City of Fresno
Flag Seal
Nickname: Fresno, the All America City & Raisin Capital of the World
Location in the state of California
Coordinates: 36°46′54″N 119°47′32″W / 36.78167, -119.79222
Country	United States
State	California
County	Fresno
Government
- Mayor	Alan Autry
- Senate	Cogdill (R) Florez (D)
- Assembly	Villines (R) Arambula (D)
- U. S. Congress	Radanovich (R) (CA-19) Costa (D) (CA-20) Nunes (R) (CA-21)
Area
- City	104. A nickname is a Name of an entity or thing that is not its Proper name. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This list of countries, arranged alphabetically The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The US state of California is divided into fifty-eight counties. Fresno County is a County located in the Central Valley of the U A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government Carlos Alan Autry (born July 31 1952 is an American actor politician and former National Football League (NFL football player The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. David Ellis Cogdill Sr (born December 31 1950 in Long Beach California) is the California State Senate Republican Leader The California Republican Party is the California affiliate of the national Republican Party. Dean Raymond Florez (born April 5 1963 in Shafter California) is a California State Senator. The California Democratic Party is the local branch of the Democratic Party in the state of California. The California State Assembly is the Lower house of the California State Legislature. Michael Villines has been in the California State Assembly since 2004 Juan Arambula is a California State Assemblyman He represents the 31st district The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses George P Radanovich (born June 20 1955) is a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 1995 representing the California's 19th congressional district covers parts of Fresno, Madera, Mariposa, Tuolumne, and Stanislaus counties James Manuel Costa (born April 13 1952) is a Democratic politician from the U California's 20th congressional district covers parts of Fresno and Kern and all of Kings counties Devin Nunes (born October 1 1973) American politician has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives California's 21st congressional district covers all of Tulare County and the eastern half of Fresno County. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. A city is an Urban area with a large Population and a particular Administrative, Legal, or Historical status 8 sq mi (271. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. 4 km²)
- Land	104. To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions we list here areas between 1000 km2 and 10000 km2 4 sq mi (183. 3 km²)
- Water	0. 4 sq mi (1. 1 km²)
Elevation	296 ft (90 m)
Population (2008)
- City	486,116
- Density	4,097. The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A city is an Urban area with a large Population and a particular Administrative, Legal, or Historical status Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 9/sq mi (1,582. 2/km²)
- Metro	1,002,284
Time zone	PST (UTC-8)
- Summer (DST)	PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP code	93650, 93701-93712, 93714-93718, 93720-93722, 93724-93729, 93740-93741, 93744-93745, 93747, 93750, 93755, 93760-93761, 93764-93765, 93771-93780, 93784, 93786, 93790-93794, 93844, 93888
Area code(s)	559
FIPS code	06-27000[1]
GNIS feature ID	0277606[2]
Website: www.fresno.gov

Fresno (pronounced /ˈfrɛznoʊ/ "FREZ-no") is the sixth-largest city in California, USA, the county seat of Fresno County, and the largest inland city in the state. A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large Metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central The Pacific Time Zone observes Standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time ( UTC-8) UTC−8 is a band of Timezones separated from the Universal Coordinated Time by 8 hours Daylight saving time ( DST The Pacific Time Zone observes Standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time ( UTC-8) UTC−7 can be observed in Mountain Standard Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time Zone Canada The ZIP code is the system of Postal codes used by the United States Postal Service (USPS A telephone numbering plan is a plan for allocating Telephone number ranges to countries regions areas and exchanges and to non-fixed telephone networks Area code 559 is an Area code that was created on November 14, 1998, when the southern half of the Area code 209 (in service since 1958 reached Federal Information Processing Standards ( FIPS) are publicly announced standards developed by the United States Federal government for use by all non-military The Geographic Names Information System ( GNIS) is a database that contains name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features located throughout The following is a list showing the 100 largest incorporated cities in the state of California ranked by population based on California Department of Finance estimates for January California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A county seat is a term for an Administrative center for a County, primarily used in the United States. Fresno County is a County located in the Central Valley of the U As of 2008, Fresno has an estimated population of 486,116^[3]. It is located in the center of the expansive Central Valley,^[4] approximately 200 miles (322 km) north of Los Angeles, and 170 miles (274 km) south of the state capital, Sacramento. The Central Valley is a large flat valley that dominates the central portion of the U Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West The city is the cultural and economic center of the Fresno-Clovis metropolitan area. Fresno is the second-largest metropolitan area in the Central Valley with a population of 1,002,284, after Sacramento.

Contents 1 Government 1.1 Mayor 1.2 President, Board of Trustees 1.3 City Council 1.4 Courts 1.5 Politics 2 Economy 3 Geography 4 Climate 5 Demographics 6 Education 7 Origins and history 8 Neighborhoods 8.1 Downtown 8.2 Sunnyside 8.3 Old Fig Garden 8.4 Tower District 8.5 Cultural Arts District 8.6 Huntington Boulevard 8.7 Van Ness 8.8 Kearney Boulevard 8.9 Sierra Sky Park 8.10 Brookhaven 8.11 Blackstone Avenue 8.12 Unincorporated communities 9 Cultural and commercial attractions 10 Notable residents 11 Media 11.1 Newspapers 11.2 Magazines 11.3 Radio 11.4 Television 11.5 Internet News 12 Sister cities 13 Transportation 13.1 Highways 13.2 Airports 13.3 Rail 13.4 Public transportation 14 See also 15 References 16 External links

Government

Fresno has a modified strong-mayor form of local government and seven City Council members (Legislative branch) elected for no more than two, four-year terms. The current mayor, Alan Autry was first elected in November 2000, re-elected on March 2, 2004, and will serve until January 2009. Carlos Alan Autry (born July 31 1952 is an American actor politician and former National Football League (NFL football player Events 986 - Louis V becomes King of the Franks. 1127 - Assassination of Charles the Good "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again "

Mayor

See also: List of mayors of Fresno, California

2000-present Alan Autry 1993-2000 Jim Patterson 1989-1993 Karen Humphrey 1985-1989 Dale Doig 1977-1985 Dan Whitehurst 1969-1977 Ted C. The following is a list of Mayors of Fresno California. 1901-1905 L Carlos Alan Autry (born July 31 1952 is an American actor politician and former National Football League (NFL football player Jim Patterson was mayor of Fresno California between 1993 and 2001 Karen Humphrey was a local news reporter who later became mayor of Fresno California between 1989 and 1993 Wills 1965-1969 Floyd H. Hyde 1964-1965 Wallace Henderson (acting) 1958-1964 Arthur L. Selland † 1957-1958 C. Cal Evans 1949-1957 Gordan D. Dunn 1947 Glenn M. Devore (acting)

1941-1947 Z. S. Leymel † 1937-1941 Frank A. Homan 1929-1937 Z. S. Leymel 1925-1929 A. E. Sunderland 1921-1925 Truman C. Hart 1917-1921 William F. Toomey 1912-1917 Alva E. Snow 1909-1912 Chester Rowell † 1908-1909 Ed. F. Bush (acting) 1905-1908 W. Parker Lyon 1901-1905 L. O. Stephens

† Died in office

President, Board of Trustees Prior to 1901, Fresno was governed by a board of trustees. 27 October 1895-1901 C. Events 312 - Constantine the Great is said to have received his famous Vision of the Cross. Year 1895 ( MDCCCXCV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year J. Craycroft 15 April 1889-unknown A. Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English Year 1889 ( MDCCCLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common J. Pedlar 31 October 1887-15 April 1889 A. Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Year 1887 ( MDCCCLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English Year 1889 ( MDCCCLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common M. Clark 25 April 1887-31 October 1887 W. Events 1607 - Eighty Years' War: The Dutch fleet destroys the anchored Spanish fleet at Gibraltar. Year 1887 ( MDCCCLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Year 1887 ( MDCCCLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common L. Graves 27 October 1885-25 April 1887 William Faymonville

City Council City council is made up of seven members, elected by district: District 1 (west-central) - Blong Xiong (Council President) District 2 (northwest) - Brian Calhoun District 3 (southwest) - Cynthia Sterling District 4 (east-central) - Larry Westerlund District 5 (southeast) - Mike Dages District 6 (northeast) - Jerry Duncan District 7 (central) - Henry T. Events 312 - Constantine the Great is said to have received his famous Vision of the Cross. Year 1885 ( MDCCCLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1607 - Eighty Years' War: The Dutch fleet destroys the anchored Spanish fleet at Gibraltar. Year 1887 ( MDCCCLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Perea

Courts

Fresno is the seat of the Fifth Appellate District of the State of California Court of Appeal, the Fresno County Superior Court and the Fresno Division of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California. In 2006, a new federal courthouse building was opened in the downtown area. In 2007, a new courthouse was constructed for the 5th Appellate District.

