BRIEF HISTORY OF STANISLAUS COUNTY

Stanislaus County is located in Central California. County seat, Modesto. Created on April 1, 1854, from a portion of Tuolumne County.

The word Stanislaus is a corruption of Estanislao, the baptismal name of a mission-educated renegade Indian chief who led a band of Indians in a series of battles against Mexican troops. He was finally defeated by General Mariano G. Vallejo in 1826.

The county is named for the Stanislaus River, first discovered by Gabriel Moraga in 1806, and later renamed Rio Estanislao for the Indian chief.
 
The Stanislaus County area was first inhabited by Native Americans who lived off the land along the banks of a large river that etched a winding path through the Central Valley. Spanish explorer Gabriel Moraga and his party discovered the river in 1806, triggering a clash between the Mexican officials and the Indians. Chief Estanislao, a mission-educated native, led the Indians in battles against the Mexican intruders. After years of unrest, peace was eventually made, and immigration began in earnest in 1845. Because of this bit of history, the river was named the Estanislao until an early mapmaker misspelled it and the river became known as Stanislaus (pronounced both Stan-is-law or Stan-is-loss).

The discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill near Sacramento sparked the Gold Rush of 1849, bringing tens of thousands of fortune hunters to California and spurring the settlement of countless cities and counties throughout the state. Stanislaus was among them, established in 1854, just five years after the first gold was discovered.
 
With the valley's rich soil and temperate year-round climate, settlers soon began to cultivate the land, planting the seeds to what would become an agricultural legacy. In the early years, wheat was the dominant crop. The amber waves of grain stretched across the valley as far as the eye could see. In fact, by 1872 the county was already recognized as the leading center of wheat production in the nation, and in 1881, the county reaped an astounding harvest of nearly seven million bushels.
 
Prayer focus for Stanislaus County:
 
Continued Unity among the Churches & Pastors - there are strong ministerial groups in many of Stanislaus County's cities, most notably, Modesto itself. Pray that unity leads to strategic action from these groups.
 
Continued Prayer mobilization in all the cities, including the Cover the County with Prayer effort that is seeking to establish prayer pairs and groups to pray morning and evening in every public gathering place in the County to pray for the multiplication of new believers, leaders and churches that leads to societal transformation.
 
Blessing upon the Agricultural Industry and a release of giving from major families that are still the controlling interests in the largest local companies.
 
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. There has been a strong surge in gang graffiti and violence as the county has become a border of the Norteno and Sureno gangs. Pray for the church to engage these youth and families with the transforming gospel.
 
Revival for the Churches and a Spiritual Awakening to Christ in the cities.
 
Decrease in unemployment and the creation of new jobs. Pray for a release of entrepreneurial energy that leads to the creation of new businesses that are sustainable.
 
Pray for Christian marriages to be a witness of life in Christ. There has been a GREAT spiritual attack against marriages the last six months, which coincides with the time period when the Greater Modesto Ministerial Association was in the process of reaffirming the Community Marriage Policy (this just happened Feb. 9, 2005). The policy is a covenant agreement for pastors to provide adequate pre-marital counseling and follow up. Modesto was the first to have such a policy in 1986 and has become a movement all over the United States. Pray for marriage to be affirmed and protected in this County.

CSAC Snapshot Info

Official County Website