FARMERSVILLE, CA

Farmersville is a city in the San Joaquin Valley in Tulare County, California, United States, just to the east of Visalia. The population was 10,588 at the 2010 census, up from 8,737 at the 2000 census.

The city hosts many events throughout the year, including a Fall Festival the first weekend in October and a Memorial Day Parade. Both are well-attended and manage to draw visitors from the surrounding areas every Memorial Day morning.

History

The history of Farmersville began in the 1850s. This early community was called Deep Creek, located near the present Deep Creek Cemetery. There are headstones that date back to the 1850s.

Farmersville's first school was built there to accommodate the farm children in the area. In the Fly family history, which is preserved in a book written about their travels to California, there is talk about attending the Deep Creek School in the 1860s. It was located East of the Cemetery.

Until 1863, other residents living on the east side of the county traveled through Farmersville on the Visalia Road. They rode their horse-drawn wagons to get their mail, purchase supplies and bring their goods to sell. The trip was long, so many would stop at the Wiley Hinds farm, just south of present-day Farmersville, to ask to sleep in his barn and continue their trip home the next day. Wiley Hinds was a former slave, and came from Arkansas with his brother, Archibald, in 1858. He settled in Farmersville, purchased other parcels for farming, and became very prosperous. Two entrepreneurs, John Crowley and his brother in law, Merrill Jasper, opened a large wooden general store in 1867. They wanted to capture the sales of residents on the east side of the county on their way to Visalia to get their mail. Unfortunately, they were not successful. In 1868 Thomas J. Brundage, who managed the store, purchased the business from the Crowley Family. He applied for a post office and named the city Farmersville. In doing so, the store became much more successful and eastern residents began to stop into his store. Mr. Brundage also had a lumber yard across the street from the general store. Oxen would pull the lumber shipment from the Sierra hills. Just east of the Brundage General Store was the Brown Hotel. It was constructed in 1870 for Edward Balaam and was later purchased by Charles Brown. The hotel was two stories and served meals to passengers during the horse changeover for the Overland Stage. Brown also owned the livery stable. The location of the Brundage general store and the Brown hotel is near what is now Sam's Foods Supermarket, commemorated by a historic marker in the parking lot.

There was a large fire in 1910 that hit the corners of Visalia Rd and Farmersville Blvd. The Brundage General store received heavy damage. The fire also burned a couple of other businesses and buildings and scorched the United Methodist Church.

In 1910 Tom J. Brundage's son, Oscar G. Brundage, took over the general store and decided to build an additional store, this time made of brick. It was completed in December 1910. He continued the general stores at least until the 1930s, though news articles mention him and the store into the 1940s. Later it became Dixon's Grocery Store, owned by Floyd Dixon. After that, it became Ryan's Grocery Store. Later it became a saloon called the Frontier Club. It was finally demolished in a fire in the 1960s. It sat on the South East corner of Visalia Rd and Farmersville Blvd, where Rainbow's Drive In sits today.

The second school was built around 1869 by the Farmers Alliance Organization and was used until around 1904. It was a two-story building with the classrooms on the second floor, and a community room on the first floor for meetings and social events. Farmersville Elementary School was built at the same southwest corner of the Four Corners in 1905. It was torn down for a new school and replaced with Snowden Elementary in 1953. Hester School was also opened in 1953.

Discussion to incorporate started as early as 1945. Don Freeman began the petition and application process that lead to the city's incorporation on October 5, 1960. The first city council was composed of James Tornow, Mayor, Truman Qualls, Don Freeman, Willis Freeman, and Jim Steven. Carl Waddle was the first City Clerk. The city had already voted in 1945 to pay for its own police department so the City already had public safety, but early on the City struggled to get proper water delivery and wastewater treatment. In 1968 that the Wastewater treatment plant loan was made for $480,000 to build the first plant and transmission infrastructure. The city was discussing dis-incorporation by the late 1960s.

Geography

Farmersville is located at (36.301169, -119.207603).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.

Demographics

2010

The 2010 United States Census reported that Farmersville had a population of 10,588. The population density was 4,688.2 people per square mile (1,810.1/km²). The racial makeup of Farmersville was 5,295 (50.0%) White, 60 (0.6%) African American, 213 (2.0%) Native American, 72 (0.7%) Asian, 5 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 4,494 (42.4%) from other races, and 449 (4.2%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8,876 persons (83.8%).

