Fresno-Tulare-Kern County CA Archives History - Books .....Topography 1892
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Book Title: Memorial And Biographical History Of The Counties Of Fresno, Tulare, And Kern, California

THE TOPOGRAPHY

of California is of the most varied description imaginable and comprises what
may without exaggeration be called an unequal aggregation of vast mountain
ranges, lofty glacier-clad peaks, extensive valley3, boisterous mountain
torrents, and smoothly flowing rivers, land-locked bays, peaceful lakes, the
most tremendous forest growth ever seen, and a. coast line without a superior.
For 800 miles from north to south along the Pacific ocean sweeps this great
commonwealth, while it is almost 200 miles from the sands of the seashore to the
foot of the eastern slope of the Sierra, which marks the limit of the State in
that direction. The sinuosities of the coast are such that California has nearly
1,100 miles of shore line; while the vast territory of more than 100,000,000
acres is comprised within its boundaries. Such an extent is so immense that some
means of comparison must be furnished- in-order to secure an adequate conception
thereof.

  If California were on the Atlantic coast it would extend from the latitude of
Cape Cod down the coast to Charleston, South Carolina, thus covering the shore
line of the States of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New
Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North and South Carolinas. Inland it would
reach across New Jersey and about half way across Pennsylvania. With her 155,000
square miles of area, in which can be found every physical characteristic and
variety of climate, California is an empire within itself, and in every respect
may well challenge comparison with any equal area in the world.

  Two great mountain ranges traverse the State throughout its entire length. On
the east is the Sierra Nevada with the loftiest summits existent in the United
States. On the west is the Coast Range, divided into many spurs, with extensive
intervening valleys, and with a general altitude far less than the Sierras. In
the northern part of the State there are two mountain ranges verging toward each
other until merged into one, and the same thing is repeated in the south. The
Coast Range is divided into numerous spurs under other names. Thus the range
that practically divides the fertile valleys of the south from the Mojave desert
is called variously the Sierra Madre and the San Bernardino mountains, and has
almost a due east and west course, finally trending off southeasterly across the
Colorado desert. On the north of the Mojave desert is the Tehachapi range, which
with the San Emigdio (by some writers spelled Emidio) mountains form the
connecting link between the Sierra and the Coast Range. Through Ventura and
Santa Barbara counties runs the Santa Ynez spur, which is divided again into the
Santa Lucia and Mount Diablo ranges in San Luis Obispo County. The first named
keeps well toward the ocean and finally ceases when the bay of Monterey is
reached. The other continues up the east side of the Carisa plain, east of the
Santa Clara valley, and so on northward, fixing the western limit of the San
Joaquin valley, until it terminates in the peak from which the name is derived,
near San Francisco bay. A spur from the Diablo range is the Gabilan, which forms
the western boundary of the Santa Clara valley, and finally merges into the
Santa Cruz mountains, which continue northward until they gradually slope into
the low hills upon which San Francisco is situated. Northward of the bay of San
Francisco the Coast Range is found more in a body and the valleys are few and
limited.

  Beyond the Coast Range and between it and the Sierra lies the great interior
valley, for it is practically one throughout its entire vast length from Shasta
on the north to Tehachapi on the south. The northern portion is drained by the
Sacramento river, and its tributaries, flowing southward for 200 miles to the
bay of San Francisco, while the southern portion is the watershed of the San
Joaquin and its tributaries, flowing northward to the same destination. All the
principal streams of both ends of this great valley have their source in the
Sierra Nevada, the eastern slope of the Coast Range being but poorly provided
with water courses.

  Commencing at the upper end of this great interior valley the Sacramento river
receives the Pit, Feather, Yuba, American, Cosumnes, Mokelumne, Calaveras,
Stanislaus, Tuolumne, Merced, San Joaquin, King's, Kaweah, White and Kern
rivers. Besides there are many smaller streams all along the western slope of
the Sierra from Shasta to Tehachapi, whose waters are contributed to the same
system. The beds of each and all of these streams contain deposits of
gold-bearing gravel, and the greater portion of the quartz mines now operated
are located on their banks. Their sources in the mountains present some of the
grandest scenery in the world, while their waters are utilized largely for both
mining and agriculture.

  Along the eastern slope of the Coast Range there is not a stream that can be
designated by the name of river. In the Sacramento portion of the valley, Clear
creek, Stony creek and other streams are tributaries of the river, with numerous
other smaller streams. On the western side of the San Joaquin valley, however,
there is scarcely a stream whose waters find their way, except in midwinter, to
the river. All are lost, in the sands soon after reaching the plains.

