Timeline of Fresno, California facts for kids

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Fresno, California, USA.

19th century

• 1872 – Founded by the Central Pacific Railroad Company
• 1874 – Fresno becomes seat of Fresno County.
• 1875
  • Fresno County Courthouse built.
  • Fresno Expositor newspaper in publication.
  • Central California Colony established south of Fresno, creating a successful model for attracting settlers.
• 1876 – Fresno Morning Republican newspaper in publication.
• 1877 – Fresno Volunteer Fire Department organized.
• 1882 – St. John Church built.
• 1884 – Big Fresno Fair begins.[1]
• 1885 – Fresno incorporated.
• 1889 – Meux Home built.
• 1890
  • Barton opera house opens.
  • Population exceeds 10,000.
• 1892 - Street cars introduced
• 1893 – Fresno Free Public Library opens. [2]
• 1894
  • Fresno Parlor Lecture Club organized.
  • Fresno Water Tower built.
  • San Francisco-Fresno bike messenger service (during the Pullman Strike) initiated.
• 1899 – Santa Fe Passenger Depot opens.

20th century

1900s–1940s

• 1900 – Population: 12,470.
• 1901
  • Fresno City Railway in operation.
  • Fresno Buddhist Temple founded.[3]
• 1904 – Gottschalks shop in business.
• 1906 – Forestiere Underground Gardens begin developing.
• 1908 – Asparēz Armenian/English-language newspaper begins publication.
• 1909 – Raisin Day festival begins.
• 1910 – Fresno Junior College opens.
• 1911 – Fresno State Normal School founded.
• 1913 – Commercial Club organized.
• 1914 – Holy Trinity Church built.
• 1918
  • Sun-Maid raisin facility begins operating.
  • Bank of Italy building constructed.
• 1919 – Fresno Historical Society and Temple Beth Israel founded.
• 1921 – Fresno State College established.
• 1922 – Fresno Bee newspaper begins publication.
• 1923
  • Fort Washington Golf and Country Club established.
  • San Joaquin Light and Power Corporation Building constructed.
• 1925 – Security Pacific Bank Building constructed.
• 1926 – Fresno State Stadium dedicated.
• 1928 – Pantages Theater opens.
• 1929
  • Roeding Park Zoo opens.
  • Z. S. Leymel becomes mayor.
• 1932 – Fresno Memorial Auditorium built.
• 1935 – Academy (social group) formed.
• 1939 – Tower Theatre opens.
• 1942 – U.S. Air Force Hammer Airfield and Japanese American internment camp in use.
• 1944 – Pacific Bible Institute founded.
• 1946 – Sierra Sky Park Airport established near city.
• 1947 – Hammer Field National Guard training area and Fresno Air Terminal established.
• 1948 – Azteca Theater built.

1950s–1990s

• 1953
  • Association for Retarded Children of Fresno founded.
  • Valley Labor Citizen newspaper headquartered in Fresno.[4]
• 1954 – Peoples Church and Fresno Philharmonic [5] founded.
• 1955 – Bernice F. Sisk becomes U.S. representative for California's 12th congressional district.
• 1960 – Mexican American Political Association founded.
• 1961 – City of Fresno Takes over municipal bus service.
• 1962 – Farm Workers Association founding meeting held in Fresno.
• 1964
  • Fulton Mall dedicated.
  • Golden State County Plaza built.
• 1966
  • Fresno County Legal Services established.[6]
  • Fresno Convention Center complex built.
  • Fresno County Courthouse rebuilt.
• 1967 – Catholic Diocese of Fresno established.
• 1969 – Kiddie Kinema movie theatre opens.
• 1970
  • Fashion Fair Mall in business.
  • Population: 167,927.
• 1973 – Good Company Players founded.
• 1977 – KMTF television begins broadcasting.
• 1978 – Fresno Metropolitan Museum established.
• 1983 – Fresno Metronews begins publication.
• 1984 – Nanaksar Gurdwara founded.
• 1989
  • Fresno Municipal Sanitary Landfill closes.
  • Karen Humphrey becomes mayor.
• 1990
  • Vida en el Valle Spanish/English-language newspaper begins publication.
  • Population: 354,202.
• 1992 – Hmong Times newspaper in publication.
• 1993
  • Hmong Today (television program) begins broadcasting.
  • San Joaquin Valley Heritage & Genealogy Center established.[7]
  • Jim Patterson becomes mayor.
• 1996 – Tahoe Joe's restaurant in business.
• 1997
  • Community Food Bank active.[8]
  • River Park shopping centre in business.
• 1998
  • City website online.
  • Fresno Grizzlies baseball team formed.
  • Fresno Stadium 22 cinema opens.

21st century

• 2000
  • University High School established.
  • Mormon Fresno California Temple dedicated.
• 2001
  • Alan Autry – 23rd Mayor of Fresno, California – In office, January 5, 2001 – January 6, 2009
• 2002
  • Grizzlies Stadium opens.
  • 2025 Fresno General Plan adopted.[9]
• 2003
  • Save Mart Center (arena) opens.
  • Ani-Jam anime convention begins.
• 2005
  • Woodward Shakespeare Festival and Artists' Repertory Theatre founded.
  • Jim Costa becomes U.S. representative for California's 20th congressional district.
  • Coyle United States Courthouse built.
• 2008 – Neighborhood Thrift shop in business.
• 2009 – Ashley Swearengin becomes mayor.
• 2010
  • Fresno Metropolitan Museum closes.
  • Population: 494,665.
• 2011 – Downtown Fresno Partnership formed.[10]
• 2012 – Community Media Access Collaborative established.
• 2013 – Poet laureate inaugurated.
• 2015 – Governor Brown; High-Speed Rail Project Signing Ceremony, Downtown Fresno. Future Location: HSR Station-Fresno.
• 2015 – Fresno Declares Drought; worst recorded precipitation levels; 130 years. Water Use Reduction/Conservation Begins.