Politics

The city of Fresno is relatively split between Democrats and Republicans. Mirroring the nationwide vote, George Bush won 48. 41% of the vote in 2000^[5] and 51. 77% in 2004. ^[6]

Economy

Fresno serves as the economic hub of Fresno County and California's Central Valley. The Central Valley is a large flat valley that dominates the central portion of the U The unincorporated area and rural cities surrounding Fresno remain predominantly tied to large-scale agricultural production.

Fresno is unique in that it is home to many business incubators that serve as a resource hub for business entrepreneurs and new companies. Business incubators are programs designed to accelerate the successful development of Entrepreneurial companies through an array of business support resources and services developed Some of these incubators are found at California State University, Fresno. California State University Fresno, commonly referred to as Fresno State and even plainly State, is one of the campuses of California State University Many of the businesses formed at the incubators have gone on to become internationally known in the business world. Some of the businesses involved range from environmental engineering to fashion designers. Environmental engineering is the application of Science and Engineering principles to improve the environment (air water and/or land resources

Geography

Fresno is located at 36°46′54″N, 119°47′32″W (36. 781549, -119. 792113). ^[7]

The United States Census Bureau reports Fresno as having a total area of 104. The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title) is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census 8 square miles (271. 4 km²) with 99. 58% land covering 104. 4 square miles (270. 3 km²), and . 042% water, 0. 4 square miles (1. 1 km²).

Fresno's location, very near the geographical center of California, places the city a comfortable distance from several of the major recreation areas and urban centers in the state. Just 60 mi (100 km) south of Yosemite National Park, it is the nearest major city to the park. Likewise, Kings Canyon National Park is 60 mi (100 km) and Sequoia National Park is 75 mi (120 km). This article is about Kings Canyon National Park USA For Kings Canyon Australia see Kings Canyon (Northern Territory. Sequoia National Park is a National park in the southern Sierra Nevada, east of Visalia California, in the United States of America.

Because it sits at the junction of Highways 41 and 99 (41 is the park's southern access road, and 99 branches east from Interstate 5 to serve the urban centers of the San Joaquin Valley), the city is a major gateway for visitors coming from Los Angeles. State Route 41 (SR 41 is a State highway in the US state of California, connecting the Cabrillo Highway ( SR 1) in Morro Bay State Route 99 (SR 99 commonly known as Highway 99 or 99, is a north-south State highway in the U Route description Southern California See also San Diego Freeway, Santa Ana Freeway, Golden State Freeway Interstate 5 starts Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West The city also serves as an entrance into Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks via Highway 180. State Route 180 is a State highway in California, United States, which runs through the heart of the San Joaquin Valley from Mendota

Fresno has three large public parks, two located in the city limits and one in county land to the southwest. Woodward Park, which features the Shinzen Japanese Gardens, numerous picnic areas and several miles of trails, is located in North Fresno and is adjacent to the San Joaquin River Parkway. Roeding Park, located near Downtown Fresno, is home to the Chaffee Zoological Gardens, and Rotary Playland and Storyland. Roeding Park is one of three regional city parks in Fresno California - the others are Woodward Park Fresno Chaffee Zoo is Fresno, California 's only Zoo. In addition to many animal displays it is also the home of Ross Laird's Winged Wonders Bird Show Kearney Park is the largest of the Fresno region's park system and is home to historic Kearney Mansion and plays host to the annual Civil War Revisited, the largest reenactment of the Civil War in the west coast of the U. S. ^[8][9]

Climate

Fresno has relatively mild winters and hot summers. ^[10] December low temperatures average 37. Temperature is a physical property of a system that underlies the common notions of hot and cold something that is hotter generally has the greater temperature 0 °F (2. Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736 a German Physicist who proposed it in 1724 8 °C) with July high temperatures averaging 96. The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. 6 °F (35. 9 °C), though summer temperatures regularly soar to highs of 105 °F (40. 56 °C) or more. Summers provide considerable sunshine, with July peaking at 97 percent of the total possible sunlight hours; conversely, January is the lowest with only 46 percent of the daylight time in sunlight. Average annual precipitation is 11. 23 in (28. 52 cm); rainfall is concentrated in the winter and spring seasons, with the summers typically being very dry. Most of the wind rose direction occurrences derive from the northwest, as winds are driven downward along the axis of the California Central Valley; in December, January and February there is an increased presence of southeastern wind directions in the wind rose statistics. The Central Valley is a large flat valley that dominates the central portion of the U ^[11] Fresno meteorology was selected in a national U.S. Environmental Protection Agency study for analysis of equilibrium temperature for use of ten-year meteorological data to represent a warm, dry western United States locale. In Thermodynamics, a thermodynamic system is said to be in thermodynamic equilibrium when it is in thermal equilibrium Mechanical equilibrium, and Meteorology (from Greek grc μετέωρος metéōros, "high in the sky" and grc -λογία -logia) is the Interdisciplinary The United States of America —commonly referred to as the ^[12]

Weather averages for Fresno, California
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Average high °C (°F)	12 (54)	16 (61)	19 (66)	23 (73)	28 (82)	33 (91)	36 (97)	35 (95)	32 (90)	26 (79)	17 (63)	12 (54)
Average low °C (°F)	3 (37)	5 (41)	7 (45)	9 (48)	13 (55)	16 (61)	19 (66)	18 (64)	16 (61)	11 (52)	6 (43)	3 (37)
Precipitation mm (inches)	54. In Meteorology, precipitation (also known as one class of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric 9 (2. 2)	53. 8 (2. 1)	55. 9 (2. 2)	19. 3 (0. 8)	9. 9 (0. 4)	5. 8 (0. 2)	0. 3 (0)	0. 3 (0)	6. 6 (0. 3)	16. 5 (0. 6)	27. 9 (1. 1)	34 (1. 3)
Source: weather. com[1] 2008-03-01

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 427,652 people, 140,079 households, and 97,915 families residing in the city. A census is the procedure of acquiring information about every member of a given population The population density was 111,097. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 7 square miles (178,582. 2 km²). There were 149,025 housing units at an average density of 1,427. 9 square miles (551. 3 km²). The racial makeup of the city was 50. 17% White, 8. 36% Black or African American, 1. 58% Native American, 11. 23% Asian (mostly Hmong), 2. The terms Hmong (m̥ɔ̃ŋ and Mong ( both refer to an Asian ethnic group in the mountainous regions of southern China. 54% Filipino, 23. 36% from other races, and 5. 16% from two or more races. 39. 87% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Hispanic and Latino Americans are Americans of Hispanic or Latino descent, which comprises ancestry or origins in Hispanic America

There were 140,079 households out of which 40. 4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46. 1% were married couples living together, 17. NOTICE TO WOULD-BE ROMEOS ************** 6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30. 1% were non-families. 23. 3% of all households were made up of individuals and 7. 9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2. 99 and the average family size was 3. 57.