  The western slope of the Coast Range has a number of streams, some of which
are of considerable proportions, and are navigable for short distances from the
ocean. The Klamath in the northern part of the State is a large stream, as also
the Smith river farther north. The Trinity river is an important stream, and so
are the Eel, Elk, Mad and Russian rivers, which drain the entire coast from the
Oregon line to San Francisco bay.

  South, of San Francisco are the San Lorenzo, Carmel, Salinas, Pajaro, Santa
Maria, Santa Ynez, Santa Clara, Los Angeles, San Gabriel, Santa Ana, Santa
Margarita, San Luis Rey, San Dieguito and San Diego rivers.

  Besides, many smaller streams are either tributary to those mentioned or flow
directly into the ocean. Nearly every mountain canon, from the peninsula of San
Francisco to San Diego, is provided with a stream of greater or less size, some
of which assume the proportions of rivers during the rain season.

  Some of the streams mentioned as having their source in the Coast Range
possess very singular characteristics, which have given rise to the saying that
in California many rivers are turned upside down,-that is, the sandy bed is on
the surface and the water flows beneath. This is true in fact of nearly all the
southern Coast Range streams. The Salinas in summer resembles a bed of dry sand,
yet there is a large body of water underneath, and the apparently dry bed has a
most startling habit in the summer of suddenly opening beneath the weight of a
horse or team and giving the rider or driver a most uncomfortable and even a
dangerous experience. The Santa Ana, Santa Maria, San Gabriel and Los Angeles
rivers have the same features. The first named is the most important stream of
the far south, and furnishes an immense amount of water for irrigation. It rises
far up in the San Bernardino range, on the very crest of the ridge that divides
the Mojave desert from the fertile southern valleys. Even before leaving its
mountain canon it is tapped by the irrigators, and thence almost to its mouth
there is a perfect network of canals de riving their supply from it. More than
once is the entire apparent flow diverted into some canal, but a few miles
further down the water again rises to the surface and supplies still other
systems of irrigation. There are probably few other streams in the world whose
waters possess so large an intrinsic value as this. Water rights from this
stream have increased immensely in value, and are sold in some instances for as
much as $1,000 and $1,200 an inch, and even more. Tens of thousands of acres of
land are irrigated from it. The1 greater portion of the finest orange orchards
in Southern California owe their existence to the Santa Ana river; and, while it
is so insignificant a stream that in more than one place an active man may jump
across it at a bound, nevertheless it has added millions to the wealth of the
communities which it serves, and each year is the cause of millions of dollars
being distributed among the residents along its banks.

  Two other rivers of considerable size are deserving of more than passing
notice, because of the fact that, though carrying large bodies of water, none of
it finds its way into a river running toward the ocean. Rising on the northern
slope of the San Bernardino range is the Mojave river, a never-failing stream of
large size where it leaves the mountains. It runs nearly 100 miles directly
through the center of the desert, but finally the absorptive character of the
soil proves too much and the waters sink in the sand, forming what is so well
known to the old teamsters by this route, the "sink of the Mojave." Some of the
water of this river is used at the base of the mountains and even out in the
desert for irrigation, but the bulk of it is lost in the sands.

  Following the eastern .slope of the Sierra Nevada for a distance of
seventy-five miles through Inyo County is Owens river, emptying into Owens lake,
a body of water without an outlet and highly charged with minerals. This river
is used largely for irrigation, the land along its banks being very productive
when watered.

  A notable feature of this part of the State is Death valley. This region has
been treated by various writers throughout the State, and has been the subject
of a vast amount of romancing as well as misrepresentation. It is situated in
the eastern portion of Inyo County, near the Nevada line, and is the sink of a
stream called the Amargosa river. It is nearly 400 feet below sea level, and is
one of the worst portions of the desert. At present a thorough exploration of it
is going on under the auspices of the United States Government, which will
result in setting at rest many of the weird tales that have been told concerning
it.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Memorial and Biographical History
OF THE COUNTIES OF
Fresno, Tulare, and Kern, California

Illustrated
Containing a History of this Important Section of the Pacific Coast from the
Earliest Period of its Occupancy to the Present Time, together with Glimpses of
its Prospective Future: with Profuse Illustrations of its Beautiful Scenery,
Full-page Portraits of Some of its most Eminent Men, and Biographical Mention of
Many of its Pioneers, and also of Prominent Citizens of to-day.

"A people that take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will
never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote
descendants." -Macaulay.

CHICAGO:
The Lewis Publishing Company.
Undated, but OCLC lists a publication date of 1892

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