Description of Madera 1933

City of Madera

When the county was established, the board of supervisors at first engaged floor space for public business in the Rosenthal-Kutner building at Yosemite and D streets and in the Dworach building on D street. Later all the county offices were housed in the Russ House, at Yosemite and G streets. In the year 1902, the courthouse was built, at a cost of $100,000 on a block of land donated for the purpose by Thomas E. Hughes and his son, William M. Hughes, now (1933) county treasurer. Later a handsome park was laid out by the county on land bought lying between the courthouse square and the railroad. This park has been remarkably grown and maintained with bandstand and zoo. The members of the board of supervisors in office at the time the courthouse was built were E. H. Chapman, W.S. Patterson, J. F. Daulton (son of the founder of the Daulton Ranch), J. C. Straube and H. A. Krohn.

The City of Madera, through its fifty-seven years of existence, has suffered very little from fire. December 4, 1906, there was a fire in the cupola of the courthouse, causing an $8,000 damage.

The City of Madera was incorporated in 1906 and the municipality is therefore twenty-seven years old. The chairman of the first city board was J. G. (Dick) Roberts, son of Return Roberts. Succeeding him were D. L. A. Danielson and then E. M. Saunders. Three years ago, Madera adopted a mayor and council form of government, and J. B. Gordon was chosen the first mayor.

The first church in the City of Madera, as in so many other California towns, was a congregation of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. Its building was constructed at B and Fifth streets, the carpenter work being done by the pastor, the Reverend J. H. Neal, and his son, Andrew Neal. A Catholic church has been started at Borden. This was later moved to Madera. Presbyterian, Christian, Episcopal and other denominations were later established.

According to L. W. Sharp, secretary of the Madera County Chamber of Commerce, who has contributed much to the valuable historical research of the county, among the first business houses in the City of Madera were:

"Captain R. P. Mace's Yosemite hotel, a two-story [sic] frame building which was destroyed by fire in 1886 and which the owner immediately replaced by the present two-story brick on the same location on Yosemite avenue and E street; H. S. Williams' general merchandise store on D street; Mark Anderson's hotel, known as the "Shady Corner" at F and Sixth Streets; Soren Jesson's Scandinavian House, later the Southern hotel, which was destroyed by fire some thirty-five years ago and replaced with the present Southern hotel on E street; a small building used by the postmaster, E. E. (Deacon) Moore; Dr. C. E. Brown's drug store at E and Fifth streets; the butcher shop of John and Thomas Cunningham; the blacksmithing and woodworking shop of David F., John and James Edwards on F street, which afterwards gave way to Dan Doherty's hotel, known as the Railroad House. Mr. Doherty was the first shoemaker, but gave up his bench and last to become host to the hungry and weary. On Yosemite avenue were the large stables of the Yosemite Stage and Turnpike company."

That the broad, well paved and beautifully shaded main thoroughfare of the City of Madera, stretching across the east and the west sides of the town, is named "Yosemite avenue" is a reminder of the large part that the Yosemite Valley filled in the minds of the founders of the city, and of the state.

In fraternal matters, the first lodge formed in Madera was the Madera lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, in 1885. Odd Fellows, Woodmen of the World and other organizations followed.

Madera county has three high schools, the Madera Union High School, in the City of Madera, the Chowchilla High School, Chowchilla, and the Raymond Granite High School

One of the finest grammar schools in central California is the Lincoln school, facing the courthouse on Yosemite avenue. It was completed in 1913. Joseph Barcroft was clerk of the board. J. G. Roberts and George Brown were the other members. In 1922, the Pershing grammar school was erected at the other side of town and named in commemoration of the American commander in the World war.

Among the notable civic influences in the City of Madera has been the Madera Women's Improvement club. This organization was formed in the winter of 1905-06 by a score of women anxious to contribute their ideas and efforts to community building. The president for the first few months was Mrs. J. W. Schmitz. The first permanent roll of officers was: President, Mrs. R. L. Hargrove; first vice president, Mrs. E. M. McCardle; second vice president, Mrs. E. H. Cox; recording secretary, Miss Augusta Cole; corresponding secretary, Mrs. W. C. Maze; treasurer, Mrs. F. A. Fee. A fine clubhouse was completed several years ago.

Opposite the courthouse park, on Yosemite, is located the very handsome county library building, erected in 1917. This was constructed entirely with county funds, depending on no outside donations. It furnishes commodious quarters for the handling of books and for all general reading purposes. It contains some 40,000 books and pamphlets.

One of the notable events in the municipal record of Madera was the fight carried on by its city attorney, in the first decade of the century, to secure the right of the city to establish its own water works. Raleigh E. Rhodes, then city attorney, was the father of the present sheriff of the county, W. C. Rhodes.

Source: History of Fresno and Madera Counties: narrative and biographical by Lilbourne Alsip Winchell ; Joseph Barcroft, editor for Madera County. A. H. Cawston: Fresno, 1933.