Community

Information below provided by the Oakhurst Area Chamber of Commerce:

Eastern Madera County, the official geographical center of California, covers the portion of Madera County east from the base of the foothills at Route 145 into the High Sierra Mountains. North Fork is in the southeast corner of the area. From Oakhurst, in the heart of the community, is largest community in the area and is; 200 miles to San Francisco, 270 miles to Los Angeles, 12 miles north to Yosemite National Park, and 45 miles to Yosemite Valley. Madera and Fresno are about 45 miles southeast and south. The world's most bountiful agricultural land, the San Joaquin Valley, is just minutes away with its booming mid-size cities of Visalia, Tulare, Merced, Modesto and Stockton.

Oakhurst the unincorporated town in eastern Madera County, has the second largest population in the county. Oakhurst is investigating the possibility of incorporation, and plans are moving forward.

Some of the communities of Eastern Madera County are profiled below:

AHWAHNEE • BASS LAKE • COARSEGOLD • FISH CAMP • NIPINNAWASEE • NORTH FORK • OAKHURST • O'NEALS • RAYMOND

AHWAHNEE

Then
Ahwahnee began with gold! However, the bustling township found more riches in farming than gold mining. Settlers turned to growing fruit and vegetables and sold their produce to nearby mining camps.

Due to the completion of a railroad line to Raymond, Ahwahnee became a popular stop on the route to Yosemite. There is a great little story about President Theodore Roosevelt and his historic trip with John Muir into Yosemite. The press wrote that when the President stopped for lunch in Ahwahnee, he was told to wash in a tin bucket on the back porch before eating. The innkeeper was beside herself; she let everyone know (who would listen) that it was her very best china basin!

Because of the beneficial air quality in Ahwahnee, a Tuberculosis Sanitarium was built in the early 1900's. Later, it flourished as a home for boys.

Now
Nestled in quiet rolling hills, Ahwahnee is a peaceful small community with a population of approximately 1,680. The community advisory council works to preserve its rural atmosphere. The Wassama Roundhouse, a California State Parks facility, is located here. Built in 1903 by the Miwok Indians, it is one of a few authentic roundhouses that still exist in California today.

[TOP]

BASS LAKE

Then
In 1895, the Bass Lake Reservoir was created as the key to the development of Central California's first hydroelectric generating project. Crane Valley, named for meadows that attracted flocks of Sand Hill Cranes, was flooded to create this reservoir.

Now
Bass Lake, population 2,195, is now a popular retreat for all types of water sports and fishing. The United States Forest Service Recreation Area surrounds the lake and has many camping and day use areas to enjoy. Bass Lake offers a wide variety of dining and lodging facilities. From quaint to luxurious, there is something for everyone.

This area's only Fourth of July fireworks display is at the lake. Bass Lake also hosts an annual fishing derby the first weekend in May. Friday evenings during the summer, people gather to relax, enjoy, and listen to "Jazz on the Lake."

[TOP]

COARSEGOLD

Then
Around 1850, some Texas miners discovered gold in a creek in Eastern Madera County. The settlement was first called Coarse Gold Gulch and then for a while Texas Flat. The first deep lode mine in the region was in Coarsegold. When mining started to decline, ranching became a way of life. Cattle, sheep, and hog ranches dotted the foothills. Old Timers reminisce about days before the railroad when bands of pigs were driven all the way down to the Stockton markets.

Now
Still known today for its large ranches, Coarsegold's population is 7,280. There are still huge cattle drives every summer when ranchers take the cattle up to the cool high country. The Coarsegold Historical Society Museum and The Gold Gulch Museum are busy today educating, providing tours, and allowing people to have fun while they learn about Coarsegold's rich history.

[TOP]

FISH CAMP

Then
In 1881, Albert Philip filed a timber claim called Fish Camp. By 1883, Fish Camp sported the Summerdale (a two-story hotel), a general store, a saloon, a post office, and a barn where dances were held every day of the week. Fish Camp was a bustling logging center and a summer range for cattle. The Summerdale Hotel became The Silver Tip Lodge; it was destroyed by fire in 1891.

Now
Only two miles from the southern entrance to Yosemite National Park, Fish Camp remains a popular destination for tourists. With a year round population of 277, it is an amazingly active place. In the summer, there is hiking and fishing. In the winter, there is skiing, snow boarding, ice skating, and tobogganing. Two large hotels and several Bed and Breakfast facilities offer excellent accommodations for visitors. Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad offers daily rides (in the summer) through the Sierra National Forest in vintage steam locomotives.

[TOP]

NIPINNAWASEE

Then
Nipinnawasee is an Indian site, homesteaded in the year 1908 by a man from Michigan. The name came from a Midwestern Indian language that was familiar to the settler. Nipinnawasse means "home of the deer." A post office was established in 1912 and remained in existence until 1961 when the Harlow fire consumed the entire town in just 15 minutes.

Now
Nipinnawasee was never rebuilt after the Harlow fire, but the residents of the area do not seem to mind. The views of the Sierras are awe-inspiring from here, Oakhurst is less than 15 minutes away, and the deer still call Nipinnawasee home.

