About Madera County is geographical center of California. Please pray over the following prayer focus:

 
Continued Unity among the Churches and Pastors.
Continued Prayer mobilization in all the cities.
Blessing upon the Agricultural Industry.
Decrease of crime: Murder, Teen Pregnancy, Abortion, Domestic Violence. Youth/Gangs - Pray for a revelation of the Father's Heart and a spirit of adoption for youth using Malachi 4:6.
Revival for the Churches and a Spiritual Awakening to Christ in the cities.
Decrease in unemployment and the creation of new jobs.

 
LOCATION
Madera County is located in the exact center of California, in the heart of the Central Valley and the Central Sierras. It is one of the fastest growing counties in California. Fresno County borders ont he south, Mariposa and Merced counties on the north, and Mono County to the east.
 
It is located approximately 20 miles from the Fresno Metropolitan Area, 166 miles from the Bay Area, 240 miles from Los Angeles, 88 miles from Yosemite, 160 miles from Pacific beaches. The County is located in the center of state, in an agricultural area. Longitude - W120 7 degrees and Latitude - N3648 at the Madera Airport. Advantages: Freeway 99, an all season freeway allowing access year round; positioned to take advantage of increasing export trade in Pacific Basin; reasonable proximity to Silicon Valley. Disadvantages: none significant.
 
COMMUNITY
Advantages: Receptive to industry; local elected officials likewise. Adequate housing supply; housing and land costs significantly lower than Fresno; close proximity to recreational areas.
 
GEOGRAPHIC AREA
1,374,160 acres; 2,147 square miles. The exact (surveyed) geographical center of the State of California, stretching from the rich San Joaquin Valley to the crest of the Sierra Nevada, the highest mountains in the contiguous United States. Bordered on the north by the Chowchilla River and on the south by the San Joaquin River, the County includes some of the richest agricultural land in the nation.
 
AGRICULTURE
Madera County's gross production value in 2003 was $760,784,000. The top ten crops for 2002 and 2003 were:

 
CITIES
Chowchilla and Madera. Unincorporated communities: Ahwahnee, Bass Lake, Berenda, Coarsegold, Fairmead, Madera Ranchos, North Fork, Oakhurst, O'Neals, Raymond, and Rolling Hills.
 
CLIMATE
Valley climate is warm and dry. Average maximum temperature in July - 99F, low - 62F. Average maximum in temperature in January - 48F, low - 33F. Frosts possible December through February. Hottest day in July, 1979 - 106F. Coldest day in December, 1979 - 26F. Rainfall average 12 inches. Relative humidity at 4 p.m. varies from 17 to 22% in summer and 50 to 70% in winter. In the mountain communities winter temperatures average 24F to 30F minimum and rise to a maximum of 85F to 95F in summer. Snowfall around 3,000 feet averages 7 inches. Above 5,000 feet winters can be severe with year round snow on the highest ranges. Foggy season, January through February. Advantage: Flood and storm damage potential, low. Disadvantage: None significant.
 
EDUCATION
Three high schools, more than 30 public elementary schools; 35 parochial and private. Nearby colleges: California State University-Fresno, Fresno City College, Madera City College, Merced College, Fresno Pacific College, National University and Kings River College (Madera and Oakhurst extensions).
 
ELEVATION
Highest point - Mt. Ritter, 13,157 feet. Lowest point - 180 feet. Chowchilla - 237 feet. Madera - 282 feet.
 
ECONOMY & EMPLOYMENT
The 1999 annual average statistics show the civilian labor force for Madera County to be 52,700 with an unemployment rate of 11.7%. Agriculturally oriented counties tend to have higher unemployment rates and greater seasonal variations in unemployment. The state's unemployment rate is 5.2% for the same year.
 
Agriculture is the largest industry in the county, accounting for 29.9% of the employment. Government, another significant sector, accounts for 19.5% and services makes up 16.8% of the total.
 
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK
Manufacturing, services, and government are the industries that will provide most of the jobs in Madera's future economy. Manufacturing is projected to provide 1,720 new jobs by 2002, a 50% increase from 1995. Services shows a projected growth of 2,200 new jobs with most of the job growth in the health services sector. Government is projected to provide 860 new jobs, a 14% increase, with the growth occurring at the state and local government level.
 
GROWTH
Madera County is projected to grow at a rapid pace and the growing population will need a range of goods and services that should, ultimately, fuel the regional economy.
 
GOVERNMENT
Five County Supervisors and one County Administrator. Madera and Chowchilla have City/Manager governments. County Seat -Madera.
 
HEALTH
Two general hospitals with 101 bed capacity. 65 physicians, 32 dentists, 15 chiropractors, 16 optometrists, three convalescent hospitals (253 beds), eight ambulances, and three rest homes.
 
