Reedley Historical Photos
History
"The World's Fruit Basket"
Reedley is located in the central San Joaquin Valley portion of California, lying just inland between the State’s coastal mountain ranges and the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Within an hours travel time, Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks can be enjoyed. The Monterey Peninsula and Pacific Ocean are less than three hours away. The valley floor is the richest intensive agricultural production area in the world. Reedley’s economy continues as predominantly based upon agricultural production and agriculturally-oriented industry. Although it has diversified in recent years, local economy continues to be significantly dependent upon the underlying agricultural character of the region. The people in Reedley are some of the friendliest and most neighborly you will meet. Reedley’s citizens are a community mix of many converging cultures and peoples, from Asian, African, Central American, European, Mexican, Native American and South American, making for a tasteful community that provides some of the best exposure of social and cultural living in one place. Reedley College enhances our community with its multitude of programs and student exchange efforts. From pre-school to High School, our educational facilities are some of the very best in the Central Valley; from public to private we can possibly surpass your expectations.
Reedley is situated approximately twenty five miles southeast of the City of Fresno and equidistant from the City of Visalia situated southeast of Reedley. Manning Avenue, a four-lane divided major arterial street, connects the city with State Highway 99 twelve miles to the west. State Highway 180 is located eight miles north of the City, and both highways are heavily used by local, regional, and national residents, travelers, and motor carriers. In addition to its location near these major highways, the community lies adjacent to the Tulare Valley Railroad and the Southern Pacific Railroad lines. Reedley offers manifold opportunities for work, recreation and just plain living. The City offers multiple opportunities for business start up and growth for retail, commercial and industrial. Our 2010 Buxton Retail site analysis and propensity study is available to you in order to make those important and vital business decisions.
Civil war hero Thomas Law Reed settled here to provide wheat for Gold Rush miners in the mid 1800’s. His donation of land for a railroad station site established the town as the center of the Valley’s booming wheat business. Railroad officials commemorated his vision by naming the fledgling City in his honor. When mining fever began to fade, wheat demand slackened. Kings River water was diverted for crop irrigation, and the region began its over 100-year tradition of bountiful field, tree, and vine fruit harvests. Our hope is that you visit once just to taste how good the “World’s Fruit Basket” really is. We are confident you will decide on a second bite (pardon the pun) or even decide to stay. The City strives to build from its past and improve on its future. We invite your comments as to how we can better serve you and all who visit.
With water and railroad services in place, 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. An important element in the early town was a colony of German Mennonites, whose strong traditions and values still shape Reedley’s culture. The population today is diverse and multi-cultural and Reedley boasts a current population equal to 20,500. Each of the town’s major ethnic groups has shown strong civic leadership, a desire to retain cultural and religious traditions, and the ability to work successfully together for Reedley’s betterment. Among the community’s 25 churches are Armenian, Baptist, Buddhist, Catholic, and many other congregations. The area’s forty-one organizations and twelve civic clubs include Filipino community organizations, a Finnish organization, and American Lebanese Women’s Club, several Hispanic and Latin American organizations, and a Japanese organization among the many sports, cultural, conservation, charitable, and civic associations. In 1988 Reedley celebrated the first one hundred years of its multi-cultural heritage, and the 75th anniversary of incorporation. May you have a peaceful and productive day!
Education is a vital part of community life, with seven elementary, three junior, and two high schools, both public and private. Over 6,000 students are served by these facilities, part of the Kings Canyon Unified School District. For seventy years, Reedley College has capped the local educational structure, providing area residents with a lively assortment of classes, programs, activities, and community events. Part of a 106 campus and 71 district California Community College system, it has a total on and off-campus enrollment of over 6,252. Small classes, on-campus housing, an excellent library, strong career guidance resources, and a spirited athletic program add to the college’s appeal. Students can select certificate or associate degree programs in a wide variety of educational majors. Within a thirty mile radius of the City are California State University, Fresno City College, College of the Sequoias (Visalia), two law schools, a Christian college, and a graduate professional psychology school. Local television and radio stations, the Reedley Exponent newspaper which provides local communication and perspective opportunities, a full range of newspapers from around the country, a local branch public library, and an active historical society and local museum complete the community’s education profile. May you have a peaceful and productive day!
