Here in the San Joaquin Valley, geography can be a funny thing. Take for example our rivers. The Kern River flows through Kern County, the Merced River flows through Merced County. The Fresno River – well… not exactly. Today on KVPR’s Central Valley Roots, why is the Fresno River in Madera?
The river’s name comes from the Spanish word for the ash trees that grew along its banks. It begins in the mountains of Madera County, flowing through Oakhurst and Madera before it meets the San Joaquin River near Dos Palos. But despite its name, it never flows through the city or county of Fresno. Or at least it doesn’t today.
The name Fresno River first shows up on maps of Mariposa County around 1851. Then in 1856 – two big things happened. The state created Fresno County to govern the area, and a new foothill settlement popped up on the banks of the river, known as Fresno Flats.
But in 1893 things changed. Voters approved a plan to redraw the maps, taking a big slice out of Fresno County. The land north of the San Joaquin River would become the new Madera County, including the Fresno River. In 1912, Fresno Flats changed its name to Oakhurst, leaving us the map, and the geographic oddity which we know today.
