Central Valley Roots
KVPR's Central Valley Roots explores the history, people and places of Central California. Discover something new about our region, past and present, with each episode. From Fresno and Bakersfield, to Visalia and Merced, the Central Valley is full of rich stories that make the place we call home special. Send us your question about local history or places to roots@kvpr.org and we might answer it in a future episode. Hear the series on the radio weekdays at 5:06 AM and 9:04 AM or listen to our podcast.
Latest Episodes
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Mariposa County's courthouse was completed in 1854 and has been in service ever since. -
John C. Fremont got lucky when he mistakenly purchased the Las Mariposas ranch. -
The last grizzly bear in California was seen in the 1920s in Sequoia National Park. -
When it was created in 1850, Mariposa covered 30,000 square miles, or about 1/5th of the entire state. -
The Central Valley's love affair with the automobile has helped influence American culture. -
Tankhouses were once a common sight with small farms across the San Joaquin Valley. -
New technology, from the world's largest log flume to dynamite, helped fuel the destruction of these ancient trees. -
Bob Wills revolutionized country music in the 1930s by mixing jazz and string band influences. Like many of his fans in Oklahoma and Texas, he moved to Central California in the 1940s. -
Thomas Hughes was considered one of Fresno's leading citizens. But in 1893, he led the effort to break Fresno County in two. -
Spicy but flavorful, the Fresno chile was first developed in Clovis.