Reedley contributes a wide variety of agricultural products to the County’s economy. The area’s rich, fertile soil produces the finest fruit, nut, vegetable, grain and cotton varieties. Since 1946, Reedley has been known as the Fruit Basket of the World because we lead the nation in the shipping of fresh fruit. Thirty fruit and vegetable packing and cold storage facilities, including the world’s largest plant, along with nearby wineries, supply tree and vine fruit products of consistently high quality. Related manufacturing industries in Reedley include boxes and packing machinery, and automatic packing equipment. May you have a peaceful and productive day!
The Council-Manager form of government administers a general fund operating budget of over $4,700,000 with a total budget in excess of $15,000,000. The City has had a Planning Commission since the 1940’s and provides full City services including a municipal airport, water system, sewer plant, and trash collection. A modern, acute-care hospital with a new birthing center provides comprehensive medical coverage. The active Chamber of Commerce & Visitor’s Bureau and Reedley Downtown Association are responsible for significant on-going revitalization and beautification. May you have a peaceful and productive day!
Key to Reedley, however, is its exceptional recreational amenities. On the banks of the Kings River, sandy beaches and clear stretches of open water lure enthusiasts for swimming, fishing, boating and water-skiing. Parks along the river draw families and friends from great distances for frequent picnics and festivities. The City’s public parks, swimming pool, and comprehensive recreational program, along with its annual community-wide pageants and festivals, complete with three area golf courses, nearby Pine Flat Reservoir and the redwoods, lakes, streams, and hiking trails minutes away in the mountains. Reedley’s spectacular setting is enhanced by the entertainment and shopping radius surrounding the city center, and its success in combining the best of its rural heritage and contemporary urban comforts. May you have a peaceful and productive day!
Reedley Historical Dates
1883 Thomas Law Reed leases land from the 76 Land and Water Company and plants wheat
1888 Southern Pacific Railroad brings a branch line into the area and plots the town and names it in Reed’s honor, TL Reed begins selling town lots
1890 Reedley’s first Grammar School is built
1892 A devastating fire nearly destroys the town
1900 First Japanese arrive; Volunteer Fire Department started; Reedley Culture Club formed; New Post Office built; First transcontinental train rolls through the San Joaquin Valley on the Santa Fe tracks.
1902 Reedley Chamber of Commerce started. T.L. Reed is elected first president; “Main Street” (current downtown area) destroyed by disastrous fire – rebuilding begins using brick.
1903 Water lines are laid; The first Swiss Mennonite settles in Reedley; Reedley State Bank built.
1904 Santa Fe RR Spur tracks built to Piedra; The first vehicle is driven in Reedley.
1905 The first Finnish farmer locates in Reedley; Reedley High School is built.
1907 Electricity arrives in Reedley; Farmers, Merchants’ and First National Banks are built; the Reedley Ledger newspaper is created;.
1908 The first fire plug was placed on the corner of 10th and G Street
1908 Cemetery Bridge (now Olson Avenue bridge) is built over the Kings River;
1910 Town defeats incorporation; Reedley Library becomes a Fresno branch.
1911 Founder T.L. Reed dies; Branch Line of S.F.R.R. built to Minkler and Piedra; Finnish Hall started; Lincoln Grammar School built; Reedley Hotel finished; Reedley Grand Theatre opened; Reedley Y.M.C.A. organized.
1912 First telephone directory issue for Reedley; Reedley’s L.B. Cary is elected and serves the California Assembly for two terms.
1913 Fire Department is formally chartered; Alarm boxes are installed around town to help identify the location of the fires along with a siren to signal a fire
1913 February 18 – Reedley becomes incorporated; J.J. Eymann is the first mayor; the first fire station is built; J.W. Shipe becomes the Town Marshall; wooden sidewalks are replaced by cement; sewer bond passes 7 to 1; City buys Reedley Water Works from private citizen; First City steel water tower is constructed.
1915 Gas comes to Reedley.
1916 First troop of boy scouts organized; Street numbering started.
1917 First City Hall building built; American Red Cross – Reedley Branch organized; Study & Civic Clubhouse built; Reedley joins the County Farm Bureau.
1918 Reedley High School is established
1918 Spanish Influenza outbreak in Reedley; American Legion Post organized; Permanent paved streets were being laid.
1920 Pioneer Park is established.
1921 The sidewalk clock on G Street is installed; Chamber of Commerce incorporated.
1922 City adopts zoning map; Planning Commission organized by ordinance; Legion hall dedicated; Reedley Lions Club organized.
