Timeline of Fresno, California

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

19th century

 * 1856 – Fresno County formed in 1856 with Millerton, a settlement along the San Joaquin River, as the county seat.
 * 1865 – William Helm brings his wife and his sheep to the valley floor area south of Millerton.
 * 1870 - Weekly Expositor newspaper in publication.
 * 1872 – Fresno station founded by the Central Pacific Railroad Company
 * 1874 – County seat of Fresno County moves from Millerton to Fresno due to population growth.
 * 1875
 * Fresno County Courthouse built.
 * 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.
 * 1881 - William Helm bought the block bounded by Fresno, R, Merced and S Streets from Louis Einstein.
 * 1882 – St. John Church built.
 * 1884 – Big Fresno Fair begins.
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * 1900 – Population: 12,470.

1900s–1940s

 * 1901
 * Fresno City Railway in operation.
 * Fresno Buddhist Temple founded.
 * 1904
 * Gottschalks shop in business.
 * First Butcher Shop Opened by Andrew David Green
 * 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.
 * Sunnyside Country Club opens.
 * 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
 * KMJ 580AM Radio begins broadcasting.
 * Fresno Bee newspaper begins publication.
 * 1923
 * Fort Washington 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.
 * Chandler Airport opens as area's primary airport.
 * 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 residential aviation community established near city.
 * 1947 – Hammer Field National Guard training area and Fresno Air Terminal established, becoming primary hub of commercial aviation instead of Chandler Airport.
 * 1948 – Azteca Theater built.

1950s–1990s

 * 1954 – Peoples Church and Fresno Philharmonic 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.
 * 1966
 * Fresno Convention Center complex built.
 * Fresno County Courthouse rebuilt.
 * 1967 – Catholic Diocese of Fresno established.
 * 1968 - Woodward Park opened in north Fresno.
 * 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.
 * 1983 – Fresno Metronews begins publication.
 * 1984
 * Nanaksar Gurdwara founded.
 * Fresno Metropolitan Museum established.
 * 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.
 * Jim Patterson becomes mayor.
 * 1996 – Tahoe Joe's restaurant in business.
 * 1997
 * Community Food Bank active.
 * River Park shopping center in business.
 * 1998
 * City website online.
 * Fresno Grizzlies baseball team formed.
 * Fresno Stadium 22 cinema opens.
 * 2000
 * University High School established.
 * Mormon Fresno California Temple dedicated.

21st century

 * 2001
 * Alan Autry becomes Mayor
 * 2002
 * Grizzlies Stadium opens.
 * 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 reaches 494,665 people.
 * 2013
 * Poet laureate inaugurated.
 * Bitwise Industries launches, bringing a technology and entrepreneur community together. Starts with Bitwise Mural District, and more Fresno campuses follow.
 * 2014
 * Fresno General Plan adopted, becoming the first one in decades to not expand the Sphere of Influence.
 * 2015
 * On January 6, Governor Jerry Brown attends a groundbreaking ceremony for California High-Speed Rail in downtown Fresno at the future location of Fresno's High Speed Rail Station.
 * Fresno Declares Drought; worst recorded precipitation levels; 130 years. Water Use Reduction/Conservation Begins.
 * 2017 – Fresno shootings.
 * 2020
 * Population reaches 542,161 people.
 * 2021
 * Former Police Chief Jerry Dyer becomes Fresno's 26th mayor.

Books

 * Published in the 19th century


 * Published in the 20th century
 * Waiczis, Michael R., and William B. Secrest, Jr. A Portrait of Fresno, 1885–1985: A Publication of the Centennial History Committee. Fresno: Centennial History Committee, 1985.
 * Waiczis, Michael R., and William B. Secrest, Jr. A Portrait of Fresno, 1885–1985: A Publication of the Centennial History Committee. Fresno: Centennial History Committee, 1985.
 * Waiczis, Michael R., and William B. Secrest, Jr. A Portrait of Fresno, 1885–1985: A Publication of the Centennial History Committee. Fresno: Centennial History Committee, 1985.
 * Waiczis, Michael R., and William B. Secrest, Jr. A Portrait of Fresno, 1885–1985: A Publication of the Centennial History Committee. Fresno: Centennial History Committee, 1985.
 * Waiczis, Michael R., and William B. Secrest, Jr. A Portrait of Fresno, 1885–1985: A Publication of the Centennial History Committee. Fresno: Centennial History Committee, 1985.
 * Waiczis, Michael R., and William B. Secrest, Jr. A Portrait of Fresno, 1885–1985: A Publication of the Centennial History Committee. Fresno: Centennial History Committee, 1985.
 * Waiczis, Michael R., and William B. Secrest, Jr. A Portrait of Fresno, 1885–1985: A Publication of the Centennial History Committee. Fresno: Centennial History Committee, 1985.
 * Waiczis, Michael R., and William B. Secrest, Jr. A Portrait of Fresno, 1885–1985: A Publication of the Centennial History Committee. Fresno: Centennial History Committee, 1985.
 * Waiczis, Michael R., and William B. Secrest, Jr. A Portrait of Fresno, 1885–1985: A Publication of the Centennial History Committee. Fresno: Centennial History Committee, 1985.


 * Published in the 21st century

Periodicals

 * "Fresno Past and Present", Quarterly Journal of the Fresno City and County Historical Society. Fresno: The Society, 1959-
 * (about Fresno's Southeast Growth Area)
 * (series of articles about Fresno)
 * (about Fresno's Southeast Growth Area)
 * (series of articles about Fresno)