In the city the population was spread out with 32. 9% under the age of 18, 11. 8% from 18 to 24, 28. 8% from 25 to 44, 17. 2% from 45 to 64, and 9. 3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 96. 6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93. 0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $32,236, and the median income for a family was $35,892. Males had a median income of $32,279 versus $26,551 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,010. Per capita income means how much each individual receives in monetary terms of the yearly income generated in the country About 20. 5% of families and 26. 2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 36. The poverty threshold, or poverty line, is the minimum level of Income deemed necessary to achieve an adequate Standard of living in a given country 5% of those under age 18 and 10. 7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Four-year institutions

• California State University, Fresno
• Fresno Pacific University (Private/Mennonite Brethren)
• University of California, San Francisco - Fresno Medical Education Program
• National University of California
• San Joaquin College of Law (Private)
• Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary
• California Christian College (Private/Freewill Baptist)
• Alliant International University (Private)
• University of Phoenix
• Maric College - Fresno
• Mission California/Patten University-Fresno (Private/Church of God)

Two-year institutions

• Fresno City College
• Willow-International North Center (Reedley College education center)
• San Joaquin Valley College
• Heald College

Career colleges

• Institute of Technology (Private)

High Schools (Public)

• Fresno High School
• Duncan Polytechnical High School
• Roosevelt High School
• Sunnyside High School
• Edison High School
• Hoover High School
• McLane High School
• Bullard High School
• University High School
• Clovis West High School
• Central High School, East Campus
• Central High School, West Campus

k-12, Districts

• Fresno Unified School District (Public)
• Clovis Unified School District (Public)
• Central Unified School District (Public)
• West Fresno Elementary School District (Public)

Private Schools

• Our Lady of Victory School (Private)
• Fresno Christian (Private)
• Fresno Adventist Academy (Private)
• Carden School Of Fresno (Private)
• St. California State University Fresno, commonly referred to as Fresno State and even plainly State, is one of the campuses of California State University Fresno Pacific University (Originally Pacific Bible Institute was founded in 1944 by the Pacific District Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches The University awarded The University of California San Francisco ( UCSF) is one of the world's leading centers of Health sciences research Patient care, and education A national university is a University created or run by a national government and may not be autonomous from Government interference San Joaquin College of Law (SJCL is a private non-profit Law school in Clovis California. Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary (MBBS is the denominational seminary of the United States and Canadian Mennonite Brethren Churches It was founded in 1955 in Fresno California Christian College "CCC" California Christian College is a private Free Will Baptist Http//en History Alliant International University is an independent not-for-profit university formed in July 2001 as a result of a merger between California School of Professional The University of Phoenix ( UPX) is a for-profit educational institution that specializes in Adult education. Fresno City College ( FCC) is a community College in Fresno California. San Joaquin Valley College ( SJVC) is a private for-profit junior college with 8 campuses located in Southern Central and Northern California and 1 Online campus Heald College is a for-profit Business - Career college with multiple campuses in the Western United States. Institute of technology, and polytechnic, are designations employed in a wide range of learning institutions awarding different types of degrees and operating often at variable Fresno High School is a four-year Secondary school located in Fresno CA. Edison High School is located in Fresno, California, United States, as part of the Fresno Unified School District. Bullard High School is a public Secondary school located in Fresno, California. Fresno Unified School District (also known as FUSD) is a School district in Fresno, California, U Clovis Unified School District is Public school system located in Clovis California. The Central Unified School District is a School district that is in Fresno County California. Helen's Catholic School (Private)
• San Joaquin Memorial High School (Private)
• Sacred Heart Elementary School (Private)
• St. San Joaquin Memorial High School is a private Catholic High school located in Fresno California. Anthony Elementary School (Private)
• Fairmont Private School (Private)

Origins and history

The County of Fresno was formed in 1856. It was named for the abundant mountain ash trees lining the San Joaquin River. The San Joaquin River ( 330 miles (530 km long is the second-longest River in California, United States. Fresno is the Spanish word for white ash trees. The county was much larger than it is today as part of Tulare County, comprising its current area plus all of what became Madera County and parts of what are now San Benito, Kings, Inyo, and Mono counties. Madera County is a County of the US state of California, located in the Central Valley and the Sierra Nevada north of San Benito County is a county located in the Coast Range Mountains of the U Kings County is a County located in the Central Valley of the U Inyo County is located in east-central California in the southwestern United States, on the east side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and south of Yosemite Mono County is a County located in the east central portion of the U

Millerton, then on the banks of the free-flowing San Joaquin River and close to Fort Miller, became the county seat after becoming a focal point for settlers. Millerton was the original County seat of Fresno County, formed in 1856 The San Joaquin River ( 330 miles (530 km long is the second-longest River in California, United States. Other early county settlements included Firebaugh's Ferry, Scottsburg, and Elkhorn Springs. Firebaugh SR33 x 13thgif|thumb|right|Northbound N St ( SR33) at 13th Street At left is Champion Chevrolet 1200 N St

The San Joaquin River flooded on Christmas Eve, 1867, inundating Millerton. Some residents rebuilt, others moved. Flooding also destroyed the town of Scottsburg that winter. Rebuilt on higher ground, Scottsburg was renamed Centerville. The following places in California are named Centerville: Centerville Alameda County California, now part of Fremont Centerville Butte County

In 1867, Anthony Easterby purchased land bounded by the present Chestnut, Belmont, Clovis and California avenues. Unable to grow wheat for lack of water, he hired Moses J. Church in 1871 to build an irrigation canal. Church then formed the Fresno Canal and Irrigation Company, a predecessor of the Fresno Irrigation District.

In 1872, the Central Pacific Railroad established a station near Easterby's farm for its new Southern Pacific line. The Central Pacific Railroad was the California-to-Utah portion of the First Transcontinental Railroad in North America Soon there was a store. Around the station and the store grew the town of Fresno Station, later called Fresno. Many Millerton residents, drawn by the convenience of the railroad and worried about flooding, moved to the new community. Fresno became an incorporated city in 1885.

Two years after the station was established, county residents voted to move the county seat from Millerton to Fresno. When the Friant Dam was completed in 1944, the site of Millerton became inundated by the waters of Millerton Lake. Friant Dam is a Concrete Gravity dam located near the town of Friant California on the upper San Joaquin River. Millerton Lake is a Lake near the town of Friant in Fresno County and Madera County California, about 15 miles north of downtown Fresno In extreme droughts, when the reservoir shrinks, ruins of the original county seat can still be observed.

In the nineteenth century, with so much wooden construction and in the absence of sophisticated firefighting resources, fires often ravaged American frontier towns. The greatest of Fresno's early-day fires, in 1882, destroyed an entire block of the city. Another devastating blaze struck in 1883.

The Fresno Municipal Sanitary Landfill was the first modern landfill in the United States, and incorporated several important innovations to waste disposal, including trenching, compacting, and the daily covering of trash with dirt. Fresno Municipal Sanitary Landfill, also known as Fresno Sanitary Landfill, opened in 1935 in Fresno California, was the first modern Landfill in For other uses see Water treatment and Land reclamation. A landfill, also known as a dump (and historically as The United States of America —commonly referred to as the It was opened in 1937 and closed in 1987. Today, it has the unusual distinction of being a National Historic Landmark as well as a Superfund Site. A National Historic Landmark (NHL is a Building, site, Structure, Object, or District, that is officially recognized by the Superfund is the common name for the United States environmental policy officially known as the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act ^[13]

Before World War II, Fresno had many ethnic neighborhoods, including Little Armenia, German Town, Little Italy, and China Town. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including During 1942, Pinedale, in what is now North Fresno, was an assembly center for the relocation of many Japanese Americans. are Americans of Japanese heritage Japanese Americans have historically been among the three largest Asian American communities but in recent decades have become the sixth largest group ^[14] Row crops and orchards gave way to urban development particularly in the period after World War II; this transition was particularly vividly demonstrated in locations such as the Blackstone Avenue corridor. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Blackstone Avenue is a major roadway arterial in Fresno California, USA.

Fictional residents of the town were portrayed in a 1986 comedic mini series titled "Fresno", featuring Carol Burnett, Dabney Coleman, Teri Garr and Charles Grodin, along with numerous other celebrities. A miniseries (also mini-series) in a serial Storytelling medium is a production which tells a story in a pre-planned limited number of episodes Fresno is a 1986 television Miniseries parodying popular Prime time Soap operas of the day Carol Creighton Burnett (born April 26, 1933) is an American Actress, Comedian, Singer, Dancer and Dabney Wharton Coleman (born January 3, 1932) is an American Actor. Terry Ann "Teri" Garr (born December 11 1944 is an American Actress and Comedienne Charles Grodin (born April 21, 1935) is an American actor comedian author and former cable Talk show host The mini series was presented as a parody of the prime time soap operas popular in the 1980s.

