# Timeline of Fresno, California

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Fresno, California, USA.

## 19th century

* 1856 – Fresno County formed in 1856 with Millerton, a settlement along the San Joaquin River, as the county seat.
* 1865 – William Helm brings his wife and his sheep to the valley floor area south of Millerton.
* 1870 - Weekly Expositor newspaper in publication.
* 1872 – Fresno station founded by the Central Pacific Railroad Company
* 1874 – County seat of Fresno County moves from Millerton to Fresno due to population growth.
* 1875
** Fresno County Courthouse built.
** Central California Colony established south of Fresno, creating a successful model for attracting settlers.
* 1876 – Fresno Morning Republican newspaper in publication.
* 1877 – Fresno Volunteer Fire Department organized.
* 1881 - William Helm bought the block bounded by Fresno, R, Merced and S Streets from Louis Einstein.
* 1882 – St. John Church built.
* 1884 – Big Fresno Fair begins.
* 1885 – Fresno incorporated.
* 1889 – Meux Home built.
* 1890
** Barton opera house opens.
** Population exceeds 10,000.
* 1892 - Street cars introduced
* 1893 – Fresno Free Public Library opens.
* 1894
** Fresno Parlor Lecture Club organized.
** Fresno Water Tower built.
** San Francisco-Fresno bike messenger service (during the Pullman Strike) initiated.
* 1899 – Santa Fe Passenger Depot opens.
* 1900 – Population: 12,470.

## 20th century
### 1900s–1940s

* 1901
** Fresno City Railway in operation.
** Fresno Buddhist Temple founded.
* 1904
** Gottschalks shop in business.
** First Butcher Shop Opened by Andrew David Green
* 1906 – Forestiere Underground Gardens begin developing.
* 1908 – Asparēz Armenian/English-language newspaper begins publication.
* 1909 – Raisin Day festival begins.
* 1910 – Fresno Junior College opens.
* 1911
** Fresno State Normal School founded.
** Sunnyside Country Club opens.
* 1913 – Commercial Club organized.
* 1914 – Holy Trinity Church built.
* 1918
** Sun-Maid raisin facility begins operating.
** Bank of Italy building constructed.
* 1919 – Fresno Historical Society and Temple Beth Israel founded.
* 1921 – Fresno State College established.
* 1922
** KMJ 580AM Radio begins broadcasting.
** Fresno Bee newspaper begins publication.
* 1923
** Fort Washington Country Club established.
** San Joaquin Light and Power Corporation Building constructed.
* 1925 – Security Pacific Bank Building constructed.
* 1926 – Fresno State Stadium dedicated.
* 1928 – Pantages Theater opens.
* 1929
** Roeding Park Zoo opens.
** Z. S. Leymel becomes mayor.
** Chandler Airport opens as area's primary airport.
* 1932 – Fresno Memorial Auditorium built.
* 1935 – Academy (social group) formed.
* 1939 – Tower Theatre opens.
* 1942 – U.S. Air Force Hammer Airfield and Japanese American internment camp in use.
* 1944 – Pacific Bible Institute founded.
* 1946 – Sierra Sky Park Airport residential aviation community established near city.
* 1947 – Hammer Field National Guard training area and Fresno Air Terminal established, becoming primary hub of commercial aviation instead of Chandler Airport.
* 1948 – Azteca Theater built.

### 1950s–1990s

* 1954 – Peoples Church and Fresno Philharmonic founded.
* 1955 – Bernice F. Sisk becomes U.S. representative for California's 12th congressional district.
* 1960 – Mexican American Political Association founded.
* 1961 – City of Fresno Takes over municipal bus service.
* 1962 – Farm Workers Association founding meeting held in Fresno.
* 1964
** Fulton Mall dedicated.
* 1966
** Fresno Convention Center complex built.
** Fresno County Courthouse rebuilt.
* 1967 – Catholic Diocese of Fresno established.
* 1968 - Woodward Park opened in north Fresno.
* 1969 – Kiddie Kinema movie theatre opens.
* 1970
** Fashion Fair Mall in business.
** Population: 167,927.
* 1973 – Good Company Players founded.
* 1977 – KMTF television begins broadcasting.
* 1983 – Fresno Metronews begins publication.
* 1984
** Nanaksar Gurdwara founded.
** Fresno Metropolitan Museum established.
* 1989
** Fresno Municipal Sanitary Landfill closes.
** Karen Humphrey becomes mayor.
* 1990
** Vida en el Valle Spanish/English-language newspaper begins publication.
** Population: 354,202.
* 1992 – Hmong Times newspaper in publication.
* 1993
** Hmong Today (television program) begins broadcasting.
** San Joaquin Valley Heritage & Genealogy Center established.
** Jim Patterson becomes mayor.
* 1996 – Tahoe Joe's restaurant in business.
* 1997
** Community Food Bank active.
** River Park shopping center in business.
* 1998
** City website online.
** Fresno Grizzlies baseball team formed.
** Fresno Stadium 22 cinema opens.
* 2000
** University High School established.
** Mormon Fresno California Temple dedicated.

## 21st century

* 2001
** Alan Autry becomes Mayor
* 2002
** Grizzlies Stadium opens.
* 2003
** Save Mart Center (arena) opens.
** Ani-Jam anime convention begins.
* 2005
** Woodward Shakespeare Festival and Artists' Repertory Theatre founded.
** Jim Costa becomes U.S. representative for California's 20th congressional district.
** Coyle United States Courthouse built.
* 2008 – Neighborhood Thrift shop in business.
* 2009 – Ashley Swearengin becomes mayor.
* 2010
** Fresno Metropolitan Museum closes.
** Population reaches 494,665 people.
* 2013
** Poet laureate inaugurated.
** Bitwise Industries launches, bringing a technology and entrepreneur community together. Starts with Bitwise Mural District, and more Fresno campuses follow.
* 2014
** Fresno General Plan adopted, becoming the first one in decades to not expand the Sphere of Influence.
* 2015
** On January 6, Governor Jerry Brown attends a groundbreaking ceremony for California High-Speed Rail in downtown Fresno at the future location of Fresno's High Speed Rail Station.
** Fresno Declares Drought; worst recorded precipitation levels; 130 years. Water Use Reduction/Conservation Begins.
* 2017 – 2017 Fresno shootings.
* 2019 – 2019 Fresno shootings.
* 2020
** Population reaches 542,161 people.
* 2021
** Former Police Chief Jerry Dyer becomes Fresno's 26th mayor.