Clovis, California

From Free net encyclopedia

Clovis is a city located in Fresno County, California, adjacent to the larger city of Fresno. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 68,468. A 2005 estimate places the population at 86,015.

1 History
2 Geography
3 Demographics
4 Clovis Unified School District
5 External links

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History

The city of Clovis began as a freight stop along the San Joaquin Valley Railroad. Organized by Fresno businessmen Thomas Hughes, Fulton Berry and others, in partnership with Illinois financier Marcus Pollasky, the SJVRR began construction in Fresno on July 4, 1891 and reached the farmlands of Clovis Cole and George Owens by October of that year. The railroad purchased right-of-way from both farmers, half from each - the east side from Cole and the west side from Owens - and ran tracks up the borderline between the two properties. The railroad agreed to establish a station on the west side of the tracks on the former Cole land, and to call it "Clovis". Cole and Owens later sold land on each side of the tracks to the person of Marcus Pollasky for development of a townsite. Fresno civil engineer Ingvar Tielman mapped the townsite on behalf of Marcus Pollasky and recorded the townsite map on December 29, 1891. The original townsite featured streets named for the officers and principal investors of the railroad – Woodworth, Pollasky, Fulton, Hughes, Osmun, and Baron.

The railroad was completed as far as the town of Hamptonville (now Friant) on the banks of the San Joaquin River, 26 miles in length from its point of origin in Fresno. Following a celebration of the completion of tracklaying in November, 1891, the railroad began official operation in January of 1892.

The first year of operation of the railroad coincided, unfortunately, with the beginnings of a deep national economic decline. Farmers were unable to get profitable return on their crops, banks and railroads failed nationwide. The SJVRR was unable to generate sufficient revenues to pay its debt, was leased to the Southern Pacific Railroad and subsequently bought by SPRR in 1893. The completion in 1894 of the lumber flume from the Shaver Lake mills to a yard in Clovis adjacent to the SJVRR track provided the impetus for further development of the area around the Clovis Station and the town began to take shape as lumber yard employees build homes close to their employment. Service businesses, churches, and schools became necessary, and the town was begun.

In 1896, the Fresno newspapers described Clovis as a growing town of nearly 500 homes and businesses. Clovis was incorporated as a city in 1912. Principal streets in the town center are still named for the railroad's officers, except for Fulton Street, which was later named Front Street, then Main Street, and is now Clovis Avenue.

The last surviving structure built by the railroad is the Tarpey Depot, now located near the site of the original Clovis Station. This depot originally stood on the Tarpey Ranch near the intersection of Ashlan and Clovis Avenues. It was moved to its present location in the town's center and restored by the Clovis Historical Society in partnership with local businesses and contractors in 1999.

Clovis has a long history as a westerntown whose slogan is "Clovis - a Way of Life". Since 1914, the Clovis Rodeo has been held on the last weekend in April, with a parade on Saturday morning, and the rodeo that afternoon and all day Sunday. In recent years, the structures along the main street of downtown Clovis has been renovated, the core reborn as "Old Town Clovis". The entire downtown has been given a fresh look, with the storefronts on Clovis Avenue, the main street which runs through the town, restored with new fronts to give the look of a town of the old west.

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Geography

Image:CAMap-doton-Clovis.pngClovis is located at 36°49'10" North, 119°41'41" West (36.819432, -119.694723)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 44.3 km² (17.1 mi²). 44.3 km² (17.1 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.

Clovis is situated midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, bordering Fresno, in the agriculturally rich San Joaquin Valley. Lying at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, which includes Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia National Parks, Clovis has been known as "Gateway to the Sierras" since its incorporation in 1912.

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Demographics

As of the census Template:GR of 2000, there were 68,468 people, 24,347 households, and 17,675 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,544.1/km² (4,000.2/mi²). There were 25,250 housing units at an average density of 569.5/km² (1,475.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 75.82% White, 1.90% Black or African American, 1.50% Native American, 6.49% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 9.50% from other races, and 4.64% from two or more races. 20.27% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 24,347 households out of which 41.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.4% were non-families. 22.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.29.

In the city the population was spread out with 30.7% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $42,283, and the median income for a family was $50,859. Males had a median income of $39,630 versus $28,072 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,690. 10.6% of the population and 7.6% of families were below the poverty line. 13.1% of those under the age of 18 and 7.1% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

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