1980s-1990s

GOLD AND GRINGOS

Early American Transformation of the Valley 1848-1900

The California gold rush triggered a series of interrelated changes that transformed the central valley by the turn of the 20^th century, notably: the rapid increase in population; the impact of the railroad; the development of intensive agriculture; the fast expansion of irrigation works; the growing demand for labor; and the spread of race-based ideas and policies, which led to a stratified, segregated society.  In the midst of these shifts, clusters of Mexicans (colonias) gradually emerged, a prelude to the coming wave of newcomers after 1900.

News of the discovery of gold in 1848 led to a human tidal wave from various parts of the world.  Among the first to arrive were Mexican, Peruvian, and Chilean miners; their expertise made them generally more successful than those without such skills, especially most American would-be prospectors, who usually entered the “diggings” later due to the distance to get to California.  Competition for productive claims quickly intensified, and resentment mounted toward those “foreigners,” whose relative success led to racially-charged efforts to force them out of gold country, such as the discriminatory Foreign Miners Tax of 1850, or if necessary, by violence.  The biased judicial system offered scant help to the “foreigners,” including Spanish-speaking miners (often referred to by the derogatory term, “greasers”); in the face of such injustices, most of them left for their homelands or the old coastal towns.  Their departure deprived the valley of potential businessmen, land owners, professionals and the like, given the opportunities afforded by the budding economy of the valley in the wake of the gold rush.

Some, however, resorted to social banditry, a form of resistance found in the exploits of Joaquin Murrieta, for instance, whose “gang” ranged over the valley, robbing coaches and their passengers of their valuables.  California Historical Landmark #344, near Coalinga, is the site where in 1853 Murrieta was allegedly killed in a shootout with lawmen.  Nonetheless, his resistance remains the inspiration for the trail ride of Mexican charros on the westside of the valley that has taken place annually since 1977.   

The end of gold rush had nevertheless left the state with a sizable population that was quickly augmented by continuing migration from other parts of country.  Land speculation and the entry of the railroad combined to accelerate the size of valley towns and cities by the 1870s, as much of their growth reflected the boom in agricultural production toward expansive markets, from figs and oranges to peaches and raisins—spurring a voracious demand for labor.  Farmers in particular turned to Asian immigrant workers, Chinese, Japanese, and Sikhs; but they were subjected to a series of racist immigration policy restrictions that over time dwindled their availability.  European immigrants as well as U.S.-born migrants were also tried, but they proved insufficient in number and/or in productivity.  African Americans also were recruited, yet again they were too few to fill the need, as irrigated farming spread from one end of the valley to the other.  By 1890, for example, according to the agricultural census of that year, 9,000 workers were necessary just to tend to the vineyards of Fresno County. 

Consequently, employers increasingly looked south for a source of labor, as the number of Asian immigrant workers fell victim to racially-motivated legislation; still later federal policies also restricted the entry of southern and eastern European immigrants. By 1900, drawn by the possibilities of employment, Mexican-born people began to appear in the census of 1900 in valley towns, such as the Morales, Romero, and Salazar families of Visalia’s ward #4; the latter headed by Jesus Salazar, who became a famed saddle-maker.  

Yet, for most people at the time, the historic connection to the Mexican and Spanish past of el valle del rio san joaquin went unheralded and little understood; only the names of certain places retained the residue of that time.  But a decisive period in that connection was in the making, which would irrevocably change the central valley.

By Dr. Alex Saragoza