Groundwater Irrigation Beginnings

Groundwater Irrigation Beginnings (HMJ18)

Location: Selma, CA 93662 Fresno County
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Country: United States of America
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N 36° 34.817', W 119° 37.867'

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Inscription
[Marker Front:]
Groundwater Irrigation Beginnings
The San Joaquin Valley's groundwater reservoir was first tapped with a practical pumping plant 4 miles northeast of here on Dec. 12, 1894. William De La Grange of Selma, tired of upstream irrigationists draining Kings River water from the canal he used, drilled a pioneering open bottom well. Using steam power, he pumped 350 gallons of water per minute onto his ranch at the southeast corner of Manning and Bethel Ave's. The plant attracted great attention. Within several years, groundwater irrigation was common and pumps were being powered by electricity. De La Grange, by 1900, opened Selma's first well drilling business.

[Marker Rear:]
Centennial Village
Symbol of Progress
Fleeting and paltry is the estate of man;
The longest life is but a quick drawn breath.
But every generation does what tasks it can
to achieve a sense of worth before its death.
This pioneer village serves as a history's clerk.
What you see here is more than it would seem.
These simple structures symbolize that work which formed the substance of the American Dream.
This school, this church, the business, and the home,
now here epitomize our country's might.
They changed a desert's dust to fertile loam
and speak a silent message through this site;

"As citizens we all should strive to be bold builders of a good community."
Charles B. Garrigus
Poet Laureate of California

Selma Centennial Committee
July 4, 1980
Details
HM NumberHMJ18
Series This marker is part of the E Clampus Vitus series
Tags
Marker Number30
Year Placed1986
Placed ByE Clampus Vitus
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Wednesday, September 24th, 2014 at 7:55am PDT -07:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)11S E 264588 N 4051536
Decimal Degrees36.58028333, -119.63111667
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 36° 34.817', W 119° 37.867'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds36° 34' 49.02" N, 119° 37' 52.02" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)559
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 1998 Art Gonzales Pkwy, Selma CA 93662, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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