On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress formally adopted the text of the Declaration of Independence, drafted by Thomas Jefferson and a committee of five. The date became our anniversary date. So, on the Fourth of July of this year, we will celebrate 250 years of our independence as a nation. This is definitely a time to celebrate! In 1776, we decided we no longer wanted or needed to be dependent on another country, and we wanted to write our own rules and laws. Since that

For The Madera Tribune The Madera Theater. As Madera moved into the 1940s, many looked forward to the return of good times. The Great Depression was over, and Prohibition had wilted away. Agriculture had replaced lumber as the town’s economic base, and business downtown was booming. J.C. Penny, located on the corner of E Street and Yosemite Avenue, was offering the latest in fashions at low, low prices, and Montgomery Ward was shocking the town with its Wednesday sales, one o

For The Madera Tribune The Fountain Saloon was located at Gateway and Yosemite. George Gruber, the owner, is shown here, second from the left. In 1907, Madera with a population of just more than 2,000, had 13 saloons within its city limits. The town’s trustees went on record as opposing such a high saloon/citizen ratio, and expressed a determination to reduce it. In this they were supported by a vocal segment of the population, especially the Women’s Christian Temperance Unio

Nancy Simpson/The Madera Tribune At Fresno Flats Historical Village and Park, Madera Master Gardeners set up tables to sell propagated plants. From left are Master Gardeners Shannon McCumber, Cadie Pearl, and Natali Johnson. Master Gardeners of Madera County held its Glorious Garden Tour in Oakhurst and Coarsegold on Saturday. It was a gorgeous day with mild climate for visiting the beautiful gardens of homes. Visitors could go to the gardens in any order that was convenient.

For The Madera Tribune Cockfighting has always been popular in Madera. Posing with their birds before a fight in 1905 are, clockwise from top left, John Barnett, Walter Brown, Frank Barnett, and Fred Barnett. John Barnett later became sheriff of Madera County. “Two men arrested in cockfight raid at Madera home.” “Deputies arrest 2 at cockfight.” “Maderan faces cockfighting charges.” These recent headlines in the Madera Tribune give evidence of the persistence of cockfighting

Madera’s O.L.I.V.E. organization, with help from the Madera County Department of Social Services, will host a screening of Perfect Strangers, a documentary exploring what happens when dangerous impostors infiltrate the digital worlds, romantic fantasies, and longing for attention of unsuspecting young women and underage girls. Tickets are on sale for Thursday’s screening for $8 on Eventbrite, or one can visit the organization’s website at www.olivemadera.com for a link to pu

For The Madera Tribune The intersection of SR 41 and Avenue 12 will receive a major upgrade after the SR 41 Expansion project is completed. Although it may not look like it now, the area around Avenue 12 and State Route 41 will soon be booming with business. But, before that can happen, infrastructure has to be laid down, and that may cause some inconvenience. In the biggest public works roads project in Madera County history, construction began last week on widening SR 41 f

Nancy Simpson/The Madera Tribune More than 360 people attend the Madera Prayer Breakfast at Hatfield Hall on Thursday. National Day of Prayer is observed each year on the first Thursday of May. The Madera Ministerial Association, in conjunction with Madera Chamber of Commerce, held its annual Prayer Breakfast at Hatfield Hall at the Madera Fairgrounds. There were about 360 people in attendance. Lois Leonard, Chair of the Madera Ministerial Association, welcomed all in atten