INDUSTRIAL SITES
Chowchilla and Madera City Industrial Parks offer up to 50 acre sites priced from $8,000 to $32,000 per acre. Light and heavy industrially zoned land in the County includes over 2,000 acres in four large County areas, all with rail access and near highways.
 
LABOR
The central valley has more than 300,000 people within a 30 minute drive. Advantages: Low wage base; generally non-union area. Little strike history. Numerous training programs available, including OJT. Studies have shown that transition from farm laborer to industrial worker are favorable.
 
MANUFACTURING
Over 100 manufacturing and processing plants producing wine, glass bottles, cardboard boxes, fiberglass insulation, olives, printing, dairy products, refrigeration, food processing equipment, plastic and concrete pipe, cotton and cotton products, construction and building products, machinery, sprinklers, lumber, corn and grain products, and miscellaneous food items.
 
NEWS MEDIA
One daily and four weekly newspapers, three radio stations, cable TV systems, seven valley UHF TV stations received direct.
 
POPULATION
Between 1990 and 2000, Madera County's population increased by 39.8%. The State of California's total population growth for the same period was 13.6%. According to the State of California, Employment Development Department, Labor Market Information Division, a projected population of 224,600 persons by the year 2020 will amount to an impressive increase of 151% over the 1990 population figure of 89,300. According to the current US Census, the population of Madera County, as of 2000 is 123,109.
 
RECREATION
One six screen theater, 15 parks, two golf courses, rodeo grounds, auto race track, three small theater groups, four community centers, Bass Lake, Mammoth Pool, Millerton Lake, Eastman Lake, Hensley Lake, Berenda Reservoir and several smaller lakes. The mountain area includes part of Yosemite National Park, Devil's Postpile National Monument, Sierra National Forest, Minarets Wild Area, John Muir Wilderness and Nelder Grove of giant Redwoods. The mountain areas contain numerous public and private camping facilities. Jackass Rock Camp offers permanent facilities for large groups. Annual events include the County Fair at Chowchilla, the Chowchilla Stampede and National Roping Championship, Coarsegold Rodeo, Madera District Fair, Old Timers Day, North Fork Loggers Jamboree, Oakhurst Mountaineer Days, Oakhurst Flea Markets, Squirrel Cage Theater in North Fork, Golden Chain Melodrama in Oakhurst and numerous Bass Lake boating events, plus, 4th of July fireworks.
 
TRANSPORTATION
Highway 99 links the County with the entire State. Highway 41 serves the Southern entrance to Yosemite. Highway 49 (The Golden Chain) starts at Oakhurst and runs north through the historic California Gold Rush Country in the Sierra foothills. Highway 152 links Highway 99 and Interstate 5 for a direct route to the Coast and the San Francisco Bay area. Highway 145 runs south from Madera to the Morro Bay/Pismo Beach area. Continental Trailways and Greyhound buses serve the valley. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe and Southern Pacific railroads serve the valley area and Amtrak stops in Madera. Airline service is available in Fresno. Madera has local Senior Citizens bus, taxi and Dial-A-Ride services. There are 27 common carriers and 10 general-haul truck lines. United Parcel Service is available.
 
UTILITIES
Electricity and natural gas are supplied by Pacific Gas and Electric Company. Chowchilla and Madera provide municipal water and sewer services. Several Maintenance Districts and Mutual Water Companies supply water and sewer service in the unincorporated areas. Pacific Bell services the valley and Sierra Telephone Company and Ponderosa Telephone Company serve the mountain areas.
 
VISITOR CENTERS
Check in advance for visiting hours: Sierra-Mono Indian Museum (North Fork), Sugar Pine Railroad (Fish Camp), County Museum (Madera), Old Town (North Fork), and Fresno Flats Historic Park (Oakhurst). Tours of wineries and industries by advance arrangements only.
 
HISTORY
"Madera" is the Spanish word for "lumber", the first industry in the County. Part of the historic Sugar Pine Railroad remains as a tourist attraction. A huge flume once ran from the high Sierra Forest area down to Madera. One of the engineering marvels of early California, its history is preserved in articles and photos in the County Museum located in the beautiful old granite Courthouse in Madera. A replica of a section of the flume is on display. The Raymond Granite Company quarry supplies granite for some of the nation's outstanding public edifices. The mountain area is rich in the history of the 1859 California Gold Rush towns, with such names as Coarsegold, Finegold, Grub Gulch, Ahwahnee and Nipinnawassee. Panning for gold is still popular for both fun and profit. In 1855, a portion of Madera County separated from Mariposa County when Fresno became a County and in 1856, the rest of Madera separated from Mariposa County and became a County.
 
The growth of the territory known as Madera County has progressed in waves. The first small wave of men was composed of a few explorers, soldiers, trappers, and Spanish speaking settlers with Mexican land grants. These men came in the first half of the last century, and few stayed longer than a few months.
 
The discovery of gold brought the first big wave of immigrants, most of them placer miners who worked along the streams that were rich in precious metal, and soon a new mining era came with the development of hard-rock ledge mining for gold, silver and copper.
 
