The town of Woodsville wasn't much to brag about. In fact, it was downright primitive. But still, it had many positive qualities that seemed to point to a prosperous future.
It was on the banks of the Kaweah River, which provided plenty of good water, and the surrounding soil was rich. The Stockton-Los Angeles Road ran through the town, giving it access to a regular stream of travelers. To top it off, it was named the county seat for newly formed Tulare County. But neither prosperity nor survival was in store for this tiny town with big potential.
Woodsville's beginning can be traced to 1850 when John Wood and a party of 14 men arrived and began working the land. Details are unclear and inconsistent, but it is certain that the group suffered a terrible fate.
One day Wood and the others were approached by the local American Indians, reportedly led by Francisco, chief of the "Kahweyahs."
The chief claimed that the settlers were on Indian land, and gave the group 10 days to leave or face the consequences. On the 11th day, the settlers were still there, and the Indians attacked.
Most of Wood's party was killed outright, but Wood survived the initial assault by retreating into his log cabin. However, he was eventually captured and reportedly skinned alive.
The cabin stayed empty until Billy Pierce bought it. The sturdy structure stood for a number of years and became the nucleus for a developing settlement. Over its life it served as a residence, courthouse and storage room. Pierce later built a hotel called the "Pierce House" near the cabin and Dr. Thomas Payne built the first bridge over the Kaweah River.
Slowly but surely, a small but important little community started to take shape.
In the latter part of 1851 or early 1852, a plan to form a new county around the settlement made its way to the state Legislature.
In April 1852, state lawmakers authorized the creation of Tulare County. The legislation in part reads, "The southern portion of Mariposa County, so cut off, shall be called Tulare County, the Seat of Justice shall be at the log cabin on the south side of Kaweah Creek, near the bridge built by Dr. Thomas Payne, and shall be called Woodsville. The Seat of Justice shall be Woodsville until changed by the people as provided by law."
The state had put Woodsville on the map. In July 1852, as prescribed by law, the county's first election was held to choose county officials. There were two polling places, one at Grand Island near what is now Reedley, and the other at old Wood's cabin.
Soon the status of Woodsville as the county seat was challenged. The threat came from another little settlement about seven miles west called Visalia.
Visalia's first settlers arrived in the fall of 1852 and the little town on the banks of Mill Creek began to take shape. As the 1853 county election approached, the big issue on the ballot was whether to change the location of the county seat. Visalia wanted that honor.
The chief advocate for maintaining Woodsville was John Cutler, and Thomas Baker strongly supported Visalia. The vote was close, but in the end, Visalia had wrestled the county seat from Woodsville. This defeat for the little town spelled the beginning of the end.
Its decline was gradual, but unmistakable. Today all the buildings are gone, but the importance of this Tulare County ghost town remains.
A few rules are needed to help foster a feeling of community. We encourage a free and open exchange of ideas in a climate of mutual respect, but any post that violates someone's right to use and enjoy fresnobee.com is prohibited. Before you post, please read the terms of use and obey these simple guidelines.
Here are the ground rules:
Contents of this site are © Copyright The Fresno Bee. All rights reserved.
E-Mail
Print
@Nyx.CommentBody@