FOREWARD
Tucked away in the foothills
of the mighty Sierra Nevada just east of Exeter and Lindsay, lies
a small valley rich in beauty and history. Surrounded by hills that
change from a golden brown in the summer to a lush green in the
spring, this place called Yokohl Valley has been special to many
people for perhaps thousands of years. It is a place that our family
has visited often in search of the perfect spring wildflowers. .
. .a search that was always successful and gave us lasting memories
of nature at it's best.
This special place will
soon become the focus of considerable attention. Plans are being
prepared for Yokohl Ranch, a J. G. Boswell Co. planned community
that when completed will contain as many as 10,000 homes and up
to 40,00 people. The plan is already attracting interest and the
Yokohl Valley is about to be the center of much debate.
Fortunately for all of
us, Yokohl, A History of Its People and Their Culture has
arrived. Scott Barker first talked to me about his Yokohl book several
years ago and I was excited. No one that I was aware of had ever
written a comprehensive history of this hidden little valley, although
parts of the Yokohl history have been penned by noted historians
Joe Doctor and Frank Latta. With all the pending development conversation,
Scott's timing couldn't have been better.
In the course of Scott's
research, he talked to scores of people, perused many pubications
and did extensive site visits. The result is a well-referenced history
about a place oftentimes forgotten in Tulare County history. I am
pleased his work is finished and grateful that someone of his caliber
chose to do it. His story-telling style makes it easy to read.
Yokohl will not
only fill a historical void in Tulare County history, it is likely
to become the sourcebook on Yokohl as the debate over the valley's
future gets more intense. As the famous historian, David McCullough
said, "History is a guide to navigate in perilous time. History
is who we are and why we are the way we are."
Terry L. Ommen
May, 2009