In 1919, a group known as the Gold Chain Council was formed to get what was then a dirt road of various qualities, conditions and dimensions made into a State highway. It obviously was successful, and continues to this day as the oldest highway association in California.
 
The State Legislature officially named Highway 49 the "Mother Lode Highway" in 1921. At that time, it extended south only as far as Mariposa, and the section from Mariposa to Oakhurst was known as Bootjack Road. In 1969, the State Highway Commission and State Legislature finally incorporated Bootjack Road into Highway 49. Oakhurst rightfully received recognition and was legitimized as the southern terminus of the scenic and famous route which winds its way through eleven counties.
 
Gold fever hit the hills here in 1849 and 50 but the actual gold rush came more slowly. Previously, no one had any good reason to explore the mountains and they had remained virtually uninhabited wilderness.
 
The records show that one early resident of the area, Jim Savage, employed Chinese to work the San Joaquin River for him. At first, Jim was involved in fighting the Indians, but as the area became more populated, he made friends with them, even to the extent of marrying at least five Indian girls, one from each tribe. He is given credit for the discovery of Yosemite Valley on March 27, 1851, and named it after the tribe which inhabited it.
 
Legend has it that at one time there were 5,000 residents in Grub Gulch and 10,000 in Coarsegold. However, local records do not confirm these figures. An 1853 Army report placed a considerable number of Chinese at Millerton and in Coarsegold Gulch in 1854. Later 2,000 were reported to have worked in the Raymond area. There is considerable evidence of Chinese labor in that area; miles of stone walls meander through hills between Raymond and Mariposa. Local ranchers hired the Chinese to clear their fields of rocks and to use them for boundary fences. They were built without mortar and still stand today.
 
Early Placer Mines
These mines were located around Coarsegold Gulch, Grub Gulch, along the Fresno River and Gold Creek near Hildreth (southeast of Oakhurst) and Fine Gold Gulch. The latter community - no longer in existence - was given this name to distinguish it from Coarsegold Gulch. Gold found at Coarsegold was generally in nugget form; that at Fine Gold was more in the form of dust. Millions were reportedly mined, but no accurate records were kept. Due to the fact that the gold dust was used as a medium of exchange, the amount actually taken was probably exaggerated by changing hands so frequently.
 
The Coarsegold Area
Here, the oldest and most extensively worked mine was the one generally known as Texas Flat. In 1855, there were four claims filed, apparently by some greenhorns from Texas who may have been the victim of some sharp salesmen with a worked out mine on their hands. However, the four struck "pay dirt" and made a fortune. Later the Texas Flat Gold and Silver Mining Company was incorporated for 1 1/2 million dollars in 1863. No record exists of its success or failure.
 
Then, in 1877, a new Texas Flat Mine Company found a 2 to 6 foot lode, but had insufficient capital and soon went broke.
 
Finally, in 1882, a Santa Cruz group erected a fine stamp mill, but work didn't really get going until 1904. The mine became one of the deepest in this part of the country, going down to 900 feet. Before it was shut down, it produced $185,000 of ore.
 
Grub Gulch
This community no longer exists. It was about 10 miles west of Oakhurst on the road from Ahwahnee to Raymond.
 
The Gambetta mine - also called the Arkansas Traveler - was the first and richest mine around Grub Gulch. It was discovered in 1880 and produced $490,000 in ore before it was abandoned in 1904. Close to it was the Josephine, worked in the 1880's, producing $360,000 in gold. Also close by was the Mammouth (Woodland or Starlight). One of the foremen at this mine, Charles Wood, was not only a good miner, but he and another man made a good living by promoting mines. Well, Charley found a good, rich vein in the Mammouth, but left it untouched. Along came an Englishman looking for an investment. He was shown samples from the unworked vein and bought the mine. An official State report says "About 1896, a ten stamp mill was erected by an English Company. Operations continued only a short time". The mine was finally abandoned in 1914 when heavy rains caused cave-ins.
 
The Enterprise was also developed in this area in 1881-82. The first buyer exhausted a rich pocket, sold out for $20,000 to another miner who found a new vein and got his money back in two weeks.
 
In the Hildreth area about $100,000 was taken between 1880 and 1895. At the present time there is a semi-active tungsten mine here.
 
The California Journal credits, what is now Madera County, with the production of $1,350,000 in gold between 1880 and 1892. Of this amount $958,000 was produced by three Grub Gulch mines: The Gambetta, Josephine and Enterprise. This leaves less than $400,000 for all the other mines in the area.
 
Recent efforts to produce gold have mostly been limited to small suction dredges. There are two in nearby streams, both inactive.
 
One gold activity does flourish here, however. Gold panning contests are held frequently at Ahwahnee and the gold panning champion lives in this area.

CSAC Snapshot Info

Official County Website