Reedley is a city in
Fresno County
Fresno County (), officially the County of Fresno, is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 1,008,654. The county seat is Fresno, the fifth-most populous city in Cali ...
,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. It is located in the
San Joaquin Valley
The San Joaquin Valley ( ; es, Valle de San Joaquín) is the area of the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California that lies south of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta and is drained by the San Joaquin River. It comprises seven ...
, east-southeast of
Fresno
Fresno () is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about and had a population of 542,107 in 2020, maki ...
,
at an elevation of .
The population at the 2010 census was . Its chief economic source is agriculture, particularly fruit and vegetable cultivation and has thus dubbed itself "The World's Fruit Basket".
[ Reedley is situated along the Kings River, downstream from Centerville.
Reedley hosts several cultural festivals, including but not limited to the Reedley Fiesta, and the Electrical Farm Equipment Parade.
Reedley is named for Thomas Law Reed, a Civil War veteran who gave half of his holdings to the township in 1888.
]
History
In the mid-1800s, American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
veteran Thomas Law Reed settled in Reedley to grow wheat for Gold Rush
A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, New ...
miners. His donation of land for a railroad station site established the town as the center of the San Joaquin Valley's booming wheat industry. Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials- SP) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the ...
officials commemorated his donation by naming the depot in his honor, which the city itself then adopted.
When gold mining fever began to fade, wheat demand slackened. Water from the Kings River was diverted for crop irrigation, and the region's agriculture diversified to include fruits, including grapes, figs, and peaches.
With the establishment of water and railroad services, farming families of European immigrants were recruited, and the settlement was incorporated in 1913, with Ordinance No. 1 adopting and prescribing the style of a Common Seal on February 25, 1913. That same year, the city's first cement sidewalks, sewer system, and fire department, as well as the first of two steel water towers were constructed.
A colony of German American Mennonites
Mennonites are groups of Anabaptist Christian church communities of denominations. The name is derived from the founder of the movement, Menno Simons (1496–1561) of Friesland. Through his writings about Reformed Christianity during the Radic ...
, who travelled to California to escape the ecological disaster
An environmental disaster or ecological disaster is defined as a catastrophic event regarding the natural environment that is due to human activity.Jared M. Diamond, '' Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed'', 2005 This point disti ...
of the Dust Bowl
The Dust Bowl was a period of severe dust storms that greatly damaged the ecology and agriculture of the American and Canadian prairies during the 1930s. The phenomenon was caused by a combination of both natural factors (severe drought) a ...
played an important role in the town's early history, settling in Township 8, an area now known as Navelencia. Reedley contains a community of 25 different Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
churches, including Anglican
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
, Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, Armenian
Armenian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent
** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...
, Baptist
Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compe ...
, and Mennonite
Mennonites are groups of Anabaptist Christian church communities of denominations. The name is derived from the founder of the movement, Menno Simons (1496–1561) of Friesland. Through his writings about Reformed Christianity during the Radic ...
congregations. The town is also home to a Buddhist temple
A Buddhist temple or Buddhist monastery is the place of worship for Buddhists, the followers of Buddhism. They include the structures called vihara, chaitya, stupa, wat and pagoda in different regions and languages. Temples in Buddhism represen ...
. The city's cultural influences include Filipino
Filipino may refer to:
* Something from or related to the Philippines
** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines.
** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...
, Finnish
Finnish may refer to:
* Something or someone from, or related to Finland
* Culture of Finland
* Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland
* Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people
* Finnish cuisine
See also ...
, Lebanese and Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
immigrants. Since the 1940s, Reedley has seen a large increase in its Hispanic and Latino
Hispanic and Latino Americans ( es, Estadounidenses hispanos y latinos; pt, Estadunidenses hispânicos e latinos) are Americans of Spanish and/or Latin American ancestry. More broadly, these demographics include all Americans who identify a ...
immigrant population, who have come to represent the majority of Reedley's ethnic makeup.
In 1988, Reedley celebrated the first 100 years since the construction of its Southern Pacific depot, and the 75th anniversary of incorporation. In 2013, the city celebrated its centennial
{{other uses, Centennial (disambiguation), Centenary (disambiguation)
A centennial, or centenary in British English, is a 100th anniversary or otherwise relates to a century, a period of 100 years.
Notable events
Notable centennial events at ...
.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it (1.39%) is water.