In 1995, the FBI's Operation Rezone sting resulted in several prominent Fresno and Clovis politicians being charged in connection with taking bribes in return for rezoning farmland for housing developments. Zoning is a term used in Urban planning for a system of land-use Regulation in various parts of the world including North America the United Kingdom Before the sting brought a halt to it, housing developers could buy farmland cheaply, pay off council members to have it rezoned, and make a large profit building and selling inexpensive housing. Sixteen people were eventually convicted as a result of the sting. ^[15]

Neighborhoods

Downtown

Through the 1990s, downtown was one of the last remaining examples of untouched architecture in California, but it has recently been subjected to a mixed revitalization effort. The term architecture (from Greek αρχιτεκτονικήarchitektoniki) can be used to mean a process a profession or documentation California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. While many of the buildings that were once abandoned for many years have been remodeled, many have been demolished or are under threat of being demolished to be replaced with new structures. Recently added new structures such as Grizzlies Stadium, now Chukchansi Park and the Federal Courthouse, and plans to eventually erect new high-rise buildings, threaten the unique and increasingly rare twentieth century architecture. Chukchansi Park is a city-owned baseball stadium located in Fresno California.

A victim of this redevelopment was the Vagabond Hotel, unique in its relevance in popular culture. Popular culture (or pop culture) is the Culture — patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activities significance and importance — The Vagabond, which had a pool that was an important location in modern skateboarding history and a prime example of mid-century modern googie "roadside" architecture, was demolished in 2004 and replaced by concrete commercial lots and lofts in 2006. Skateboarding is the act of riding and performing tricks using a Skateboard. This article is concerned with architectural aspects of Modernism; for the most recent developments in architecture see Contemporary architecture. Googie, also known as populuxe or doo-wop, is a subdivision of Futurist architecture, influenced by car culture and the Space Age The term architecture (from Greek αρχιτεκτονικήarchitektoniki) can be used to mean a process a profession or documentation The old Army Induction Center, which was used during the Vietnam War, was also recently destroyed in the next development project on H St and Amador.

The historic Fulton Mall and Chinatown are two downtown areas which still retain an exceptional amount of historic buildings and architecture of contextual, associative and memorial value in comparison with other cities of California and the Western United States, and are being considered for preservation as historic districts. The Western United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American West or simply the West &mdashtraditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost Historic preservation or heritage conservation is a professional endeavor that seeks to preserve the ability of older (e

Currently under construction downtown is "Old Armenian Town", which advertises office space and lofts with completion expected in 2007. Old Armenian Town Fresno California is a former enclave of Armenian immigrants

Sunnyside

One of Fresno's first affluent areas, Sunnyside is located on Fresno's far east side, bounded by Chestnut Avenue to the West. While now considered less affluent than other sections of Fresno, it is still home to some notable residents.

Old Fig Garden

First started as a development known as Forkner-Giffen Fig Garden Estates #1 the now historic community set among mature trees of Old Fig Garden has long been one of Fresno's most prestigious neighborhoods. The Fig Garden is an area of approximately 6 sq mi (16 km²), once on the northern fringe of Fresno, but the city has since incorporated all of the surrounding land, making Fig Garden a county "island. " The city's annual "Christmas Tree Lane" is found on a section of Van Ness Boulevard during the holiday season.

Tower District

Centered around the Historic Tower Theatre at Olive and Wishon Avenues, just north of downtown Fresno, this vibrant and culturally diverse area of shops and homes has been restored after a significant decline in the mid-1990s. The initial origin of the Tower District began with small shops and services that flocked to the area shortly after World War II, although the area had been a residential neighborhood long before the War. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The neighborhood became known as a district, following the advent of the re-opening of the Tower Theater in the late 70's showing second and third run movies, plus the classics; along with the opening of Fresno's first full-time year round dinner Theatre, Roger Rocka's Music Hall in 1977. The primary landmark businesses, The Tower Theater, The Chicken Pie Shop, Roger Rocka's Music Hall, The Daily Planet, Livingstons, and Castillo's were the principal businesses that created the anchor presence for the area. Other small shops such as the Rib Rack, Bobby West Fashions, Me&Ed's Pizza, Mayfair Market, and Drug Fair supported the surrounding residential area with an array of products and services.

The Tower District passed slowly and quietly through the 1980s with little fanfare in the Central Valley. Mayfair Market, a major anchor business closed in 1984. At the turn of the decade, Tower Theater owner, Dottie Abbott, an arts and entertainment preservationist renovated the family-owned Tower Theater, creating a significant increase in business interest in the area five years later.

Tower businesses opened shortly thereafter becoming anchor businesses during the early 1990s. The Tower District became the pre-dominant locale in Central California through 1990 - 1995-6. Landmark businesses of the 90s were the Java Cafe and Butterfield Brewing Company. However, corporate interest in the area gave rise to the coming of a "corporate feel" in the tower district, rather than a small community-based arts an entertainment culture, causing many smaller businesses to anticipate future problems and face closure. However, while the area does have a Starbucks and a Blockbuster Video, which may have displaced long-time favorites The Movies and Cafe Java, the area retains its supportive attitudes toward local businesses. Starbucks Corporation ( is an international Coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle Washington. Blockbuster Inc ( is the largest chain of DVD and Video game rental stores in the world

Many businesses experienced problems with at-risk and many youth who were believed to be a contributing factor toward problems with declining business profits during the mid 90's Some businesses within the surrounding areas within the zone of influence felt a high degree of business zoning regulation and control by area business committees.

Despite the problems, many small business owners remained, becoming landmark businesses in their own right. These businesses kept the Tower District alive through the rough times. The Revue Cafe, Peach Pit, Cuca's, and Veni Vidi Vici continue to operate currently through December 2007. Some businesses closed due to older operators who experienced health problems and passed the business on to relatives, closing their doors. Dotty Abbott (2003), The Game Preserve (2000) and others have moved over the years, having taken their turns as small business operators. Nevertheless, the area is thriving once again.

The Tower District became a hub for major community events such as Jamaica My Weekend, Mardi Gras in February, Car Shows, A Taste of The Tower, Halloween in the Tower, and the newly opened Farmer's Market on the North-West Corner of Olive and Van Ness. An array of shows permeates the Tower District annually.

The neighborhood features some of Fresno's best restaurants and nightclubs, as well as many independent shops and bookstores. Currently operating on or near Olive Avenue, and all within a few hundred feet of each other, is the Chicken Pie Shop, Paliminos, Irene's Cafe, Lauck's Bakery, Bobby Salazar's, Tower Fish, Thaiphoon, Peach Pit Burger, Cafe Rousseau, Peimonte's, the Landmark, Revue Cafe, The Million Elephant, Veni Vidi Vici, the Golden Dragon, Livingstone's, Starlite, Senses, and Cuca's, to name a few. Moreover, the Tower District is known for supporting many locally-owned restaurants and businesses, unlike the rest of the town. Today, the Tower District serves as the center of Fresno's LGBT community and that community has made countless contributions to the neighborhood. LGBT (also GLBT) is an initialism referring collectively to Lesbian, Gay, bisexual, and Transgender / transsexual

In addition, the area is known for its early twentieth century homes, many of which have been lovingly restored. The area includes many a California Bungalow, American Craftsman style homes, Spanish Colonial Revival Style architecture, Mediterranean Revival Style architecture, Mission Revival Style architecture, and many a Storybook house designed by Fresno architects Taylor & Wheeler. California Bungalows, commonly called simply Bungalows in America are a form of residential structure that were widely popular across America The American Craftsman Style, or the American Arts and Crafts Movement, is an American domestic architectural, Interior design, and Decorative The Spanish Colonial Revival Style was a United States architectural movement that came about in the early 20th century starting in Florida as a regional expression related Mediterranean Revival Style Architecture is an eclectic design style that was first introduced in the United States around the turn of the nineteenth century and came into The Mission Revival Style was an architectural movement that began in the late 19th century and drew inspiration from the early Spanish missions in California. A Storybook House refers to an architectural style popularized in the 1920s in England and America. These homes stand in stark contrast to the uncontrolled urban sprawl that runs north and east of downtown and attracts a diverse group of residents. Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is the spreading of a city and its Suburbs over rural land at the fringe of an urban area Moreover, the Tower District remains one of the few walkable neighborhoods in Fresno. In Urban design, walkability is the measure of the overall walking conditions in an area

Cultural Arts District

The Cultural Arts District is a local arts and entertainment district, similar to Fresno's Tower District. The distinction between the two areas are two major historic theaters, the Warnor's Theatre and The Tower Theatre. The Cultural Arts District was developed in many ways a response to the response of the advent of the emerging Tower District of the mid to late 1980s. Many business owners experienced a loss of prestige and revenue as art and restaurant goers moved northward in search of entertainment and culture in a safe and friendly atmosphere.

