties, California -

History by Eugene L. Menefee and Fred A. Dodge - Historic Record Company - Los Angeles, California, 1913

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I. - INTRODUCTORY TO HISTORY OF TULARE COUNTY  5

Earliest White Comers to County Bore Name of Smith—Indian Records of Prior Inhabitants—The Year 1849 Brings Changes—First Real Settler Locates in 1850—Other Settlers Follow—Rescue of the Wingfields-- Election of Officers—Derivation of Name Visalia—Survey for Railroad in 1853.

CHAPTER II. - INDIAN WAR OF 1856         20

Indians a Factor in Growth of Settlement—Interesting Accounts by Stephen Barton—Cattle Stealing the Source of Trouble—Tocsin of War Continues to Sound—War Is Waged Between Whites and Indians—Indian Troubles in Owens River District—Hospital Rock.

CHAPTER III. - THE EFFECT OF THE CIVIL WAR ON TULARE COUNTY          28

Southerners Constitute Larger Part of Tulare's Population—Troops Sent to Visalia—Whiskey Plays a Part in the Difficulties—Union Meeting Held—Southern Sympathizers Meet—Killing of Vogle—Killing of Stroble—Rowley Affair—Destruction of Newspaper Plant.

CHAPTER IV. - VISALIA                      34

Impress of the Vise Family on the Little Settlement—Settlers Who Followed—Early Newspapers—View of the Town in Early Days—First Fireworks—Gas Works and Electric Plant Established—City Hall Erected—Effect of the Wyllie Local Option Law—Visalia of Today.

CHAPTER V. - TULARE COUNTY'S CITRUS FRUIT          41

Eastern Slope of the County Almost Continuous Orange Grove—First Orange Tree Planted in 1860—Growth of the Industry—County's Fruits Displayed at St. Louis Fair—Tulare County Ranks Fifth in Point of Citrus Production in State—County's Present Area.

CHAPTER VI. - THE GENERAL RODEO                              46

Cattle Raising in the Early Days—Act of Legislature of 1851—White River Incident—Interest in Mining Superseded by Cattle Raising—"No­Fence" Law.

CHAPTER VII. - EXETER AND OTHER TOWNS       49

Railroad Reaches Exeter in 1888—Pacific Improvement Company—Exeter's Steady Progress—Monson—Kaweah—North Tule—Pixley­Tipton—Alila— Poplar — Frazier — Woodville — Strathmore — Eshom Valley—Alpaugh—Tagus—Goshen—Paige— Angiola — Yettem — Plano--Three Rivers—Springville—Mineral King—Traver—Hockett Meadows--         Redbanks—White River—Giant Forest — Orosi—Naranjo—Monson­Oriole Lodge—Venice—Klink — Waukena—Woodlake — California Hot Springs—Terra Bella—Ducor and Richgrove—Farmersville—Camp Nelson—Camp Badger—Auckland—Kaweah Station.

CHAPTER VIII. - PORTERVILLE AND OTHER TOWNS        75

Located on the old immigrant road—J. B. Hockett, a camper of '49—Town named for Royal Porter Putnam—Cattle raising chief occupation Coming of railroad in 1888—Porterville becomes a town of the sixth class in 1902—Schools—Water system—Packing houses—Library­Churches—Banks—Newspapers—Fraternal Lodges—Dinuba—Tulare--Lemon Cove—Sultana—Lindsay.

CHAPTER IX. - ANECDOTES         88

Adventures with Indians—Poindexter nuptials—Fiddling from Donkey's back—The McCrory Episode—Morris-Shannon affray—Stapleford-Deputy affair—James McKinney's High Life—The Magana Butchery—Miscellaneous Items—Crossing Streams in the '50s—County Scrip and Gold Dust—An Indian Runner—Visalia's First Business Directory—Second Courthouse—Cemeteries—Visalia's Title—Politics—Arrival of the Telegraph—A Vigorous Protest—A Novel Engine—Flood Times—The Lost Mine—Some Statistics of 1870—Mankins' Party Arrival—No Fence Law—As Seen by Fremont.

CHAPTER X. - THE MUSSEL SLOUGH WAR          110

Early Settlers in the Mussel Slough Country—Land League's Fight With the Railroad.

CHAPTER XI. - THE KAWEAH COLONY         113

One of the Greatest Community Enterprises Ever Inaugurated in the United States—Its Chief Promoters.

CHAPTER XII. - THE ABORIGINES        118

Traditions—Creation Myth of the Yokuts—Diet—Indian Weapons—The Medicine Man—Gathering Salt—Capturing Wild Pigeons—Novel Fishing—Hunting Deer—Charming a Squirrel—Catching Ducks.

CHAPTER XIII. - NATIONAL PARKS      123

General Grant Park—Sequoia National Park—Mountain Trails—County Roads During the Late '50s.

CHAPTER XIV. - DEVELOPMENT OF INDUSTRIES      130

Electric Power—Irrigation—Alta District—Tulare Irrigation District—Artesian and Other Wells—Dairying Industry—Deciduous Fruit—The Watermelon.

CHAPTER XV. - THE RAILROAD DREAM         144

Bidding for the Railroad—The Visalia and Tulare Railroad—East Side Railroad—Coming of the Santa Fe—The Visalia Electric—The Porterville NorthEastern.

CHAPTER XVI. - GREAT TRAIN ROBBERIES         148

First of Five Robberies Occurs at Pixley—The Dalton Gang—The Collis Robbery—The Evans and Sontag Tragedies.

CHAPTER XVII. - CHURCHES, SCHOOLS, POPULATION              154

The South Methodist—Baptist—Sunday Schools—Presbyterian—Lutheran—Episcopal—Catholic—Methodist Episcopal—Christian—Training of the Young—Population—Property Values.

CHAPTER XVIII. - TULARE'S OFFICERS           163

Supervisors—The Judiciary—The Lawmakers—Sheriff—District Attorney—Assessor—Surveyor—Tax Collector—Treasurer—Recorder—Public Administrator—Auditor—Superintendent of Schools—Coroner.

CHAPTER XIX. - TULARE COUNTY TODAY         167

The County's Boundaries—Nature of the Soil—Towns and Cities—Orange Groves—Forests.

Chapters 20 - 29 are in the Kings County History section.

                            CONTENTS