The valley’s biggest rivers seem to get all the love, but the valley’s smaller waterways have their own interesting stories. Today on KVPR’s Central Valley Roots, we explore Poso Creek in Kern County.
From its headwaters in the Greenhorn Mountains east of Delano, to where it meets the Kern River, 88 miles downstream, Poso Creek has a rich history. A branch of the Yokuts called the Palewyami, made the area around Poso Creek their home, and had a village near its banks. Father Francisco Garcés passed through Poso Creek in 1776. We don’t know for certain who named the creek, but depending on the spelling, in Spanish, poso can either mean a water well, sediment, or a resting place.
Poso Creek is larger than most valley creeks, but it becomes dry in the summer as it enters the valley floor. In wet years, it can become a roaring river, leading to flooding downstream. The creek begins near the mountain town of Posey before passing Glennville and bringing its waters to the valley floor.
Those waters provided needed relief to early travelers. In the late 1850s, the Butterfield Overland Mail had a station here, just north of Round Mountain. These stagecoaches brought travelers and the mail from St. Louis to San Francisco. The site was also located on the Stockton-Los Angeles Road. You’ll find a historical marker honoring Posey Station today, where Granite Road meets Round Mountain Road. Nearby you’ll also find Mt. Poso, and the Mt. Poso oilfield. But all these names also brought confusion.
When the Southern Pacific Railroad came through the valley in 1874, they established a stop where the creek crossed the tracks. It was initially called Poso Station, but there was another town called Pozo (with a Z) in San Luis Obispo County. As a result, the name was changed to Spotiswood, which apparently pleased no one. Finally the name was changed again, with Poso becoming Famoso, which you’ll still find on Highway 99, just south of McFarland. Today the town is famous among auto racing enthusiasts as the site of the Famoso dragstrip.
