6 minute read
The Checkered Past of Tulare County Agriculture
Words & Photos provided by Terry Ommen
Recently it was announced that Tulare County was the top agricultural producer in the nation, producing over $8.6 billion worth of products for 2022, beating out neighboring Fresno and Kern counties for the honor. The holder of the number one position changes from year to year, but the three San Joaquin Valley counties are generally at the top of the list. For the last year, statistics show that the big three contributed an amazing 44% of California’s total ag production.
Based on these numbers, agriculture clearly plays a huge role in present-day Tulare County, but this is not just a recent phenomenon. Agronomy (or soil management and crop production) and all things related, have been part of Tulare County history since around the time the county began, in 1852. In 1854, for example, San Francisco’s Daily Alta California newspaper reported that farmers were flocking to Tulare County, and added that according to their sources, the county was “one of the best agricultural and grazing counties in the state.”
Besides having historically high production numbers, the county boasts many farm-related achievements as well, including the invention of the steam harvester by Lindsay area farmer, George Stockton Berry.
But the county’s agricultural history has had dark times too, with fights, trespassing, and killings—and plenty of unwanted attention.
Some events are still talked about today. One such event involved crop farmers and cattlemen.
Tulare County has been cattle country since it was established. As early as 1853, cattle were driven into the county, lured by expansive open grazing land. During the same time, farmers were beginning to plant crops, especially wheat, in the fertile soil, all helped by plenty of water and a climate that allowed all-year planting and harvesting. Early on, the farmers and cattlemen co-existed with relatively small herds and crops. But as both increased in size, so did the conflicts. More and more range animals were devouring the farmers’ crops.
The conflicts were not just in Tulare County, so in 1874, California lawmakers created a law requiring cattlemen to confine their herds behind fences, allowing farmers to grow their crops undisturbed. Obviously, the farmers were happy with the legislation, but the stockmen were not. In Tulare County, enforcement of the new law was lax, and livestock continued to trample and eat crops. Farmers felt helpless.
In one incident in 1878, some Tulare County farmers took drastic action. They herded about 70 trespassing cattle near the Tule River, and shot and killed them. No arrests were ever made.
Tulare County survived the conflict, but it was painful. A good number of the stockmen moved their families and herds out of the
state. But for those that stayed, the range wars had left a deep and lasting scar between the cattle ranchers and the farmers.
A few years later, Tulare County farmers faced another challenge— this time, blood was shed over the Southern Pacific Railroad (SPRR). Many settlers in the Mussel Slough district near Grangeville (now in Kings County) farmed on rented railroad land and made improvements on it. They believed that they would eventually be able to buy the land from the railroad at a fair price. In the late 1870s, the SPRR decided to sell the land, and offered the farmers first option at $25 per acre. The farmers were outraged. It was ten times more than they expected to pay, based on an agreement they thought was in place. Faced with a decision, the farmers had a choice—pay what they believed was a grossly inflated price or leave the land they had improved. Some farmers paid the Southern Pacific’s price and stayed. Others stayed on the land and waited for the railroad to take action.
On the morning of May 11, 1880, Deputy U.S. Marshal Alonzo Poole, along with several others, arrived at the Henry Brewer farm. As Marshal Poole served Brewer his eviction notice, a dozen or more armed settlers arrived and confronted the lawman. The situation was tense with angry words exchanged. Shouting turned to gunfire, and after the shooting stopped, five Mussel Slough farmers and two men in the marshal’s party were killed. The deadly confrontation became known as the Mussel Slough Tragedy, which reverberated through the county and the nation. The reputation of Tulare County was damaged and hatred toward the railroad increased.
During the 1920s and 1930s, unionization was popular among farm workers in Tulare County, but collective bargaining wasn’t always appreciated by the farmers. Unfortunately, tension and violence between the two sides sometimes flared up. One of the most serious incidents happened in the little southern Tulare County town of Pixley in 1933. The unionized cotton pickers had a pay dispute with the ranch owners and they were at an impasse. The pickers decided to strike, and on October 10, 1933, the workers stood in front of their union hall in Pixley listening to a union speaker. During the speech, several ranchers arrived at the union hall in their automobiles, allegedly to disrupt the meeting. A confrontation developed, shots were fired, and two union farm workers were killed and at least seven injured. Several strikers were arrested for disturbing the peace, and eventually eight ranchers were arrested for murder. The murder trial of the ranchers was held in Visalia and the jury found all of them not guilty. The incident left many angry on both sides and the case was reported on throughout the country. In 1936, John Steinbeck wrote “In Dubious Battle”—a novel loosely based on the Pixley cotton strike incident.
With periods of violence among its proud moments, Tulare County’s agricultural history is rife with tension and tenacity. The county’s variety of crops feeds the world, and its inventions change the industry of farming—for 171 years, the county has led and continues to lead the nation in agriculture.
a major improvement over the horse or mule-drawn implement.
