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When California achieved statehood in 1850, Tulare County did not exist.
The land that is now our County was part of the huge county of Mariposa.
In 1852 some adventuresome pioneers settled in this area, called “Four Creeks”.
It was a swampy area within a massive oak forest, with waterways flowing from the Sierra Nevada.
Desirous of local autonomy, the group petitioned the state legislature for county status, and on July 10 Tulare County became a reality.
In the heart of “Four Creeks County” the site of John Wood’s cabin became the first county seat, known as Woodsville. In the same year, just west of Woodsville, another settlement was beginning on the banks of a little creek. The early pioneers, fearful of attacks by Native Americans, built a log fort for protection but soon discovered that it was not necessary. One of the first inhabitants of the fort was
Nathaniel Vise, who was responsible for surveying the new settlement in November of 1852. In a letter of that year he wrote, “The town contains from 60 – 80 inhabitants, 30 of whom are children who already attend school. The town is located upon one of the subdivisions of the Kaweah, and is destined to be the county seat of Tulare”. In 1853 that happened. Visalia wrestled in the county seat designation from Woodsville, and that designation remained with Visalia from that time on.
Named for Nathaniel Vise’s ancestral home – Visalia, Kentucky – Visalia began to add residents at a rapid rate. The “Kern River Excitement” to the south in the mid 1850’s brought many transient miners through the town on their way to the promised gold fields.
However, the gold failed to materialize and many returned to Visalia to live their lives. In 1858 the town received another boost. John Butterfield’s Overland Stage chose Visalia as a timetable stop on the St. Louis to San Francisco route. Waterman Ormsby, a newspaper correspondent for the New York Herald, was a passenger on th inaugural trip. The reception given him by Visalians so impressed him that he wrote, “The rousing cheers they gave us as we drove off…ought to be remembered in the history of the town, so I here immortalize them”.
In 1860 the telegraph arrived in Visalia, as did indications of serious unrest in the East. Unrest that would ultimately develop into the Civil War. The nation was divided on state’s rights issues, as was Visalia. The federal government, concerned about sedition, banned Visalia’s pro-south Equal Rights Expositor newspaper and established a military garrison. Visalia’s Camp Babbitt was established in 1862 to stop overt southern support as well as maintain law and order to the community. During the Civil War years, Visalia became incorporated, giving the town new rights. A Board of Trustees was elected with Nathan Baker appointed as President.
The town’s second incorporation occurred in 1874, moving the 1,000 citizens into city status. A Common Council was formed with Summerfield Sheppard being appointed President and ex-officio Mayor. The mid-1870’s brought a building boom to Visalia and the future of Visalia appeared bright. The end of the 19th century saw the railroad bypass Visalia slightly to the west and headlines of the day featured the adventures of local train robbers Chris Evans and John Sontag.
As Visalia entered the new century the City had grown to slightly over 3,000 people. Automobiles began to arrive and soon outnumbered horse and wagons. The population of Visalia grew slowly but steadily throughout the early half of the 20th Century. It wasn’t until the 1960’s that Visalia, the Valley’s best kept secret, was really discovered. By 1970 Visalia’s population had grown to 27,268 according to the census, nearly doubling from 15,791 in 1960. Enjoying consistent growth since, Visalia now has more than 100,000 people within it boundaries. Serving As the cultural, economic, and commercial hub of the County, Visalia continues to grow – in population, diversity, and sophistication. Once a creekside settlement, Visalia has become a thriving community that takes pride in the small town feel and high quality of life that accompanies its big city amenities.
Visalia Today
 The City of Visalia is located in Tulare County, which is located in the San Juaquin Valley, approximately 185 miles north of Los Angeles and 240 miles south of San Francisco. The City was founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1874. It became a charter city of February 26, 1923 with the charter being amended in 1974. The City operates under the council-manager form of government and provides a wide range of municipal services, including police and fire protection.
The City currently has a land area of 27.68 square miles and a population of approximately 110,000.
The City Council is composed of five members who are elected at-large to alternating four-year terms. The City Council selects one of its members to serve as Mayor.
A City Manager is appointed by the City Council to direct all City functions.
Historically, Visalia’s economy has been based upon agriculture and related industries. In recent years, however, the City has broadened its economic base to include many diversified industrial enterprises including  manufacturers of school yearbooks, business forms, metal products, electronic components and food and fiber processing plants. It is the County seat and principal trading center for the County, which consistently ranks as one of the three most productive counties in the United States in terms of agricultural output. This economic growth has been accompanied by a significant increase in population and has established Visalia as a regional trading center serving an estimated 500,000 persons living within Tulare County, southern Fresno County, Kings County and northern Kern County. Over the past ten years, the City has averaged approximately 40 percent of the retail sales in Tulare County, while having about 27% of the population.
The climate of the area is warm and dry in the summer, mild in the winter with low humidity. Average January temperatures range from 55 degrees to 37 degrees. July average temperatures range from 98 degrees to 68 degrees.
Average yearly rainfall is 9.86 inches.
Welcome to Tulare County
Tulare County is one of the nation's leading agricultural producers for 2004.
Leading crops in Tulare County in millions of dollars for the year 2004:
Commodity
Dollar Value
Milk $1.4 Billion
Oranges $545.4 Million
Cattle and calves $436.4 Million
Grapes $393.6 Million
Alfalfa $132.7 Million
Cotton $100.1 Million
Plums $99.2 Million
Corn (silage) $95.2 Million
Almonds $90.7 Million
Nectarines $86.7 Million
For those thinking of relocating to Visalia, Tulare, or Exeter, please give us a call. We will give you an orientation tour of our cities, showing you a sampling of neighborhoods, shopping, and downtown areas.
If you own real estate that you're thinking of selling, we would be happy to provide you with a FREE Home Evaluation For a Free Relocation Package, give us a call, or email.
Steve Riggs, REALTOR®
Nancy Riggs, Broker
REALTY EXECUTIVES
150 S Akers Street
Visalia, CA 93291
Office: 559-622-8578
EMail:
RiggsAndRiggs@gmail.com
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