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'Hanford' is the county seat of Kings County, California. It is the principal city of the Hanford-Corcoran, California Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA Code 25260), which encompasses all of Kings County, including the cities of Hanford and Corcoran. The population was 41,686 at the 2000 census. However, the California Department of Finance estimates that the population had grown to 50,370 as of January 1, 2007, making it the 168th largest city in the state.

Contents

Geography

Climate

History

Demographics

Economy

Government

Education

Culture

The Clark Center for Japanese Art and Culture

Hanford Carnegie Museum

Kings Art Center

Kings District Fair

Renaissance of Kings Cultural Arts Faire

Hanford in Literature

Hanford's Chinese Community

Hanford's Black Community

Sister City

Sites of Interest

Sports

Notable residents

References

External links

Geography

Hanford is located at (36.333273, -119.646889). It is situated in the south central portion of California's San Joaquin Valley, 45 km (28 mi) SSE of the city of Fresno, at an elevation of 249 feet above sea level. The terrain is level. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 33.9 km² (13.1 mi²), all of which is land not covered by water. The only natural watercourse is Mussel Slough, remnants of which still exist on the city's western edge. The People's Ditch, an irrigation canal dug in the 1870s, traverses Hanford from north to south [1].

Climate

Hanford has a climate typical of that of the San Joaquin Valley floor with hot, dry summers and cool winters characterized by dense Tule fog. The rainy season occurs from November through April. The average annual rainfall over the ten years from 1997/98 through 2006/07 was 228 mm (8.97 in). Historical climate data for Hanford are available at http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/hnx/hjomain.php.
The National Weather Service Forecast Office for the San Joaquin Valley is located in Hanford and includes a Doppler weather radar. Weather forecasts and climatological information for Hanford and the surrounding area are available from its website at http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/hnx/.

History

The Hanford area was inhabited by the Tachi Yokut Indians for several thousand years prior to Euro-American contact. They occupied areas along watercourses such as creeks, springs and seep areas (such as sloughs), along perennial and seasonal drainages, as well as flat ridges and terraces.^[1] Therefore, the areas along streams are considered likely locations for prehistoric cultural resources. Permanent villages were usually placed on an elevation above the seasonal flood levels. Surrounding areas were used for hunting and seed, acorn, and grass gathering.
Hanford is named for James Madison Hanford, a railroad executive, after the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks were laid through a sheep camp in the year 1877. According to ''History of Kings County'' : "It was but a short step from sheep-camp to village and with the railroad as an attraction the village flourished and became a town within a few historic months."^[2]

In 1880, a dispute over land titles between settlers and the Southern Pacific Railroad resulted in a bloody gun battle on a farm 9 km (5.6 mi) northwest of Hanford that left seven men dead. This event became famous as the Mussel Slough Tragedy.
A post office was set up in 1887.
Several times, major fires destroyed much of the young community's business district. The need for fire protection led to the town becoming an incorporated city in 1891.
An electrical generating plant was built in 1891 by pioneering flour miller H.G. Lacey, bringing the first electric lights to the city. The Lacey Milling Company was still operating in Hanford in 2007.
The first public high school, Hanford Union High School, was started in 1892 with one teacher, W. S. Cranmer, and an average enrollment of fourteen.^[3]
When Kings County was created in 1893 from the western part of Tulare County, Hanford became its county seat.
A second railroad was laid through Hanford in 1897, which today is the main north-south line of the BNSF Railway through the San Joaquin Valley. The original east-west Southern Pacific Railroad branch line is now operated by the San Joaquin Valley Railroad.
Saloons flourished in Hanford's early days despite an anti-saloon movement until the town voted to become "dry" in 1912, eight years before nationwide Prohibition in the United States took effect.^[4]

Demographics

As of the 2000 census, there were 41,686 people, 13,931 households, and 10,378 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,229.6/km² (3,184.4/mi²). There were 14,721 housing units at an average density of 434.2/km² (1,124.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 64.06% White, 5.01% Black or African American, 1.36% Native American, 2.85% Asian, 0.18% Pacific Islander, 20.80% from other races, and 5.73% from two or more races. 38.66% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Foreign-born residents accounted for 13.2% of Hanford's population and 28.3% spoke a language other than English at home.
There were 13,931 households out of which 42.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% were married couples living together, 15.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.39.
In the city the population was spread out with 31.6% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.