City Buildings and Services
Reedley National Bank
The Reedley National Bank building was built in 1907, when the city was first connected to electricity. The bank has since ceased operation. The building is situated on 1100 G Street.
Mid Valley Times
Reedley's downtown is the home of the local newspaper The '' Mid Valley Times'', formerly known as the ''Reedley Exponent''. The Exponent merged with the ''Sanger Herald'' and the ''Dinuba Sentinel'' in July, 2019 in order to improve circulation.
Jansen Opera House
The building that houses the Opera House was built in 1903, after a fire destroyed two blocks of downtown Reedley. Danish grain merchant
The grain trade refers to the local and international trade in cereals and other food grains such as wheat, barley, maize, and rice. Grain is an important trade item because it is easily stored and transported with limited spoilage, unlike other ...
, Jesse Jansen, rallied the downtown shopkeepers to rebuild Reedley's downtown out of brick. The Opera House itself was built at Jansen's personal expense to serve as a cultural and community center. In 1913, the population of Reedley met at the Opera House to vote for incorporation. After the early 1920s, movie houses replaced the popularity of theatre, and the building went into disuse until restoration in 1986. The City of Reedley acquired the building in 2002 by donation.
In 2003, the River City Theatre Company was founded by Mark Norwood, who served as artistic director until his retirement in 2016. The River City Theatre Company currently leases the Opera House and produces musicals and stage plays.
Reedley Municipal Airport
North of the city and southwest of Mount Campbell, Reedley Municipal Airport is a public airport
An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surfac ...
, serving southeast Fresno County
Fresno County (), officially the County of Fresno, is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 1,008,654. The county seat is Fresno, the fifth-most populous city in Cali ...
and northwest Tulare County
Tulare County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 473,117. The county seat is Visalia. The county is named for Tulare Lake, once the largest freshwater lake west of the Great Lakes. ...
. There are 21 single-engine aircraft based at Reedley Municipal Airport, and during the 12-month period ending on 30 January 2020, the airport logged 33,000 operations.
City administration and policing
Government
Reedley has a Council-City Manager form of municipal government, located at 845 G Street.
Police
The Reedley Police Department is headquartered at 843 G Street, sharing a building with the city government.
The small communities and area surrounding Reedley are served by the Fresno County Sheriff's Office.
Education
Kings Canyon Unified School District is a public school system headquartered in Reedley, but also has schools located in the nearby city of Orange Cove, the towns of Dunlap, Miramonte, and the mountain communities. Reedley also offers private educational institutions such as St. La Salle School (Roman Catholic Private K-8) and Immanuel Schools (Mennonite Private K-12). The local community college, Reedley College
Reedley College (Reedley or RC) is a public community college in Reedley, California. It is a part of the California Community Colleges system within the State Center Community College District (SCCCD). It is accredited by the WASC Accredit ...
, offers undergraduate
Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-lev ...
higher education up to an associate degree as well as various certification courses.
Educational institutions in Reedley:
Elementary
*Alta Elementary School
*Jefferson Elementary School
*Great Western Elementary School
*Washington Elementary School
*Lincoln Elementary School
*Immanuel Elementary School
K-8 schools
*Thomas Law Reed K-8 School
*Riverview K-8 School
*Silas Bartsch K-8 School
*St. La Salle Catholic School
Middle schools
*General Grant Middle School
*Navelencia Middle School
*Immanuel Junior High School
High schools
* Reedley High School
*Immanuel High School
Immanuel High School is a Christian high school located in Reedley, California. The school is a private Christian school that serves Fresno County and Tulare County. It is one of the Immanuel Schools.
Academics
The class schedule is a rotating d ...
*Reedley Middle College High School
Alternative education
*Kings Canyon High School
*Mountain View Independent School
Community college
*Reedley College
Reedley College (Reedley or RC) is a public community college in Reedley, California. It is a part of the California Community Colleges system within the State Center Community College District (SCCCD). It is accredited by the WASC Accredit ...
Demographics
2010
At the 2010 census Reedley had a population of . The population density was people per square mile (/km). The racial makeup of Reedley was () White, 169 () African American, 267 () Native American, 797 () Asian, 8 () Pacific Islander, () from other races, and 998 () from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were persons ().
The census reported that people ( of the population) lived in households, 119 () lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 130 () were institutionalized.
