The Central Valley city of Fowler owes its origins to the Central Pacific Railroad. But through the efforts of one woman, it became a haven for African American farmers, starting in the 1880s. That story, today on KVPR’s Central Valley Roots.
Fowler’s history dates back to 1872, when the railroad built a siding next to ranch land owned by State Senator Thomas Fowler. It was named Fowler Switch, and became a city in 1908. It was here that Julia Bell arrived in the 1880s when the town was just an empty wheat field. Bell was born in South Carolina in 1850 to enslaved parents. She and her husband moved to Fowler, initially working as servants for the Curby family. Bell reportedly planted the first tree in Fowler.
Bell saved her money and began to buy land in the town. She was a relentless promoter of the “possibilities of Fowler” and recruited family members and others to move to the small enclave. Those included her 90 year-old father, and her brother Jordan Young.
By 1900, Census records indicate that Bell owned her own farm and was head of her household. Young’s children too were successful farmers, with local acreage in grapes and peaches. Young’s family reportedly donated land for the city’s downtown park.
Bell also went on to found the First Baptist Church, the first all-black church in the region. The landmark 1919 book "The Negro Trailblazers of California," singles out Bell for being the one most responsible for Fowler’s thriving African American community.
