Madera, California

Book excerpt: Madera almost didn't exist. In 1876 there was nothing where this thriving city now stands, but the California Lumber Company was looking for a western terminus for its massive logging flume under construction. Prompted by a deal from early landowners, the company chose this spot and put up a temporary boardinghouse for its workers. Soon the town was platted out, lots were sold, and the city grew as the completed flume began to bring in lumber from the hills, meeting the railroad. Hotels, stores, a post office, and citizens followed, making Madera (Spanish for "lumber") an important place of business, life, and leisure. In 1893, the city became the county seat of the newly minted Madera County, and structures continued to spring up along Yosemite Boulevard and beyond. The flume is gone now, but Madera owes its existence to early logging.