1923 Dedication of new Reedley High School (present location); City Band Shell erected; General Grant Junior High School built; First fruit packing shed built in Reedley; Second steel water tower erected.
1926 Reedley Junior College started with classes being held at Reedley High School.
1927 City’s first stop signs installed.
1928 First City fire truck purchased; Girl Scout troops organized.
1929 Fire consumes the top floor of the Grand Hotel
1930 First City swimming pool built by American Legion on City property; The first all-purpose fire truck carrier with pump, tank, hose and ladders is purchased.
1932 The City purchased a new Seagrave fire engine
1933 Greyhound Bus Service begins.
1939 Reedley Hospital opens to the public; Natural gas arrives in Reedley.
1946 Reedley College becomes a full Community College
1946 Reedley Fiesta is organized; Chamber gets patent pending on slogan “The World’s Fruit Basket”.
1947 Mid Valley Fire District located an engine in Reedley
1947 Work begins on Pine Flat dam; Fire Department accepts mutual aid agreement with Mid Valley Fire Department; City joins Consolidated Mosquito Abatement District.
1950 National Guard Armory dedicated; Kings River flood takes out lower bridge; population listed as 4,135; Kings View opens its psychiatric hospital.
1951 First July 4th live fireworks show held by Eagles/Legion.
1951 New City swimming pool opens; Disabled American Veterans organized; Olson Avenue bridge replacement completed.
1952 St. LaSalle School built.
1953 Sequoia Safety Council organizes.
1954 The school district votes to move Reedley College to its own campus
1954 City purchases property that will eventually develop into C.F. Mueller Park.
1955 Little League instituted.
1956 Reedley College is moved to its present location on 420 acres, which was once part of the historic Thomas Law Reed Ranch, 300 acres remain as farmland.
1956 Present Reedley College campus opened.
1959 Reedley Rotary Club chartered. Reedley’s G.A. Garrigus wins Assembly election.
1960 Department of Motor Vehicles opens a Reedley office; Present City hall is opened; Population listed at 5,850.
1963 Reedley College joins the SCCCD; Reedley firemen drive a new American LaFrance fire engine from New York to Reedley
1963 Reedley celebrates 50 years; Jefferson school is dedicated; Reedley has over 326 businesses.
1965 Voters pass unification and form Kings Canyon Unified School District.
1971 City’s sewer plant expansion is dedicated. Population is listed at 8,500.
1973 City’s first Industrial Park opens; Reedley’s Community Center is dedicated; Upper Manning Bridge is widened.
1974 Camacho Park / Drainage Basin Development starts; Reedley’s police department is the first in the County to have a K-9 corp; A Senior Citizens group is organized; The high school’s auditorium is destroyed by fire.
1976 Olson Bridge is rebuilt; Reedley Historical Society is formed.
1978 New Fire Station opens; First Japanese Americans are elected to serve on the Reedley City Council.
1979 Reedley Airport is dedicated.
1980 Reedley College was renamed Kings River Community College
1980 Cable TV opens their headquarters in Reedley.
1981 The City purchases a “Jaws-of-life” rescue tool as a result of citywide fundraising
1981 Reedley High’s Performing Arts Theatre is completed.
1982 Dial-A-Ride City service begins.
1985 The 9-1-1 emergency system goes into effect locally.
1986 The first woman City treasurer is elected; the Reedley Downtown Association is formed.
1988 The first woman is elected to serve on the Reedley City Council. The City celebrates its 75th and 100th anniversaries; Overcrowding Ordinance is adopted.
1989 Reedley feels the Bay Area’s devastating Oct 17th earthquake; Reedley Redevelopment Agency formation begins; Senior Volunteer program initiated by the police department; Rescue 5 pickup unit is added to the Fire Department’s EMT force.
1990 New Ladder/Pumper truck arrives at the Fire Department; population is at 15,791; City and Fresno County enter into tax sharing agreements; Ground is broken for the Senior Citizens multi-purpose room; Police Department introduces reserve officers on bikes;
1991 The City adopts a new logo, only to abandon it later; the Redevelopment Agency becomes official; the City Council adopts the Kings River Specific Plan.