Downtown Fresno often was plagued in the 80s with a transient population, crime, and poor patronage by many residents who reside in North Fresno. The Cultural Arts District was not referred to as a district until the early 90s when Rose Marie Caglia, managing Theater Director became the principle and driving element toward the emergence of an Arts and Culture district that would surround Warnor's Theatre. Tenants within the Warnor's Theatre complex occupied space within the theatre complex with assistance from Warnor's Theatre, where public events, artists, professionals, and other business persons visited the historic theatre, gaining knowledge about the problems associated with preservation of local culture, the need for the arts, and entertainment in Downtown Fresno.

Throughout the 1980s Theatre Director, Rose Marie Caglia was a major contributor toward the continued development of cutural arts in Central California. During this period, Caglia was responsible for theatre performances at Warnors Theatre (Cats, Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, David Copperfield, First Run Movie Shows, Political Campaign Rallys, and a variety of music artists, local talent, musicians, and actors. Despite limited success, Caglia drove forward, working toward the preservation and maintenance of the Warnors Theatre Complex, and establishing the center as a prominent cultural and historic landmark. Caglia was responsible for recruitment of local artists and musicians, adding to the wealth of talent that could work in concert, establishing a rich arts and cultural center within Downtown Fresno.

As Theatre Director and Principal Manager of the Warnors Theatre and Business Complex, Caglia became the primary benefactor for the development of the two arts projects that would formally establish a presence and setting for the emergence of the Cultural Arts District during the early to mid 1990's. The primary projects; The Cultural Arts District Mural (1992) and Amazing Grace,(1993) were developed by Project Manager, Mark D. Mejia, and Artist, Jamie A. Ortega. The first mural is a 20 x 120-foot (37 m) design, representing cultural arts and entertainment within Fresno, California. A large keyboard playing music, features local Bassist, Jeff Henry, a Ballerina, Shakespeare, and performing arts logos. Mejia and Ortega placed the words, "CULTURAL ARTS DISTRICT" header atop the mural, so as to ensure reinforcement of the district name, rather than names that were frequently proposed by developers that lacked appeal to the residents and businesses within the Cultural Arts District. The mural is the second largest mural of its kind in Central California, second only to John Sierra's mural, located on the west face of the State of California Building in Downtown Fresno.

The second mural project, "Amazing Grace" was again commissioned by Caglia, developed, and coordinated by Mejia, and finally painted by Ortega. The inspiration for the mural was based on the publication, Places As Art and by Mejia's late Father and Artist, Robert Mejia Sr. ,(1938-1989) The mural signifies the commitment to music and faith as a driving force within the Cultural Arts District. The mural was likely - a determining factor in the emergence of several prominent religious organizations that opened in the adjacent building shortly after the development of the project.

The two murals in conjunction with the painting of Fulton Street lamposts black and grey to match primary mural colors attracted new shops, services, and area businesses to the Cultural Arts District. Shortly thereafter, the Fresno Metropolitan Museum area underwent a facelift, where new lamposts were subsequently purchased in the two colors (black and grey),matching the existing motif, present within the Cultural Arts District. Moreover, the introduction of these artistic urban revitalization projects gave new life to new restaurants and businesses such as Sundai Sushi, Cornerstone Church, and Fresno Institute of Technology, creating an improved area infrastructure that encouraged further long-term investment by existing cultural centers in the area.

Local organizations, Arte Americas and the African American Cultural and Historic Museum re-established themselves as the two pre-dominant centers for Hispanic and African-American culture in the Central Valley. Many shops and business continue to open within the Cultural Arts District. A new generation of Fresno Artists, in awe of the 90's projects have since relocated to the Cultural Arts District, painting psychadelic airbrush images of figures and images, reminiscent of the 60's and 70's era. Some stakeholders were able to successfully redevelop older buildings, e. g, Vagabond Motel Conversion, and Fresno Office Supply Warehouse Conversion. The current artwork continues to be a major contributing factor in the presence and continued growth seen in the area.

Huntington Boulevard

Homes from the early 20th century line this boulevard in the heart of the historic Alta Vista Tract. The surrounding streets, Kerckhoff and Balch Avenues, have homes from the Arts and Crafts era which, like the downtown, are being renovated and brought back to their historic roots. During Christmas, the homes along the boulevard are adorned with lights and decorations. The nation's tallest living Christmas Tree, located at Huntington and 6th Street, is the highlight of the event.

Van Ness

Van Ness Avenue transforms from a downtown "main street" into a boulevard that leads to Fresno's most expensive and expansive estates. As it passes through the Tower District and Old Fig Garden there are many historic homes and estates of gradually increasing profile to be seen.

Kearney Boulevard

Named after early 20th century entrepreneur and millionaire M. Theo Kearney, Kearney Boulevard extends from Fresno Street in downtown Fresno about 20 mi (32 km) west to Kerman, California. Kerman is a town along State Route 180 in Fresno County, California, USA. The part of the road within the city limits features large, early 20th century homes. A small, two-lane rural road for most of its length, Kearney Boulevard is lined with tall palm trees. ^[16]

Sierra Sky Park

Formed in 1946, Sierra Sky Park Airport is a residential airport community born of a unique agreement in transportation law to allow personal aircraft and automobiles to share certain roads. Sierra Sky Park Airport is a privately-owned public-use Airport located seven miles (11 km northwest of the Central business district of Fresno, Developer William Smilie thus created the nation's first planned aviation community. Still in operation today, the public use airport provides a unique neighborhood which spawned interest and similar communities nationwide.

Brookhaven

This neighborhood is a small pocket of Southwest Fresno (the "West Side") located on the very edge of the city. It is bordered by Jensen Avenue on the north, Annadale Avenue on the south, Martin Luther King on the west and Elm or Ivy on the east. It is a pocket of dense housing and a large apartment complex, surrounded by vacant lots and fields. The neighborhood has long been associated with crime and gang activity, and was generally referred to as the "Dogg Pound" - in reference to the Dogg Pound Crip Gang that claims the neighborhood - by local residents until recent efforts by the community and the city government to change the neighborhood's image. Efforts to reduce the crime rate in this area have met with moderate success, as Police Chief Dyer's anti-gang operation "Dogpound" targeted the area and resulted in the arrest of several Dogg Pound Crip gang members. On September 18, 2007 the Fresno city council voted to officially name the neighborhood Brookhaven. Events 96 - Nerva is proclaimed Roman Emperor after Domitian is assassinated Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[17]

Blackstone Avenue

Blackstone Avenue is the major North-South artery of Fresno. Blackstone Avenue is a major roadway arterial in Fresno California, USA. Blackstone Ave. is formed by two one-way streets Abby St. and Blackstone Ave. merging into one just north of Olive Ave. After the merger, Blackstone is a 6-laned street zoned solely for business and tends to house more retail businesses rather than office space as does Shaw Avenue. Blackstone stretches from Divisadero (which starts Downtown Fresno and the diagonalization of downtown streets) and just north of Nees Ave in the North where it ends and Friant Rd. picks up. Blackstone serves as an East-West divider for many of Fresno's major Avenues, because of its location in the center of Fresno. Blackstone is home to River Park, Manchester Center and many of Fresno's attractions including the second McDonald's franchise restaurant opened by Ray Kroc. River Park is a Shopping center in Fresno California. The center has three distinct shopping areas The Shops at River Park The Marketplace at River Park and River Manchester Center is a Census-designated place (CDP in the town of Manchester in Bennington County, Vermont, United States This is a timeline of the history of McDonald's. Raymond Albert Kroc ( October 5, 1902 - January 14, 1984) took over the then small-scale McDonald's Corporation franchise in 1954 and The restaurant is still operating, with its location at the southwest corner of Shields and Blackstone Avenues. Blackstone is also popular for cruising on weekends, with many cruisers driving near and around River Park. River Park is a Shopping center in Fresno California. The center has three distinct shopping areas The Shops at River Park The Marketplace at River Park and River Blackstone is equivalent to Kings Canyon Road in Fresno, and Crenshaw Boulevard in Los Angeles. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West

Unincorporated communities

• Calwa
• Highway City
• Pinedale

Cultural and commercial attractions

Fresno Metropolitan Museum

The Met displays traveling exhibitions, shows from its own collection, lectures and other outreach programming. In Law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any Municipality. Calwa is an unincorporated Census-designated place in Fresno County, California, U Highway City is a small community within the City limits of Fresno, California. Pinedale is an Unincorporated town within the Fresno city limits The Fresno Metropolitan Museum of Art and Science is a Smithsonian Institution Affiliate and American Association of Museums accredited museum located in downtown The museum also has a science center called the Reeves ASK Science Center that was developed in partnership with San Francisco's Exploratorium. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city The Exploratorium is a public science Museum, located in the Marina District at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco California The museum's historic home in The Fresno Bee Building is currently closed for renovations, and is scheduled to reopen on November 13, 2008. Until July 6, 2008, the Reeves ASK Science Center has been relocated to 933 Van Ness Avenue in downtown Fresno. The Met participates in Fresno's ArtHop program, and hosts outreach events and fund raisers on an annual basis, including First Friday Films, Christmas at the Met and a science-education based Bubble Festival.

