Oroville daily Butte record., 1857-07-15
Oruuille Dailq Butte Rsrurh.
Tulare Valley i'm Tulare COun-

The Tulare valley embraces all that
section of country known as the Four
Creeks. 1t is bounded on the North
and South by the plains; on the East
by the Sierra Nevada. and on the West
by Tulare Lake, being about thirty
five miles long, North and South, and
fifty miles East and West. 1t is wa
tered by two rivers, viz: the Tule and
the Kah. wee-ah, both having their
sources in the loftlest SUBMITS of the
Sierra Nevada mountains. The water
of the Tule river sinks on reaching the
plains the Kah-wee-ah after reach.
ing the valley, forks and forms what is
called the Four Creeks. On the west.
ern extremity of the valley is situated
Tule Lake, connecting on the south
with Buena Vista Lake, and also with
Kern Lake. The waters of the two
streams, and three Lakes abound in a
great variety of the fnny tribe, the
finest of which is the far. famed noun
tain trout. Deer, Elk, Antelope and
Grizzlies are numerous, and very tame,
consequently they fall an easy prey to
the rowing hunter. During all seasons
Of the year the lakes are frequented by
numerous focks of Ducks, Geese, Swans
Cranes, Brants together with every
species, variety and description of wa
ter fowls. The turtle is now found
either in these streams or lakes. Great
numbers of Otter and Beaver inhabit
these lakes and streams, and it would
pay those unc erstanding the singular
habits of these creatures 10 trap for
them during the winter season. The
first settlers in this valley numbered
fifteen or seventeen men. heir tents
were pitched on the banks of the kah-
wee-ah, in the summer Of '5l, where
the town of Woodvile now stands. On
the 18th of Deccmbdr, Isl, while the
settlers were out building their cabins,
an attack was made by the Indians on
all the white men, simultaneously, and
massacred all except two of the origin
al settlers, who escaped by swimming
the Ka-wee-ah river. Mr. Wood, af-
ter whom the town of Woodville is
named, was in his cabin at the time
the Indians made their murderous and
treachcrous assault, and succeeded in
killing twenty Of the savages. After
exhausting his ammunition the Diggers
forced the door, took him prisoner, and
tied him to tree and fayed him alive.
After which the Indians retired to the
mountains, driving off with them some
four or five hundred head Of Cattle be.
longing to Mr.. French, Major Patten,
Of U S. \ commanding officer at
Fort Miller, went in pursuit of the
savages, and after encamping for six
weeks on the banks of the Kae. wee.ah,
he returned to bis post, declaring the
Indians to be peaceable. After Tula-
re county was formed out uf the south>
ern portion of Mariposa county. in the
year 1852, and during the same year,
immigrants again settled the valley.
Since that time the valley has been
rapidly filling up with an industrious
class of farmers and stock raisers.
The land is of most excellent qua
l,ty for every description of farming
purposes, being easily irrigated and
producing annually most abundant
crop of clover and other grass, render
ing this section Of the county Of Tulare
one of the best grazing portions of this
State, for all kinds of stock. There
are no mustangs in the valley, nor in
fact any to be seen south of Kings
River.
The town Of Visalia, the county seat,
is near the centre of the valley, sixty
miles south Of Milerton, and is rapidly
improvinc. An excellent school is
kept BY Mrs. Kenney, for young ladies'.
which is well patronized by the citi-
zens. There are two grist mills con-
stanty in operation during all seasons
of the year, one peing driven by wa
ter, and the other by steam power.
Last session the Legislature granted
a charter to certain parties, to con-
struct a canal from Tulare Lake to the
San Joaquin river, and surveyors are
now running lines, locating routes, and
otherwise preparing for the construc-
tion of the canal. When this grand