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 a.m., 9:04 a.m. and 5:32 p.m. or listen to our podcast.
Latest Episodes
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Nestled close the Sierra foothills in Tulare County, Porterville began as a ferry crossing on the Tule River. -
Dixon's landscape paintings ranged in styles from impressionism to angular modernism, all while capturing the beauty of the Southwestern landscape. -
The grand hotel has been a Yosemite Valley icon since 1927, and has hosted presidents and royalty. -
Barry McGuire and Terry Talbot had their own big hits during the anti-war movement, before they both moved to Fresno and shifted their careers into worship music.
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Fresno-area artist Stan Bitters designed the collection of glazed ceramic reliefs starting in 1969. -
Fig Garden Village was built in the "Town and County" style in the 1950s using reclaimed timbers, bricks and an eclectic design that has made it popular for close to 70 years. -
This gold country town was built around a central plaza, in the Mexican tradition. -
Countless pilots trained at Mefford Field during World War II, and a vintage B-17 nearby is a popular roadside attraction on Highway 99. -
Patterned after LA's Original Farmer's Market, it was a Fresno landmark from the 1940s through the 1990s. -
The neighborhood is much older than its namesake theater, which was built in 1939 in Fresno's first "streetcar suburb."