1993 City Hall expands with a million dollar remodeling job.
1994 The Fire Department formed the Swiftwater Emergency Response Team (SERT)
1994 Reedley’s population is now 18,885, third largest in Fresno County; the City’s first-ever bank robbery occurred with an arrest the same day; Garbage service is automated; the first woman was elected Mayor.
1996 Reedley Senior Center is dedicated November 13, 1996
1996 Utility users tax is voted down.
1997 The Rails to Trails concept moves forward.
1998 By popular demand, the name ‘Reedley College’ was restored
1999 New Type 1 pumper added to Fire Department
1999 Reedley High School Marching Band will appear in the Rose Parade on 1/1/2000; Groundbreaking ceremony for the Rails to Trails project.
2000 Rails to Trails – 1st trees planted on the new Rail Trail
2001 Rails to Trails Phase 1: Convert old rail corridor to landscaped Pedestrian/Bicycle Trail from Manning Ave to 13th Street – Almost a mile of tree lined trail; Citizens Park/Drainage Basin Complete
2002 Rails to Trails Phase 2: 13th Street to Dinuba Ave. to make the trail 1.3 miles long.
2003 Skate Park, Basketball courts, New children’s play area, & Senior Center Outdoor Dining area are added to Mueller Park; Rails to Trails Phase 3: Dinuba Ave. to Buttonwillow Ave. to make the trail 2.25 miles long; David Powell becomes Reedley’s first full-time Fire Chief.
2004 TL Reed Elementary opens its doors
2005 Two new pumpers added to the Fire Department; Fire Department enlists two part-time Code Enforcement Officers.
2006 Waste Water Treatment Plant expansion, providing sufficient capacity through 2022
2007 Fire Department hires full-time Code Enforcement Officer
2008 The voting public passes Measure G, adopting the Public Safety Sales Tax; Rails to Trails Phase 4: Manning Ave. to Kings River Overlook Gazebo to make the trail 2.50 miles long; In the February Special Election, the voters of Reedley approve a ½ cent Public Safety Sales Tax measured for enhanced Police & Fire Services; Construction begins on the Silas Bartsch Campus
2009 Sports Park is completed; Reedley switches to meters for all water services; Fire Department hires full-time Battalion Chief funded by Measure G; New Medical Response vehicle added to Fire Department; Silas Bartsch School opens to over 400 students and is opened for grades K-6th
2010 Sports Park Phase 1 is completed; Dinuba/Buttonwillow roundabout is completed; Airport adds AWOS System; South Korean Monument is dedicated; two rescue boats are purchased for the Fire Department; Reedley changes from flat rate to metered billing for water use; Silas Bartsch School becomes a completed K-8 in the 2010/11 school year.
2011 Construction of 1.5 million gallon Water Tower at Sports Park begins; Fire dispatching moved from Reedley PD to CalFire; Sierra Kings Medical becomes Adventist Health
2012 City and KCUSD plans Central Valley Transportation Center for joint use; three new Clean Fuel Natural Gas garbage trucks have been added to the fleet; CalOES assigns Water Tender apparatus to Reedley
2013 Reedley celebrates 100 years since its incorporation, and 125 years since its founding; Work begins on replacing the Manning Bridge, one of the largest Public Works projects in the City’s history; Construction for Well 14 at the Sports Park begins; Reedley entrance monument on Manning Ave. is erected
2014 City adds solar panels at City Hall, Community Center, & at the Waste Water Treatment Facility; KCUSD opens new Aquatic Center at Reedley High School; Sports Water Tower becomes operational, adding 1.5 million gallons of water storage capacity to the City.
2015 Reedley’s City logo is affixed to an F-15 based out of the Fresno Air National Guard base as part of the ‘Cities of Honor’ program.
2017 New 101 foot aerial platform ladder tuck added to the Fire Department
2019 New boat launching facility constructed at Cricket Hollow Park. The old City Pool was replaced by the first Splash Pad located at Trimble Park.
Last modified: February 25, 2021
City of Reedley
Employee & Staff Links
Helpful Links
Solar Facility Monitoring Links
MISSION STATEMENT - We, the members of the Reedley City Council and employees of the City of Reedley, foster a high quality of life for our entire community by creating an environment of open communication, progressive partnerships, economic opportunities and the delivery of efficient, responsive and excellent community services.