The night that removed Madera’s shantytown
After the construction of the courthouse and before Courthouse Park could be laid out, the shanties that occupied the area to the east of the building had to be removed. In 1909, the Madera County Supervisors entered into some heavy negotiations with the owners of the buildings, but the talks did not go well. The […]
Shopping in the early days of Madera
Stahl’s City Bakery and Grocery finally found a permanent home between Yosemite Avenue and Fifth Street, but it took some doing to get it there, as the next photograph illustrates. In the early days of the 20th century, one might see just about anything on Yosemite Avenue. Horse races, fistfights, and street dances were common […]
The San Joaquin River Steamboats
During the pioneer years of Fresno and Madera Counties, steamboats were used to bring supplies up the San Joaquin River to settlers living in the Valley. In 1911, a committee of residents from both counties enticed the owner of the J.R. McDonald, a paddle wheel steamer, to travel the river again to show that it […]
When disaster struck on Christmas Eve, 1906
The new courthouse and jail were the pride of the county for a short while. Then disaster struck on Christmas Eve, 1906. Sometime in the afternoon of December 24, an arsonist broke into the courthouse and set a fire on the second story using kerosene and dirty rags. The granite, of course, did not burn, […]
Sunny Nishimoto’s Family
The Madera Method historians, in Mrs. Shelton’s historical literacy course at Madera South High School, are seeking community submissions to aid in our current project on the Nishimoto family. As part of this project, we plan to conduct oral history interviews with family members as well as those in the community close to patriarch Sunny […]
Madera gets a new courthouse
At the turn of the 20th century, Madera finally began to build a courthouse. Prior to that, county business was done at various offices on Yosemite Avenue. This 1900 photograph shows the crowd assembled for the laying of the cornerstone of the new courthouse. The building was constructed with granite brought down from Raymond. Among […]
The year the tower came tumbling down
In 1898, Madera did away with its old, wooden jail and replaced it with a brick and granite building. For years this stately structure, with its imposing tower, stood on 6th Street in all of its aesthetic glory. Then in 1937, a granite addition was added to the rear of the jail, and that’s how […]
William tried everything to stay out of jail
It was a quiet morning when the scream shattered the calm in Madera. People at first thought that the yell had come from the courthouse construction that was going on in June 1901. When a search of the half finished building turned up nothing, everyone rushed to the jail, which had only one occupant, William […]
Madera in the 1880s
Madera celebrated its fourth birthday in 1880, firmly ensconced along the Southern Pacific Railroad, between Berenda to the north and Borden to the south. Within five years, its population of 231 would grow to 500 (130 of them voters), and its downtown area would begin to take on the trappings of a typical pioneer village. […]
Alapoleno
Joaquin Murrieta — legends about him are legion — and so conflicting are these stories of his life that it has often been asserted that there were as many as five outlaws by that name. Whatever the truth behind the lore, one curious anecdote has escaped the history books. William Henderson, the man who fired […]
