Fresno’s Sour grapes

For The Madera Tribune

Madera’s new high school, built in 1904.

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Madera was founded in 1876 as part of Fresno County. During its first two decades of existence, the town outgrew its swaddling clothes and put on a new outfit.

In 1893, she discarded the robes of a pioneer village and donned those of a pioneer town. After all, now that she was the county seat of the newly created county of Madera, she had to look and act like one.

It took some people in Fresno a long time to accept Madera as an equal. Before 1893, this area had been considered a hotbed of “radicalism and secession.” Those early pioneers who lived north of the San Joaquin River had a reputation for independence that went far beyond what was normal — even for California. Therefore, when the town’s founders decided to separate and form their own county, they didn’t surprise anyone. The authorities in Fresno were not shocked at all, but at the same time, it was difficult to mask the feelings of superiority which existed south of the river when dealing with the upstarts who lived in what was now Madera County.