Arte Américas

Arte Américas is a local Latino cultural center. Arte Américas was founded in 1987 by artists and teachers "To make the Central Valley a flourishing place for Latino arts. " It presents art exhibits and the performing arts. [2]

Fall Wine Cornucopia

The only exhibition of all San Joaquin Valley wines, regional art, and gourmet foodstuffs presented to the people of the San Joaquin Valley and beyond. The Fall Wine Cornucopia occurs every October in Downtown Fresno. The San Joaquin Valley produces 60% of all of the wine in California, and much of that production is centered around Fresno.

Fresno Art Museum

The museum is located in Radio Park, and puts up a rotating series of exhibits. It participates in the monthly Art Hop, and has a variety of film programs, including classic films, anime, and international selections. Fresno Art Museum is also home to Rhythms of Art, a ground-breaking program founded by Fresno composer and jazz pianist Armen Nalbandian, in which music is composed and performed for featured exhibits. Additionally, the museum hosts the Fresno Poets' Association readings in the Bonner Auditorium.

Fresno Grand Opera

The Fresno Grand Opera produces internationally-acclaimed opera and world-class concerts.

Fresno Philharmonic

The Fresno Philharmonic, under the baton of music director, Theodore Kuchar, is a non-profit organization whose sustainability depends on contributions from the community. It is the largest professional orchestra between San Francisco and Los Angeles, with its stated mission, to provide high-quality classical music and music education programs to audiences and school children throughout the Central Valley.

Fresno Arts Council's monthly Art Hop

The Fresno Arts Council holds a monthly featuring artists in the Fresno area and is held every first Thursday of the month. One of the biggest art events takes place during the annual Rogue Performance Festival in March.

Save Mart Center

The Save Mart Center is a newer professional-level indoor arena (cap:16,000) completed in 2003, located at the Shaw Avenue and Hwy 168 interchange in NE Fresno. The Save Mart Center at Fresno State is a multi-purpose Arena on the campus of the California State University Fresno, located in Fresno California It has hosted a wide range of music acts, from The Rolling Stones to The Who to Madonna, as well as a huge variety of other events. The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16 1958 known as Madonna, is an American It is currently the home of the Fresno State Men's & Women's Basketball teams and the Fresno Falcons hockey team of the ECHL. The Fresno Falcons are a minor league hockey team They currently play in the ECHL (formerly East Coast Hockey League The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a Professional Ice hockey league based in Princeton New Jersey, with teams scattered

Forestiere Underground Gardens

The Forestiere Underground Gardens in northwest Fresno near Highway 99, is a spectacular subterranean creation built by Baldasare Forestiere over a period of 40 years. Forestiere Underground Gardens Located at 5021 West Shaw Avenue in Fresno California are an unusual manmade creation built by Baldasare Forestiere, an immigrant from Baldassare Forestiere ( July 8, 1879 – November 10, 1946) was a Sicilian immigrant who created the Forestiere Underground Gardens It features nearly one hundred chambers, passageways, courts and patios, dug beneath the hard pan soil. Fruit-bearing trees planted below the ground protrude through openings at ground level. Forestiere resided here, benefiting from cooler temperatures during the high heat of the Central Valley in summer as well as warmer conditions within the ground during winter. The Gardens are an impressive example of non-traditional vernacular architecture. Vernacular Architecture is a term used to categorize methods of Construction which use locally available resources to address local needs Forestiere's creation and his story offer parallels to Simon Rodia and the Watts Towers, both Italian-immigrants born in 1879, settling in California and creating one-of-a-kind residences by hand and in seclusion. Sabato "Simon" (or "Sam" to his friends Rodia (1879 &ndash 16 July 1965) was an Italian Immigrant The Watts Towers or Nuestro Pueblo in the Watts district of Los Angeles California, is a collection of 17 interconnected structures For a fictionalized account of Forestiere and his obsession, see the short story "The Underground Gardens" by T. Coraghessan Boyle, published in The New Yorker, (May 25, 1998). T Coraghessan Boyle (also known as TC Boyle, born Thomas John Boyle on December 2, 1948) is a U The New Yorker is an American Magazine that publishes reportage commentary criticism essays fiction satire cartoons and poetry Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar)

Fresno Filmworks

Fresno Filmworks brings films to Fresno that would not generally be seen at the movie megaplexes. They show foreign, art, and independent films from around the world on the second Friday of each month (December is the only exception) and in May they hold a three day long Annual Film Festival. All showings are at the historic Tower Theatre.

Fresno Reel Pride

Fresno Reel Pride is one of the oldest and largest LGBT film festivals in the United States. LGBT (also GLBT) is an initialism referring collectively to Lesbian, Gay, bisexual, and Transgender / transsexual Now located in the historic Tower Theatre and at the nearby Starline, Reel Pride is a celebration of gay and lesbian cinema and has been recognized as a premiere cultural event in central California. In the English language, gay is an Adjective that in modern usage refers to Homosexuality. A lesbian is a Woman who is romantically or sexually attracted only to other women Fresno Reel Pride presents an annual five-day film festival each September in addition to special film screenings throughout the year.

Rogue Festival

The Rogue is a non-juried arts festival that celebrates the independent performer and artist. This typically-in-March annual event comprises theatre, music, dance, film, performance art, puppetry, spoken word, storytelling, visual arts and more. It has the typical elements of a Fringe Festival. . . but with a "21st century sensibility".

Blossom Trail

The 67-mile (108 km) Blossom Trail offers arguably the best look at what makes the Fresno area unique, with a plunge into some of the most productive agricultural land in the world. The annual Blossom Trail kickoff comes each February, and motorists and hikers through the farm country can come upon stunning displays of blossoming peach, nectarine, plum, orange, and almond trees in full bloom.

Simonian Farms

This 1901 family farm, located along the Blossom Trail, grows and sells more than 100 varieties of fruits and vegetables. Outside is a large collection of antique farm equipment.

Christmas Tree Lane

Every December, Van Ness Boulevard, between Shields and Shaw Aves, is transformed into a magical Christmas Wonderland. The two miles (3 km) long display includes decorations of some 140 homes and 300 trees.

Meux Home Museum

Built in 1889 by Dr. Thomas Richard Meux, this Victorian structure is one of Fresno's oldest and best preserved family homes. It boasts dozens of custom features, including an octagonal master bedroom, a turreted roof and intricate gingerbread ornamentation.

Kearney Mansion Museum

Located in Kearney Park, Kearney Mansion is one of the most historic sites in the Central Valley for the story that it tells-the integral role that M. Theo Kearney played in the agricultural history of the San Joaquin Valley, and his formation of the California Raisin Growers Association.

