The Madera County Historian documents the history of Madera County and was published by the Madera Historical Society beginning in 1961. This is issue 1 of volume 3, was published in January of 1963 and totaled 8 pages.
Since the 1800s California has diverted its rivers to assist farmers in producing the crops that feed America. Harry Barnes takes the fragmentary evidence starting in 1871/2 and provides a history of the efforts to divert the Fresno River in the first article in this issue. The man largely behind this early diversions, Isaac Friedlander, would create the roots of the future Madera Canal & Irrigation Co. purchase, which was subsequently purchased by the Madera Irrigation District.
The second article by Nathan C. Sweet takes a look at the early traders and trading posts of Madera County.
Table of Contents:
- History of Use of Fresno River Water for Irrigation by Harry Barnes
- Traders and Trading Posts by Nathan C. Sweet