Economy

Hanford is a major trading center serving the surrounding agricultural area. According to the California Employment Development Department, as of January 2007, most residents of the Hanford area were employed in services (29,200 employees), government (14,300 employees) and farming (7,600 employees) as well as in some manufacturing enterprises (3,400 employees)[2].
The heavy industry sector has declined significantly over the past 20 years. An oil refinery formerly operated in the city under several different owners (Caminol Oil Co. from 1932-1967, Beacon Oil Co. from 1967-1982 and Ultramar Oil Co. from 1982-1987) until it permanently closed in 1987 [3]. A tire manufacturing plant was built in 1962 by the Armstrong Rubber Co., which operated it until that company was purchased by the Italian manufacturer Pirelli, which eventually closed the factory in 2001.
The retail sector is growing with taxable sales of USD 414.7 million reported in 2002, up by 4.6% from 2001[4].
Major employers within the city of Hanford in 2006 included the Kings County government with 1,041 employees, the Adventist Health System with 857, the Hanford Elementary School District with 520, the Del Monte tomato cannery with 435 year-round and 1,500 seasonal employees and Marquez Brothers International, Inc., makers of Hispanic cheese and other dairy products [5]. Many Hanford residents work for other nearby employers such as NAS Lemoore, the U.S. Navy's largest master jet base located 25 km (15.5 mi) WSW of Hanford and for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation which operates three state prisons in Kings County.
The unemployment rate in May 2007 for Kings County as a whole was 8.2% [6].
According to the United States Census Bureau, median household income in Hanford was USD 37,582 and 17.3% of the population was living below the poverty line in 1999, including 23.6% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over. The median income for a household in the city was USD 37,582, and the median income for a family was USD 41,395. Males had a median income of USD 37,120 versus USD 25,971 for females. The per capita income for the city was USD 17,504.
The homeownership rate was 59% in 2000 [7].

Government

Hanford is incorporated as a general law city under California law. The city has a council-manager government with a city manager [8] appointed by the city council [9].
The city council is made up of five members elected by districts for four-year terms. There are no term limits in effect. The mayor and vice-mayor are elected annually by the city council from among its members. In 2007, Joaquin D. Gonzalez was elected mayor and David G. Ayers vice mayor. Other council members include Dan Chin, Marcelyn M. Buford and Dave Thomas.
Hanford's city manager is the chief administrative officer of the city and is responsible for the overall administrative direction of the city. The city manager's duties include development and implementation of the annual budget for approval by the city council. Gary Misenheimer was appointed as city manager in 2007.
Hanford is represented in the U.S. House of Representatives by Jim Costa, in the California State Senate by Dean Florez and in the California Assembly by Nicole Parra.

Education

The United States Census of 2000 reported that 74.5% of Hanford residents aged 25 and over were high school graduates and 14.4% had bachelor's degrees or higher [10].

Culture

The Clark Center for Japanese Art and Culture

The jewel of the Clark Center is The Ruth & Sherman Lee Institute [11], the mission of which is to collect, preserve and exhibit works of fine art, primarily the arts of Japan. Regular museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 1:00 to 5:00 pm. The Center, a complex of buildings in a style informed by Japanese architecture, also houses a specialist library for Japanese art and culture.

Hanford Carnegie Museum

The Hanford Carnegie Museum was built in 1905 as one of the many Carnegie libraries that were funded by the steel industry magnate, Andrew Carnegie. The library was replaced by a new structure at a different location in 1968. The old library was subsequently renovated and re-opened as the Hanford Carnegie Museum in 1974. The building is of Romanesque architecture with displays of furniture and photos describing the history of the Hanford area [12].

Kings Art Center

The Kings Art Center was opened in 1989 to be the premier visual arts gallery and art training center of Kings County. Gallery shows are changed approximately every four weeks. Typical shows include photography, pottery, water color, mixed media, prints, textiles and fibers. The gallery is open daily except Monday and art classes for adults and children are scheduled throughout the year [13].

Kings District Fair

The Kings District Fair is a traditional county fair held on four days in mid-July at the Kings Fairgrounds [14].

Renaissance of Kings Cultural Arts Faire

The Renaissance of Kings Cultural Arts Faire [15] is held the first weekend of October at Courthouse Square in Hanford's city center. The Faire recreates the period of time during the rule of King Henry VIII of England. There is no admission charge and the event typically attracts 15,000 people over the two-day period.

Hanford in Literature

William Saroyan's short story, "The Journey to Hanford" that appeared in ''My Name Is Aram'' is a comic account of two characters from Fresno--a boy and his wastrel uncle--who share a single bicycle as they travel the approximately thirty mile route between Fresno and Hanford, taking along a sack of rice to feed them through what turns out to be a largely pointless summer.