Warnors Theatre

Warnors Theatre is a historic theatre located in Downtown Fresno. Warnors Theatre is a historic Theatre in Fresno California in the United States of America. Opened in 1928 the theatre was designed by B. Marcus Priteca. Benjamin Marcus Priteca ( December 23, 1881 - October 1, 1971) was born in Glasgow, Scotland. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP is the United States government's official list of districts sites buildings structures and objects deemed worthy of The theatre has a pipe organ which was used primarily for silent movies during the era. The pipe organ is a Musical instrument that produces sound when pressurized air (wind is driven through a series of pipes, controlled by a keyboard

Sports

Club	Sport	Founded	League	Venue
Fresno Grizzlies	Baseball	1998	Pacific Coast League	Chukchansi Park
Fresno Falcons	Hockey	1946	ECHL	Selland Arena
Central Valley Coyotes	Arena Football	2002	af2	Selland Arena
Fresno Fuego	Soccer	2003	USL Premier Development League	Chukchansi Park

Notable residents

Media

Newspapers

• The Community Alliance
• The Undercurrent
• The Business Journal (Fresno)
• The Fresno Bee
• The Charger

Magazines

• Fresno Magazine
• Imagine Magazine

Radio

88. Randy Williams (born 23 August, 1953) was an American athlete who competed mainly in the long jump Bubblegum (or Bubble Gum) is a type of Chewing gum especially designed for blowing bubbles. Elbert L "Ickey" Woods (born February 28, 1966 in Fresno California) is a former American football fullback who played The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Steve Yarbrough (born August 29 1956) is a Novelist and Short story writer Charle Edward Young (born February 5, 1951 in Fresno California) is a former professional American football Tight end in the Warren William Zevon (January 24 1947 &ndash September 7 2003 was a Grammy Award -winning American rock Singer-songwriter and Musician The Undercurrent is the fourth studio album by French band Scarve. The Fresno Bee is the daily Newspaper serving Fresno California and surrounding counties in that U 1 KFCF is Fresno's Pacifica station, and one of Fresno's few non-commercial, non-corporate radio stations. KFCF (881 FM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Variety format

KMJ was Fresno's first radio station; it began broadcasting in 1922. Over the years its powerful 50,000-watt signal could clearly be heard throughout much of California. Here are the Fresno radio stations currently broadcasting:

FM Stations

103. 1 KAAT 96. KAAT (1031 FM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Regional Mexican format 7 KALZ 95. KALZ (967 FM, "Alice 967" is a commercial Radio station located in Fowler California, broadcasting to the Fresno California, area 3 KBHH 94. KBHH (953 FM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Regional Mexican format 9 KBOS 88. KBOS (949 FM, "B95" is a commercial Radio station located in Fresno California, licensed to Tulare and broadcasting to the Fresno 1 KFCF 105. KFCF (881 FM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Variety format 9 KFJK 90. KFJK is a commercial Radio station located "High atop the old IBM Building" in Fresno California, broadcasting on 105 3 KFNO 104. Family Radio (Family Stations Inc is a non-commercial, 24-hour listener-supported Christian radio religious broadcasting network in the United States 1 KFRR 90. KFRR (1041 FM) is a commercial Modern rock music Radio station in Woodlake California, broadcasting to the Fresno California area 7 KFSR 102. KFSR 907 FM is a College radio -formatted station based out of the campus of California State University Fresno in Fresno California. 7 KHGE 95. KHGE (1027 FM, "Big Country 1027" is a commercial Country music Radio station in Fresno California. 7 KJFX 99. KJFX (957 FM, "The Fox" is a commercial Radio station located in Fresno California, and owned by Wilks Broadcasting LLC 3 KJWL

105. KJWL is a commercial Radio station located in Fresno California, broadcasting on 99 5 KJZN 105. KJZN (1055 FM, "Smooth Jazz 1055" is a commercial Radio station located in San Joaquin California, broadcasting to the Fresno California 1 KKBZ 107. KKBZ (1051 FM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Classic rock format 9 KLLE 91. Univision Radio is the radio division of media giant Univision Communications Inc 1 KLVY 100. K-LOVE is a Family Contemporary Christian music Radio network in the United States, operated by Sacramento area based Non-profit 3 KMAK 97. Univision Radio is the radio division of media giant Univision Communications Inc 9 KMGV 107. KMGV is located in the Fresno California area and broadcasts at 97 1 KMMM 100. 5 KMQA 94. KMQA (1005 FM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Regional Mexican format 3 KOKO 92. KOKO-FM is a Rhythmic Oldies Radio station broadcasting from Kerman, California for the Fresno area with studio and office located in 1 KOND 101. Univision Radio is the radio division of media giant Univision Communications Inc 9 KOQO

107. KLBN is a commercial Radio station located in Fresno California, broadcasting on 101 5 KRDA 103. KRDA (1075 FM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Spanish Adult Hits format 7 KRZR 97. KRZR may refer to Motorola KRZR, a cellphone model produced by Motorola KRZR (FM a radio station in Hanford California United States 1 KSEQ 91. KSEQ is a commercial Radio station located in Visalia California, broadcasting to the Fresno California area on 97 5 KSJV 93. KSJV (915 FM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Spanish Variety format 7 KSKS 98. KSKS is a commercial Radio station located in Fresno California, broadcasting on 93 9 KSOF 106. KSOF (989 FM) is a Radio station broadcasting a soft rock format 3 KVPW 89. KVPW ( Power 106) is a Rhythmic Contemporary station serving the U 3 KVPR 101. Valley Public Radio (also known as FM89) is a Public radio organization in Fresno California. 1 KWYE

AM Stations

1680 KAVT 900 KBIF 1340 KCBL 980 KEYQ 1430 KFIG

790 KFPT 1600 KGST 1250 KHOT 1510 KIRV 580 KMJ

1210 KQEQ 1060 KTNS 940 KWRU 1550 KXEX 1300 KYNO

Television

To avoid interference with existing VHF television stations in the San Francisco Bay Area and those planned for Chico, Sacramento, Salinas, and Stockton, the FCC decided that Fresno would only have UHF television stations. KWYE is located in the Fresno California area and broadcasts at 101 KGED is a Radio station located in the Fresno California area and broadcasts on the AM dial at 1680 KHz. KBIF (900 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a World Ethnic format to the Fresno California, USA area KCBL is a Sports talk Radio station broadcasting on 1340 AM. Licensed to serve Fresno California, USA the station is currently owned by Clear KMRO (903 FM) is a Radio station licensed to Camarillo California and broadcasting a Spanish religious format KFIG-AM is a Sports Talk station in Fresno California, United States. KFPT (790 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Sports radio format KGST (branded as ESPN Deportes 1600) is a radio station serving Fresno California and Vicinity as an ESPN Deportes Radio affiliate KIRV (1510 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Christian radio format KQEQ (1210 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a World Ethnic format KTNS (1060 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Adult Contemporary format Radio Vida Abundante is a Radio network, broadcasting Spanish language Christian programming KXEX (1550 AM) is a Radio station broadcasting a Sports radio format KYNO is a News/Talk radio station broadcasting at 1300 kHz in Fresno California, United States of America. Very high frequency (VHF is the Radio frequency range from 30 MHz to 300 MHz. Chico (pop 86949 is the most populous city in Butte County, California, United States, with 105000 Salinas is the County seat and largest municipality of Monterey County in the U Stockton is a City in California and the seat of San Joaquin County (the fifth largest agricultural county in the United States The very first Fresno television station to begin broadcasting was KMJ-TV, now known as KSEE, Channel 24, which began broadcasting on June 1, 1953. KSEE is also the ICAO identifier for Gillespie Field. KSEE (on-air referred to as KSEE 24, pronounced "K-SEE" is the Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected Year 1953 ( MCMLIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Here are the Fresno television stations currently on the air:

Internet News

• Late Update
• Central Valley Business Times

Sister cities

Fresno has eight sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. KHSC-LP is an affiliate of the Home Shopping Network, broadcasting on low-powered channel 16 in the Fresno area The old Home Shopping Network (HSN was mostly a 24-hour basic cable shopping network that could be seen seen on cable, satellite, and some terrestrial KVPT channel 18 known on-air as Valley Public Television is the sole source of public television broadcasting in California’s Central San Joaquin Valley. The Public Broadcasting Service ( PBS) is a Non-profit Public broadcasting Television service with 354 member TV stations in the KFTV is a full-power Television station in Hanford California, serving the Fresno area as a Univisión - Owned and operated station Univision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States and Puerto Rico. KSEE is also the ICAO identifier for Gillespie Field. KSEE (on-air referred to as KSEE 24, pronounced "K-SEE" is the The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's KMPH-TV is a Television station in Fresno California broadcasting on Television channel 26 and is licensed to nearby Visalia. KFSN-TV is the ABC owned and operated Television station in Fresno California. The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network. KJEO-LP channel 32 is the Fresno affiliate of the America One television network owned and operated by Cocola Broadcasting America One is an over-the-air Television network in the United States. KSDI-LP is a low-power Television station in Fresno California, owned and operated by Cocola Broadcasting. The Sportsman Channel is a Cable network that only shows Hunting and Fishing programming KMSG-LP, channel 39 is an Azteca America -affiliated low-power television station for the Fresno area Azteca América is a broadcast television network marketed toward Spanish-speaking families residing in the United States KGMC channel 43 also known as C43, is an independent station serving the San Joaquin Valley, which also features programming from Jewelry Television and KGPE is the CBS television affiliate for the Fresno California market CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. KNXT is a Television station owned and operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno, broadcasting on channel 49 The Eternal Word Television Network ("EWTN" is a US -based broadcasting network that carries Catholic -themed programming KNSO ("Telemundo 51" is an NBC -owned-and-operated television station in the Fresno California area and a station of the Telemundo network Telemundo is an American television network based in Hialeah Florida a suburb of Miami Florida. KAIL is a UHF Television station affiliated with MyNetworkTV, based in Fresno California, operating on channel 53 analog digital 7 MyNetworkTV (unofficially abbreviated MyNet or MNT) is a Television network in the United States, owned by the Fox Broadcasting Company KFRE-TV (pronounced " K-Free " is the CW affiliate for the Fresno California market The CW Television Network ( The CW) is a Television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006-2007 television season. KTFF, channel 61 is a Spanish-language television station for the California 's Central Valley. TeleFutura is a US Spanish-language broadcast Television network owned by Univision with headquarters in Miami Florida. (SCI).

• Kochi, Japan
• Lahore, Pakistan
• Mashhad, Iran
• Morogoro, Tanzania
• Münster, Germany
• Taraz, Kazakhstan
• Torreón, Mexico
• Verona, Italy
• Catubig, Samar, Philippines
• Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro, Philippines

Transportation

Highways

Fresno is served by a main north/south freeway State Route 99. is the capital city of Kōchi Prefecture on Shikoku island of Japan. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. ( lahor is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and is the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Mashhad ( literally the place of martyrdom) is the second largest city in Iran and one of the holiest cities in the Shia For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Morogoro is a city with an urban population of 206868 ( 2002 census in the southern highlands of Tanzania, 190 km west of Dar es Salaam. Tanzania ˌtænzəˈniːə officially the United Republic of Tanzania (Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya Münster ( is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Taraz ( Тараз) formerly Talas, Zhambyl (Kazakh Жамбы́л and Aulie-Ata (Kazakh Әулие́-Ата Chagatai: اولياه Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the Geography Torreón is near the southwest border of the state of Coahuila within the Laguna region of the state ( The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Verona is a city and provincial capital in Veneto, Northern Italy. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Catubig is a 4th class municipality in the province of Northern Samar, Philippines. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP Sangguniang Bayan Barangays Bongabong is politically subdivided into 36 Barangays Feast Day and other activities The annual The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP State Route 99 (SR 99 commonly known as Highway 99 or 99, is a north-south State highway in the U Other highways include the State Route 168 (Sierra Freeway), which is an east-west bound freeway that leads to the city of Clovis and Huntington Lake, State Route 41 (Yosemite Freeway/Eisenhower Freeway) that comes into Fresno from the south via Atascadero, and State Route 180 (Kings Canyon Freeway) that comes from the west via Mendota and from the east in Kings Canyon National Park. State Route 168 is a State highway in California, USA which is separated into three distinct segments in part by the Sierra Nevada mountains Clovis is a city in Fresno County, California, United States, northeast of Fresno. State Route 41 (SR 41 is a State highway in the US state of California, connecting the Cabrillo Highway ( SR 1) in Morro Bay Atascadero is a city in San Luis Obispo County, California, about Equidistant from San Francisco and Los Angeles State Route 180 is a State highway in California, United States, which runs through the heart of the San Joaquin Valley from Mendota Mendota is a city in Fresno County, California, United States.

Fresno is known for being the largest American city not directly linked to an Interstate highway. The Dwight D Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly called the Interstate Highway System (or simply the Interstate System) Perhaps in light of this, but probably more because of increasing traffic on Interstate 5 on the west side of the Central Valley, much discussion has been made to upgrade SR 99 to interstate standards and, eventually, incorporate it into the interstate system, most likely as Interstate 9. Route description Southern California See also San Diego Freeway, Santa Ana Freeway, Golden State Freeway Interstate 5 starts The United States' Interstate Highway System is still being expanded Major improvements to signage, lane width, median separation, vertical clearance, and other concerns are currently underway.

Airports

Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT)/(FYI), until recently "Fresno Air Terminal", provides regularly scheduled commercial airline service. Fresno Yosemite International Airport, formerly known as Fresno Air Terminal, is a public Airport located in southeastern Fresno, in Fresno County The airport serves an estimated 1. 3 million passengers annually to domestic and two international destinations.

Fresno Chandler Executive Airport (FCH) is located 2 mi (3 km) southwest of Downtown Fresno. Fresno Chandler Executive Airport is a public Airport located 3 km (2 mi west of downtown Fresno, in Fresno County, California, USA Built in the 1920s, it is one of the oldest operational airports in California. The airport currently serves as a general aviation airport.

Sierra Sky Park Airport, located in Northwest Fresno, is a privately owned airport, but is open to the public. Sierra Sky Park Airport is a privately-owned public-use Airport located seven miles (11 km northwest of the Central business district of Fresno, The airport was America's first aviation community. Extra-wide streets surrounding the airport allow for residents of the community to land, taxi down extra-wide avenues, and park in the driveway at home. ^[18]

Rail

Passenger rail service is provided by Amtrak San Joaquins. The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Doing business as Amtrak, is a Government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971 The San Joaquins are Passenger trains operated by Amtrak California in California 's Central Valley. The main passenger rail station is the recently renovated historic Santa Fe Railroad Depot located in Downtown Fresno. The Santa Fe Passenger Depot is a railroad station located in Fresno California. The Bakersfield-Stockton mainlines of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway and Union Pacific Railroad railroads cross in Fresno, and both railroads maintain railyards within the city; the San Joaquin Valley Railroad also operates former Southern Pacific branchlines heading west and south out of the city. The BNSF Railway headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is one of the four remaining Transcontinental railroads and one of the largest railroad networks in The San Joaquin Valley Railroad (SJVR is one of several Short line railroad companies and is part of the Sunset Division of RailAmerica.

Public transportation

Public transit is provided by the Fresno Area Express. The Fresno Area Express or FAX is a bus line in Fresno California. It consists entirely on buses serving the greater Fresno metropolitan area. Intercity and long-distance bus service is provided by Greyhound and Orange Belt Stages. Greyhound Lines is an intercity Common carrier of passengers by Bus serving over 3700 destinations in the United States. Orange Belt Stages (OBS is a bus company based in Visalia, California.

The city once provided trolley service during the late 19th and early 20th century. A tram, tramcar, trolley, trolley car, or streetcar is a railborne vehicle, of lighter weight and construction than a Train Known as the Fresno City Railway Company and later the Fresno Traction Company, the service operated horse-drawn streetcars from 1887 to 1901. Electric streetcars were introduced in 1903. The electric streetcars were used until 1939. ^[19]

See also

• Fresno Police Department
• Fresno County Library
• Japanese American internment

References

External links

• City of Fresno Official website
• City of Fresno Developer's Guide for Downtown Housing
• Guide to Historic Architecture in Fresno, California at FresnoHistory. org
• Fresno Arts Council
• Fresno City and County Historical Society
• Fresno Convention & Visitor Bureau
• Greater Fresno Area Chamber of Commerce
• Central Valley Independent Media Center
• The Community Alliance newspaper [6]
• Fresno Magazine Website
• Fresno Jobs Community Board
• Fresno Wiki
• Fresno Undercurrent Website

• Fresno, California is at coordinates 36°46′54″N 119°47′32″W / 36.781549, -119.792113 (Fresno, California)Coordinates: 36°46′54″N 119°47′32″W / 36.781549, -119.792113 (Fresno, California)

A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system.

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