City of Lemoore
Founded: 1900
Population: 20,900 (2004)
Seven mile east of the Naval Air Station, the community of Lemoore offers a serene atmosphere which strikes a sharp contrast to the accelerated pace of life in large metropolitan cities.
The residents of Lemoore take pride in being the home of NAS Lemoore. The Navy people and their families make significant contributions to both the social and economic fabric of the community and the residents share in their sense of duty and commitment to the nation's defense.
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There is one public high school and one non-denominational Christian high school in Lemoore.
Besides the two California public elementary schools on the air station, there are several in and around Lemoore including a private Catholic school and a Christian school.
Advanced education is offered by West Hills Community College's Kings County Center in Lemoore where associate of arts or science degrees can be earned along with the opportunity to earn certificates in various fields.
The civic auditorium is a focal point for many indoor activities. Various baseball, swimming and soccer leagues complement existing school programs.
The city boasts three parks offering various recreational activities. Residents are very proud of a new youth sports complex for soccer and softball.
The Sarah A. Mooney Museum contains artifacts depicting life in Lemoore during the 1890s and early 1900s. Information on tours are available by calling the Lemoore Chamber of Commerce.
City of Hanford
Founded: 1891
Population: 46,100 (2004)
Hanford, 14 miles east of the air station, is a city in search of its roots. It boasts many architectural styles of early vintage with minimal changes and much restoration, many in the central business district.
These attractive buildings are anchored by old Courthouse Square where the former county buildings have been converted to a unique collection of shops.
Just west of the square is the completely restored 69-year-old Hanford Fox Theater, which has the best acoustics of any theater in the Valley.
The modern Kings County Government Center is located just west of the downtown area. Residents can file taxes, get marriage licenses and take care of all legal matters at the center.
Incorporated August 7, 1891, early Hanford had a large group of Chinese who built the railroad and then worked in the fields.
Today there are still descendants of those pioneers who have taken Hanford to their hearts and are pillars of the community.
Hanford has nine elementary schools, two junior high schools and two high schools.
Adult education is available through local programs or within easy driving distances.
Hanford has two modern hospitals with the latest lifesaving equipment, a medical/dental complex, a handicap rehabilitation center and several retirement village and convalescent homes.
A Wal-Mart Shopping Center is near the Hanford Mall, featuring J.C. Penny, Mervyn's, Sears and Gottschalk's plus over 52 specialty stores. The Marketplace in Hanford, features a new Mall consisting of a Target Store, Michael's and various other stores. Recently opened in October 2004.
There are numerous cultural activities in Hanford. The Kings Players perform throughout the year at the Temple Theater and membership is open to all. There are also community choral and orchestral groups.
Kings District Fairgrounds is south of the city and besides the county fair in summer, offers events throughout the year.
An environmental park and museum encircled by a stockade of old power poles is located at Roosevelt School in Hanford and is appropriately named Fort Roosevelt. It is an exciting blend of zoo, botanical garden, history center and picnic grounds.
Armona
Armona is a small township between Hanford and Lemoore just off Highway 198. It boasts a friendly down-home family-owned market and is one of the least expensive residential areas near the air station.
Avenal
22 miles southwest of the air station, is located in the rolling semiarid hills surrounded by the oil wells that made the town. A massive prison is the major employer now.
City of Corcoran
A farming corporation town located south of Hanford. There is also a prison, which employs many Kings County residents.
Grangeville
Grangeville is a small community just two miles north of Armona.
Laton
Laton is another small community just north of Hanford on the way to Fresno. It is located on the Kings River surrounded by rich agricultural land.
Riverdale
Riverdale is located 11 miles north of the Grangeville Gate, which leads to the operations area. The unincorporated town is a very close-knit community with a few apartment complexes and two small subdivisions.
Stratford
Stratford survives on farming interests. It is just a few miles south of the air station on Highway 41. The area is open and flat. Housing is sparse but reasonable.
City of Fresno, located 45 miles north of Lemoore.
The name Fresno, meaning "ash tree" in Spanish, was first applied to the nearby Fresno River because ash trees were seen growing along its banks. The city assumed the name in 1872 when the Central Pacific Railroad founded it as a station.
Becasie tje Fresno area was hot and dry, both Spanish and Mexican settlers avoided it. In the 1860s a Dutchman named A. J. Mannssen settled there and dug a well. He was joined by a few other settlers. Fresno's real start came in 1872, when the Central Pacific Railroad, pushing southward through the Central Valley, reached the site. Fresno's steady growth began when irrigation was introduced. The city was incorporated in 1885.
Fresno is the raisin capital of the world. It lies in the flat San Joaquin Valley, about 184 miles southeast of San Francisco.
Fresno is built around Courthouse Square. Interesting spots are City Hall, the Discovery Center, and the Fresno Metropolitan Museum of Art, History, and Science. The forestiere Underground Gardens are a network of underground rooms, gardens, and grottoes. Insitutions of higher education include Fresno City College and California State University, Fresno. The largest of Fresno's city parks is Roeding. In the part are athletic fields and a zoo. In the irrigated fields surrounding Fresno, grapes, cotton, and figs are grown. Food processing is the area's major industry. Grapes are crushed to make wine and are dried to make raisins in one of the world's largest dried-fruit processing plants. The manufacture of farm machinery, transporation equipment, and vending machines is also important.
Fresno has the fines philharmonic orchestra for a city of its size in the country. Some 85 residents make up the orchestra and they present 12 regular concerts a year.
City of Visalia
Visalia, 37 miles east of NAS Lemoore, was founded in the fall of 1852 and was the first community to spring up in the entire San Joaquin Valley between Stockton and Los Angeles. Its original site was a log stockade, built to protect those first 18 families from the Native Americans who were resisting the intrusion of white settlers into the Valley.
Located here is College of the Sequoias a two-year junior college serving an area of more than 3,000 square miles.
Recreational facilities in Visalia are regarded as unmatched by any other community of its size in the state. Nine playgrounds supervised by the city recreation department are just a part of the city-wide recreational privileges. Visalia also has excellent rodeo grounds, several theaters, bowling alleys and two municipal swimming pools as well as several lighted tennis courts, a modern football stadium and two youth centers.
Outstanding musical entertainment is presented by the Tulare County Symphony Orchestra and the Tulare-Kings Civic Music Association.
The Tulare County Museum of Art exhibits the work of local and nationally known sculptors and painters and is the scene of many shows throughout the year.
County of Tulare
Tulare is located 45 miles southeast of Lemoore. Tulare's County's fertile soil and industrious farmers produce the second greatest harvest in the world.
Tulare has an outstanding school system, excellent health care network and a wide variety of shopping, leisure-time activities, and an abundance of churches.