During the decade of 1850-1860, early immigrants made permanent settlements in many parts of the Fresno territory. Along and near the Chowchilla river, the Appling family and relatives located: Overton, Yancey, Frakes, Crooks, McCreary, Wood and others. These were generally engaged in raising stock--cattle, sheep and hogs. On the Fresno river, Major M. B. Lewis and family; the Hensleys, Dennises, and Baley family--to mention some who become life--long residents of the county. Between the Chowchilla and Fresno rivers, Henry Daulton and Jonathan Rea became owners of large flocks of sheep, and thousands of acres of range lands. On the Cottonwood, the Hilreths owned much valuable range and flocks of sheep and herds of cattle. The foothill valleys invited many. At, and around Fresno Flats, Crane Valley, Coarse Gold, Texas Flat and contiguous precincts, Bob Nichols, Swede Bill (T.T. Strombeck)--who was neither Swede nor Bill--Thomas Winkleman, Tom Jones, Bob Laramore, Jim Bethel, John Beasore, James and Frank Walker, and many more made homes. The first two families on Willow Creek were those of James H. Lewis (1853) and John W. Gilmore (1855). T.J. Payne was owner of a sore on Fine Gold in 1854 and Scott Ashman was his clerk. Another employe [sic] was J. B. Aldrich, whose fame as the "lone Republican" in all of Fresno's territory, is imperishably recorded in annals of the county and state. Captain R.P. Mace and James McCardle were also residents of Willow Creek--Fine Gold district. T.J. Dunlap on Upper Fine Gold was a pioneer of 1852.

Joe Kinsman

From all accounts and from personal statements of the claimant, Joseph Kinsman was the first American to view the San Joaquin canyon from the top of the lava plain above Fort Miller, in September, 1849. Kinsman after mining on the Merced, Fresno and other streams for several years, took unto himself a dusky spouse, and settled for life in Hooker's Cove, east of the present hamlet of North Fork. Another cove, or glen, beyond Kinsman's was settled and improved by Doc. Ross. This delightful spot, with its large apple orchard, is now the property of Samuel L. Hogue of Fresno; and replacing the old pack trail is an automobile road.

In 1854, Joseph and Marion Medley settled in the valley known as Big Sandy. Not long thereafter, Absalom and Al Yarborough were the pioneers in the precinct which took their name. In later years, careless mispronunciation perverts it to "Auberry;" and more incongruous is the bestowal of the title on a village and post office many miles away, entirely separate in its geographic and topographic features from the original district far the the west. In these two valleys Charles A. Hart, J. Scott Ashman, Newton and Perry Murphy, and F.C.B. Duff had early ranchos, or ranges chiefly devoted to the raising of hogs. All over these sparsely occupied regions, grew groves of the white oak. Upon the mast of these, and the green grass of spring time, the hogs found food and freedom to range. Fenced fields of barley contributed to the diet, and the fattening of the animals, which, as with the cattle, were driven on long journeys to the nearest market.

As related, Captain Jordan, the Fort Miller quartermaster, was buying feed for the post animals, wherever it was to be obtained, and Harshfield and Witt profited well in their undertakin--however, more frankly than the cunning Newton with his hay stack around a core of solid granite.

William Adshead (a stone mason) located early, John Simpson and his partner in the butcher business, J. N. Musick, had herds on Big Dry creek in 1856. The Henrici Brothers in the adjacent hills were contemporaries. Louis Studer on the Henry Burrough trial crossing of Little Dry creek was the first stock man of his locality. The rough wagon track later became the main road leading from Millerton to Burrough valley, the Tollhouse and Pine Ridge.

Burrough valley perpetuates the name of its first white settler, in 1853--Colonel Henry Burrough; his early associate in location was George Rivercombe. Both these men are identified with primitive Millerton History. The colonel's fame has gone down to posterity as the contractor of Fresno county's first notorious jail. George Rivercombe was Fresno county's first treasurer, and an honest custodian for eight years. He then left Millerton for his own "Sunny South"--he was a Mississippian--to help his native land in its extremity.

History of Fresno County and the San Joaquin Valley

Narrative and Biographical

By Lilbourne Alsip Winchell

1933

Transcribed by Liz Brase, 2007