The Census reported that 10,588 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.

There were 2,595 households, out of which 1,639 (63.2%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,474 (56.8%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 515 (19.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 274 (10.6%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 257 (9.9%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 10 (0.4%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 258 households (9.9%) were made up of individuals, and 110 (4.2%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.08. There were 2,263 families (87.2% of all households); the average family size was 4.28.

The population was spread out, with 3,895 people (36.8%) under the age of 18, 1,234 people (11.7%) aged 18 to 24, 2,941 people (27.8%) aged 25 to 44, 1,822 people (17.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 696 people (6.6%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.4 males.

There were 2,726 housing units at an average density of 1,207.0 per square mile (466.0/km²), of which 1,590 (61.3%) were owner-occupied, and 1,005 (38.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.2%. 6,537 people (61.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 4,051 people (38.3%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

As of the census of 2000, there were 8,737 people, 2,151 households, and 1,854 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,655.2 people per square mile (1,794.3/km²). There were 2,269 housing units at an average density of 1,209.0 per square mile (466.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 42.36% White, 0.40% African American, 1.76% Native American, 1.14% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 48.35% from other races, and 5.95% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 72.02% of the population.

There were 2,151 households, out of which 54.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.8% were married couples living together, 16.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 13.8% were non-families. 10.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.05 and the average family size was 4.32.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 38.4% under the age of 18, 12.7% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 14.7% from 45 to 64, and 6.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,682, and the median income for a family was $29,629. Males had a median income of $23,680 versus $20,699 for females. The per capita income for the city was $8,624. About 23.6% of families and 30.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.3% of those under age 18 and 22.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local

The Mayor is Gregorio Gomez, a Systems Administrator for the Tulare County Information and Communications Technology Department. Vice Mayor Rosa Vasquez runs a family business, "La Mejor del Valle" Store / Restaurant. Council member Paul Boyer is a Development Program Director for Self-Help Enterprises. Council member Tina Hernandez is a Real Estate Agent. Council Member Ruben Macareno is a writer and business/political consultant, who currently represents the city at the Tulare County Association of Governments.

The City Manager is Jennifer Gomez, hired in 2018.

State legislature

In the California State Legislature, Farmersville is in , and .

Federal

In the United States House of Representatives, Farmersville is in

Economics

Farmersville serves occasionally as a commuter town, many residents having to travel to larger population centers to seek employment. Local commerce is composed primarily of small, family-owned businesses; however, the city also hosts a number of restaurants, including Rainbow Drive In, McDonald's, Jack-In-The-Box, Ana Maria's, Subway, and Taco Bell. Its stores include Dollar General, Rite Aide, Sams Foods Supermarket, AutoZone, Napa, and O'Reilly's auto parts.

Boss Hoggs' Restaurant is a popular local diner featuring classic American cooking. Boss Hoggs and the Donut Shop serve as morning gathering places. El Agave Nightclub is a popular weekend attraction for many of the Spanish-speaking residents of the city and the surrounding communities. The club attracts many high quality Latino entertainers from both California and Mexico.

Manufacturing

Major industrial manufacturers with operations in Farmersville include Cemex, Dunn's Sand, and National Raisin Company. La Mejor del Valle tortilla factory, a manufacturer of Mexican food products, is headquartered in Farmersville.

Education

Farmersville has a single unified school district with Farmersville High School (the Aztecs), a middle school, and 3 elementary schools. J.E. Hester School is an elementary school for kindergartners and 1st graders. George L. Snowden Elementary is for 2nd and 3rd graders. The newest school is Freedom Elementary which is for 4th, 5th and 6th graders. The junior high school is for 7th and 8th graders, and Farmersville High School covers 9th through 12th grade. Farmersville will be building a new middle school east of Freedom School in the future.

Farmersville Methodist Church

Built in the 1880s, the chapel of the former Farmersville Methodist Church was rolled to Farmersville on logs, pulled by horses, in approximately 1903. It was established on Farmersville Boulevard just south of Visalia Road, also known as the "four Corners" around 1947. A Mrs. Avery donated a parcel of her land that is now Avery and Ash, and the chapel portion of the church was moved again, to that location. The steeple broke during this move, and was rebuilt with the fishtail shingles.

Notable people