Hanford's Chinese Community

Chinese immigrants arrived in the late 19th Century to build railroads and work on farms. They created a thriving Chinatown in Hanford in the neighborhood around China Alley.^[5] China Alley was the site of the famous but now closed Imperial Dynasty restaurant. Hanford's Taoist Temple (National Register #72000226) built in 1893 is also located there. A Moon Festival is held in China Alley in early October. For more information about China Alley and the Taoist Temple, go to http://visithanford.com/downtownmap/downtownmap18.html

Hanford's Black Community

While the black community has long played an important role in the city, the City of Hanford only began to celebrate Martin Luther King Day on January 15, 2007 after a long battle led by the local branch of the NAACP. The City Council then recognized the day as an official holiday with a Resolution honoring Dr. King, read by then Mayor Joaquin Gonzales. The most prominent African-Americans living in the community include Chris Jordan, almost 30 year veteran City of Hanford Police Captain, then elected in 2006 as the first African-American Sheriff of Kings County. The late civil rights activist, Wanda Williams-Hinton, turned the Black History Month celebration into an annual citywide tradition. ^[6]

Sister City

★ Setana, Hokkaido, Japan

Sites of Interest

★ The Hanford Fox Theater was constructed in 1929 and is located on Irwin Street in Hanford's city center. It is regularly used for live concerts. Featured artists in 2006 and 2007 included the Charlie Daniels Band, Dwight Yoakam and George Jones. In the past, the Hanford Fox Theater hosted benefit performances by Bob Hope, Red Skelton and John Denver.[16]

★ The Kings County Courthouse was erected after Kings County was formed; it opened in 1896. Constructed in an eclectic mix of styles in a park in the center of Hanford, it was expanded in 1914. The building served as the county's courthouse until 1976 when it was replaced by the new Kings County Government Center on West Lacey Boulevard. The old courthouse was remodeled in the early 1980s and now houses offices, small shops and restaurants.^[7]


★ The building now known as The Bastille just north of the old courthouse was the Kings County Jail from 1898 until 1964. Constructed in Romanesque style, it is notable for its crenellated octagonal tower. It currently finds use as a restaurant and nightclub.^[5]

Sports

Hanford is the site of the Sentinel Criterium [17] bicycle races held on the last Sunday of March. The 0.9 mile hourglass style loop course is run on downtown streets. The Criterium is held under USA Cycling racing rules and permit.
Dirt track auto racing takes place at the Kings Speedway [18] from June through October. The track is a 3/8 mile semi-banked clay oval and is located at the Kings Fairgrounds.

Notable residents

★ Ryan Eugene Bowen is a baseball player who was born in Hanford.

★ Ken Caminiti is a baseball player who was born in Hanford.

★ Tyson Chandler is an NBA basketball player who was born in Hanford.

★ Calvin M. Dooley graduated from Hanford Union High School in 1972 and served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1991 to 2005.

★ Harlan F. Hagen lived in Hanford and served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1953 to 1967.

★ Bill Landis is a baseball player born, raised in, and still lives in Hanford. He played on the 1967 American League Champion Boston Red Sox.

★ Louis Bert Lindley, Jr., better known as Slim Pickens is a rodeo cowboy and actor who grew up in Hanford.

★ Bessie Sue Loo (1902-1998), daughter of Hanford's Sue Chung Kee, became the first and foremost Asian American casting agent in Hollywood with her Bessie Loo Agency.

★ Lorenzo Neal of the San Diego Chargers was born in Hanford.

★ Scott Parker is the first Californian-born hockey player to play in the NHL.

★ Steve Perry is a rock singer with the band Journey who was born and grew up in Hanford.

★ James Rainwater, physicist and co-winner of the 1975 Nobel Prize in Physics, lived in Hanford as a child and graduated from Hanford High School.

★ Timothy Dale Scott is a baseball player who was born in, and lives in, Hanford.

★ Jan-Michael Vincent, actor, moved to Hanford with his family as a teenager, and graduated from Hanford High School.

★ Cornelius Warmerdam, long time pole vault world record holder, grew up in Hanford.

★ Darrell Winfield is an actor who played the Marlboro man and was born in Hanford.

★ Richard Wing, famous restaurateur, built the Imperial Dynasty restaurant in Hanford with his family. The Wings have four generations in Hanford.

★ Delbert Wong (1920-2006), first judge of Chinese American descent, was born in Hanford.

References

1. John Torrey, Paul Awosika et al., ''Environmental Impact Report for the Hanford Mall'', Earth Metrics Inc. for the city of Hanford and State of California Clearinghouse, rpt. 10082, March 8, 1990
2. Brown, Robert R. and Richmond, J.E., ''History of Kings County'', A.H Cawston, Hanford, CA, 1940
3. Gibson, Harold, ''History of Kings County Public Schools,'' Hanford, CA, 2004
4. Brown, Robert R. and Richmond, J.E., ''History of Kings County'', A.H. Cawston, Hanford, CA, 1940
5. Ibid.
6. Hanford Sentinel, November 30, 2006
7. McDevitt, Ray, ''Courthouses of California - An Illustrated History,'' pp. 206-207, California Historical Society, San Franciso, CA, 2001.
8. Ibid.

External links

★ City of Hanford website

★ Hanford Chamber of Commerce website

★ Hanford Conference and Visitors Agency website

★ Main Street Hanford website

★ Hanford Sentinel newspaper website

★ Website with online videos about Hanford

★ Local news for Hanford continually updated from thousands of sources on the web.