There were households, out of which () had children under the age of 18 living in them, () were opposite-sex married couples living together, 946 () had a female householder with no husband present, 521 () had a male householder with no wife present. There were 440 () unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 39 () same-sex married couples or partnerships. 886 households () were one person and 471 () had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 3.65. There were families ( of all households); the average family size was 3.94.
The age distribution was people () under the age of 18, people () aged 18 to 24, people () aged 25 to 44, people () aged 45 to 64, and people () who were 65 or older. The median age was 29.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.7 males.
There were housing units at an average density of per square mile (/km), of which 6,569 were occupied, of which () were owner-occupied, and () were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 3.7%. people ( of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and people () lived in rental housing units.
2000
At the 2000 census there were people, households, and families in the city. The population density was people per square mile (/km). There were housing units at an average density of per square mile (/km). The racial makeup
A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...
of the city was 51.76% White, 1.73% Black or African American, 1.21% Native American, 8.83% Asian, 37.72% from other races, and 4.44% from two or more races. 57.59% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were households, 46.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.5% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.4% were non-families. 15.8% of households were one person and 8.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.53 and the average family size was 3.87.
The age distribution was 32.1% under the age of 18, 12.2% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 15.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% 65 or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.6 males.
The median income
Income is the consumption and saving opportunity gained by an entity within a specified timeframe, which is generally expressed in monetary terms. Income is difficult to define conceptually and the definition may be different across fields. For ...
for a household in the city was , and the median family income was $. Males had a median income of $ versus $ for females. The per capita income for the city was $. About 18.5% of families and 21.4% of the population were below the poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 31.6% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
* Charles B. Garrigus, Poet Laureate and state legislator; former professor at Reedley College and Reedley resident
*Kris Holmes
Kris Holmes (born 1950, Reedley, California) is an American typeface designer, calligrapher, type design educator and animator. She, with Charles Bigelow, is the co-creator of the Lucida font family, among many other typeface designs. She is Pres ...
, type designer and president of Bigelow & Holmes Inc.
* Lacy Barnes Mileham, Atlanta 1996 Olympics athlete in discus; psychology professor at Reedley College
*Ed Kezirian
Ed Kezirian (born August 4, 1952 in Fresno, California) an American athletic administrator who was the interim head coach of the UCLA Bruins football team for one game. Kezirian worked as the Football Academic Coordinator at University of Californ ...
, UCLA
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
football coach, attended and coached at Reedley College
*Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
Ernestine Moller Gilbreth, Mrs. Carey (April 5, 1908 – November 4, 2006) was an American writer.
Early life and education
Ernestine Moller Gilbreth was born in New York City on April 5, 1908. She was the daughter of Frank B. and Lillian ...
, author of ''Cheaper By the Dozen
''Cheaper by the Dozen'' is a semi-autobiographical novel written by Frank Bunker Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey, published in 1948. The novel recounts the authors' childhood lives growing up in a household of 12 children. The bestsel ...
'', lived in Reedley
*Paul Hurst
Paul Michael Hurst (born 25 September 1974) is an English football manager and former player who is the manager of club Grimsby Town.
As a player, he was a defender from 1993 to 2008, notably playing his entire career at Rotherham United, b ...
, actor, appeared in ''Gone With the Wind
Gone with the Wind most often refers to:
* ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell
* ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel
Gone with the Wind may also refer to:
Music
* ''Gone with the Wind'' ...
''
*Vic Lombardi
Victor Alvin Lombardi (September 20, 1922 – December 3, 1997) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB i ...
, Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
player who pitched for the Pirates and Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
; born in Reedley
* Rick Besoyan, singer, actor, playwright, composer, and director of musicals such as ''Little Mary Sunshine
''Little Mary Sunshine'' is a musical that parodies old-fashioned operettas and musicals. The book, music, and lyrics are by Rick Besoyan. The original Off-Broadway production premiered November 18, 1959 at the Orpheum Theatre in New York Cit ...
''
* Silas Bartsch, former administrator and interim president of Fresno Pacific University
Fresno Pacific University (FPU) is a private Christian university in Fresno, California. It was founded as the Pacific Bible Institute in 1944 by the Pacific District Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. The university awarded its first Bac ...
, a K-8 public school in southeast Reedley is named in his honor.
References
External links
*
ReedleyAirport.com
Reedley Municipal Airport
KingsCanyonUnified.com
School District Homepage
SierraKingsHospital.org
Local Hospital
{{authority control
Cities in Fresno County, California
Incorporated cities and towns in California
Populated places established in 1913
1913 establishments in California