[TOP]

NORTH FORK

Then
Milton Brown built a cabin along the North Fork of Willow Creek. "Brown's Place" as the town was first called was the drop off point for sheep and cattle being taken up to the higher summer pastures. A road from Millerton to Crane Valley and a lumber mill near Willow Creek Falls were established in 1855. In the early 1960's, the road was extended to "Brown's Place."

Brown would service the stockmen, cowboys, cattle, and horses each spring. North Fork thrived as a mill town until the late 20th century when the National Forest discontinued timber harvesting.

Now
North Fork has not changed much since the popular television series "The Rifleman" starring Chuck Conners was filmed. With a population of 3,892, the residents of North Fork are, however, in the midst of re-writing their future. The North Fork Community Development Council, Inc., has established a project to focus the town around the old mill site. As a gateway to the Sierra National Forest, the Sierra Vista National Scenic Byway, and the Scenic Route to Yosemite, as well as the exact center of California, there is much work to do in determining the details of the mill site. North Fork is also home to the Mono Indians, who still make up a large percentage of the population. The Mono Museum in North Fork is a definite must for visitors, rich with history and full of well-known beautiful Mono Indian basketry.

[TOP]

OAKHURST

Then
In 1850, Fresno Flats was established, not as a gold mining town, but as a permanent community with homes, schools, and churches. This was a town to service miners, lumberjacks, cattlemen, and farmers. The name, Fresno Flats came from the Spanish word for ash trees, Freszo. Here the Nelder, Lewis, and Redwood creeks come together to form the Fresno River.

Fresno Flats has been in three counties since its birth. In 1856, part of Mariposa County was split away and became Fresno County. Then, in 1893, Madera County was formed. By this time, business in Fresno Flats was very good. A hotel, a restaurant, a saloon, a Chinese store, a Chinese laundry, a post office, a stage stop, a livery stable, and a blacksmith all made healthy livings. In 1887, the railroad was extended to Raymond and bypassed Fresno Flats. A few years later, Highway 140 opened taking visitors on a more direct route into Yosemite. By 1932, when the Madera Sugar Pine Mill closed, Fresno Flats had a population of only a few hundred people.

In the late 1930's, Highway 41 was completed taking visitors from the San Joaquin Valley to Yosemite via Fresno and Fresno Flats. Resurgence began and in 1966 Fresno Flats became Oakhurst.

Now
Oakhurst, with a population of 12,787, has a small town feeling, yet, with all of the amenities. Plus, it is surrounded by beautiful scenery. From the Chamber sponsored Peddlers Fair every Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends attracting 10,000 to 15,000 visitors per show, to the Elks Lodge spaghetti dinners and the Community Park's Elegant Auction, there is always something to do. With a live theatre, a Cineplex, a Children's Museum, bowling, dancing, hunting, fishing, golfing, swimming, skiing, dining, arcades, baseball games, marathons, bluegrass festivals, concerts in the park, and car shows, you name it, we've got it. Fresh air, low crime, good schools, doctors, churches, civic and social organizations, all of these add up to a quality of life we all enjoy.

[TOP]

O'NEALS

Then
O'Neals was named after Charles O'Neal, who came to California in 1857. He managed the Santa Rita Ranch for cattle baron Henry Hildreth, and then for "California's Cattle King" Henry Miller. Charles and his wife Bettie purchased the Gilmore-Mace Ranch in Spring Valley, California. In 1887, he became postmaster and later developed a store and a hotel. He gave this new "town" his name.

Harmon Bigelow ran a phone line from his house to his mother-in-law's house in 1903. Thus, began the Bigelow Telephone Company. He also ran the Bigelow Stage Line, serving Sugar Pine, Bass Lake, and North Fork making O'Neals a stage-stop for a short period of time.

Now
Cattle ranches are still a way of life for the people of O'Neals. In fact, the O'Neals are still in the cattle business here, along with many other pioneer ranchers like the Bissetts, McDougalds, Ellis', and the Browns.

Harmon Bigelow's Telephone Company is now The Ponderosa Telephone Company. With a population of 434, O'Neals also supports the Spring Valley School and the Westbrook Winery.

[TOP]

RAYMOND

Then
Raymond started out as a tent city. In the winter of 1885-1886, floods threatened the Fresno River. A.H. Washburn, owner of the Yosemite Stage and Turnpike Company, and the owner of the Wawona Hotel in Yosemite, convinced the Southern Pacific Railroad to build an alternate route to Wawona.

In 1886, the new route bypassed Coarsegold and Fresno Flats. Travel to Wawona went through Raymond, Ahwahnee, and Fish Camp. The new railroad stop was named after Israel Ward Raymond. Raymond became so busy that it was reported one night that the local inn ran out of beef and served up wildcat instead. Thus, it was nicknamed Wildcat Station.

Now
The Merced to El Portal railroad route opened in 1907. In 1926, year-round Highway 140 was completed, thus ended the Southern Pacific Railroad route through Raymond.

Today, Raymond is home to ranchers and granite mines. Raymond Granite Company is known throughout the United States. The granite from this area was used to help rebuild San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake and fires. Raymond's granite is also found in buildings in Sacramento, Los Angeles, Salt Lake, and Dallas, just to name a few.

[TOP]