Peasants from the Volga River German colonies of Russia began arriving in Fresno in 1887. Many were master farmers and found welcome work in the fruit and vine industry, which began in the Valley about 1880. Pete Rau, Rau Family Collection, AHSGR-Central California Chapter Photo courtesy of the Fresno City & County Historical Society. All rights reserved. You may be surprised to learn that Fresno is home to one of the largest Volga German populations in the United States. Whe

Vietnamese farm workers and independent micro-farmers in California represent a resilient segment of the state's Southeast Asian refugee community. Arriving after the Vietnam War, some found initial work as agricultural laborers, while others transitioned into independent small-scale growers in regions like the Central Valley and Southern California, cultivating specialty and cultural crops. Photo courtesy of the Fresno City & County Historical Society. All rights reserved. I

In August 2024, Francine and Murray Farber joined with Fresno Unified School District Superintendent Misty Her and other community leaders to cut the ribbon signifying the ceremonial opening of the Farber Educational Center in southeast Fresno. The center features alternative education, civic engagement and career technical education courses. Photo courtesy of Fresno Unified School District. All rights reserved. When Murray and Francine Farber moved from Connecticut to Fresn

Dorothy Mitsuoka lived a life of quiet generosity. Because she never attended college, Dorothy wanted young people in the Central Valley to have the chance she missed. In her will, Dorothy left more than $2 million to ensure students in Cutler, Orosi, Dinuba, Orange Cove and Reedley could go to college. Every year on his birthday, Mark Gillette would find a plate of Oreos with the white filling scraped out, a gift from his business partner Dorothy Mitsuoka. “She knew they w

Air Force Lt. Col. Robert Swertfager, 194th Fighter Squadron pilot, California Air National Guard, was one of two pilots who flew out of Fresno on the morning of September 11, 2001, on orders to determine why a Thai Airways flight bound for San Francisco was not diverting to Canada or Mexico despite repeated commands. Pictured here: Lt. Col. Swertfager performs a pre-flight inspection on an F-15C Eagle prior to take-off April 1, 2017, for Sentry Aloha 17-03. Sentry Aloha is