Ancestral home of the Yokuts and Miwok Indians, the
San Joaquin Valley extends southward from the Sacramento River
to the Tehachapi Mountains. European Americans first entered the
valley
in the 1770s, pursuing deserters from the coastal missions. When
Jedediah Smith and other trappers came to the valley in the 1820s
they reported that "Beaver were abundant in all the Creeks & Rivers."
After the gold rush European settlers established vast
wheat farms on the valley's fertile soils The coming of the Southern
Pacific Railroad triggered further agricultural development but also
led to disputes over land ownership between the farmers and the railroad.
The great Central Valley Project, constructed in the
mid-twentieth century, guaranteed sufficient water for the diversification
of crops.
Today the valley produces tomatoes, potatoes, alfalfa, sugar beets,
cotton, olives, almonds, peaches, and dozens of other fruits and
vegetables. The valley's largest cites are Stockton, Fresno, and
Bakersfield.
