By Connie Popelish, North Fork History Group Some of the special features of North Fork architecture include the unique buildings made of blocks of pumice and cement, known as pumitile. Pumitile concrete bricks were manufactured by the Jourdan Concrete Pipe Company of Fresno, beginning around 1931. Initially, the company made concrete pipes for sewage systems, but eventually branched out, designing open-interior ...

By Karen Morris, CHS President COARSEGOLD — The Coarsegold Historical Society has three pieces of mining machinery on display at the Coarsegold Historic Museum. They were donated quite a few years ago and we need help with the names and how they were used. We think the middle one was possibly some kind of rock crusher. If you can help ...

Submitted by Debby Carter, SHSA Librarian (Fresno Flats) MOUNTAIN AREA — An article on the front page of the October 29, 1970, Sierra Star reads: “Bass Lake Receives 200 Bed Hospital: On Tuesday, Oct. 27, a full 200-bed hospital will be delivered to Bass Lake. According to Supervisor Lonnie Cornwell and Chairman of the Board Herman Neufeld of Madera County, ...

By Christina McDonald, Sierra Mono Museum The Sierra Mono Museum is asking for a little help in identifying the individual riding this North Fork School bus, and the approximate decade. As the museum begins to move back, we would like more information on our photograph collections.  If anyone can identify this individual on the bus, maybe it’s the bus driver ...

By Dan Carrion, E Clampus Vitus Historian One of the Valley’s most famous landmarks was located on Highway 99 at Fairmead. The “Mammoth Orange,” and its sister across the highway the “Whoa Boy Giant Orange,” served voyagers on Highway 99 for over 50 years. The Whoa Boy was built in 1941 on the west side of Highway 99 near the ...

By Don Grove We have had several folks visiting the Raymond Museum lately that have been interested in the lumber flumes in our area. This photograph is labeled “Lumber Flume on Madera Road to Yosemite.” We would love to know exactly where this flume crossed the road and exactly which road it is — and if anyone still has pieces ...

By Don Grove This is a photograph of the teepee burner at the North Fork lumber mill. Sawdust and scraps of wood from the milling process were burned in the teepee burner. In the June 1951 newsletter of the Associated Lumber & Box Company sawmill — The American Eagle — the teepee burner and mill pond were operational. On what ...

By Karen Morris (with thanks to Don Grove) This building has been home to many families since its service as a way station. Our records begin with the McGinity family. They lived here beginning in 1904. We are not sure how long they stayed. The Hanningan Family moved in about 1942 and stayed until 1947. Hazel Kennedy and her family ...

NORTH FORK — This photo is courtesy of Rose Davis-Cobb, board member of the Sierra Mono Museum & Cultural Center, and features two Mono women who are extras in the movie “Deer Slayer.” Can anyone provide information on where the filming took place in the area of North Fork, Madera County? What were the names of other local extras? What ...

Article submitted by Don Grove This photograph of a lumber mill was in the collection of Jesse Love, which is housed in the archive library of the Sierra Historical Sites Association. He was a long-time resident of the area, and once worked at the Sugar Pine lumber mill. He noted on the photo that this was not Sugar Pine, but ...