For The Madera Tribune Berenda School, circa 1890. When Fresno County Sheriff Leroy Dennis chose not to run for reelection in 1872, he decided to move to a little spot in the north end of the county where the Southern Pacific Railroad had just built a freight depot. Dennis was certain that a town would grow up around the depot, and he wanted to be there when the boom came. Little did he know that in 20 years, the little village he envisioned would one day be a major transport

For The Madera Tribune Julius Dominici. It must have seemed like a cruel joke, and indeed it was cruel, but it was no joke. The young Italian immigrant had come to America, found work and sent for his wife and child. In 1911 the mother and son arrived in Madera and the family was together once again. Then in 1914, the father returned temporarily to Italy to put the finishing touches on some personal business, and the government suddenly snatched him up and put him into the It

For The Madera Tribune Howard Clark, shown here at his desk at the Madera Tribune, vigorously opposed the integration of Madera’s city owned swimming pool. Tension was in the air in Madera in 1947. The long-standing exclusion of African-Americans from the City’s swimming pool was being challenged, and the integration attempts weren’t setting well with some of the town’s power brokers, especially the publisher of The Madera Tribune. Howard Clark, whose father had founded the p

For The Madera Tribune Judge William Conley winked at the lynching of Victor Adams who had murdered Judge I.L. Baker in 1895. Madera County has generally been a law-abiding place. Most of the time law and order has prevailed. Every once in a while, however, the people have taken things in their own hands by using a rope and the nearest tree to administer justice in old, pioneer fashion. Our local history is filled with such lynchings. The first hanging to occur within the bou

For The Madera Tribune In time the Madera County Courthouse took on this ivy league look. The mood of the crowd was festive. Hundreds had gathered along West Yosemite Avenue to witness the historic occasion and to enjoy a community barbecue. Women in Victorian era dresses and men in suits clustered around the crane, which was setting the cornerstone. The date was Oct. 29, 1900, and in what seemed the quintessential symbol of modernity, Madera celebrated its entrance into the

So, it seems the U.S. Treasury has finally done it. They have decided to stop making the penny. I am curious to know what this transition will do for those of us who like to pay cash for things. Will we get the correct change back? Will they round up or will they round down? Who will get the benefit of the rounding, the customer or the store? These are all important questions.  The news about the penny made me think about how valuable a penny can be. I remember a time, early

For The Madera Tribune This tornado raised the roof in Madera in 1967. April 1967 is a date that will always be a piece of Madera’s recorded history. Heavy spring rains in that year created such havoc that they prompted state legislators to call for the area to be designated a disaster area. Damage in the millions of dollars hit Madera County farmers, and 10,000 acres of farmland lay under water. Then, as if to add insult to injury, a tornado struck the area. Ernest Sagouspe

For The Madera Tribune Fresno Flats, circa 1880. Gold! The discovery of the precious metal along the Fresno River brought thousands of placer miners into Madera County, and by 1851, they were calling their gathering Fresno Flats. Over the years, Fresno Flats emerged from its tent city status to take on all of the characteristics of a settled community. In time the town could boast of two hotels, a rooming house, five saloons, a grocery store, and a general merchandise store.