DATE: November 17, 2026
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Sally Gomez, County Librarian
David Rodriguez, Chair, Historical Landmarks and Records Advisory Commission
SUBJECT: Historic Place - Willow Avenue Treescape
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Approve designation and placement of Willow Avenue Treescape on the County’s Register of Historic Places; and
2. Authorize the Chairman to execute the certificate for a Historic Place.
REPORT
There is no Net County Cost associated with these actions. Approval of these actions will allow the Willow Avenue Treescape to be placed on the County’s Register of Centennial Places comprised of physical surroundings and localities used for special purposes with 100 years or more of activity in Fresno County. It would become the 356th landmark on the local register. The Historical Landmarks and Records Advisory Commission recommends historic and prehistoric sites and structures to be listed on the Fresno County’s List of Historic Places. Approval by the Board of Supervisors encourages preservation of the County’s history. Although this pertains to a location in District 3, this item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Your Board could choose to not approve these actions, which would result in Willow Avenue Treescape not being placed on the County’s Register of Historic Places at this time.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions.
DISCUSSION:
The Historical Landmarks and Records Advisory Commission is recommending your Board approve the application to add Willow Avenue Treescape to the County’s List of Historic Places.
The Willow Avenue Treescape is composed of 42 historically significant olive trees bordering the east side of South Willow Avenue in Fresno County that were planted between 1880 and 1905. This property is a portion of the former Easterby Rancho and the Butter Vineyard. Easterby’s original 2,560-acre parcel demonstrated the viability of large-scale irrigation techniques which transformed Fresno County from grazing land into a worldwide agricultural center. The olive trees are associated with land developer M. Theodore Kearney’s documented practice of planting ornamental trees along borders of agricultural subdivisions.
M. Theodore Kearney, later known as the “Raisin King,” was one of California’s most prosperous and powerful agricultural leaders at the end of the 19th century. Kearney and his partner Nathan K. Masten, purchased the Easterby Ranch in 1879 for the express purpose of agricultural colonization. After extensive improvements to the land, Kearney used elegant tree border plantings to both increase the value of the land while maintaining specific agricultural subdivisions of the area. Some of this handiwork can still be seen in the 11 miles of trees bordering Kearney Boulevard. The Willow Avenue Treescape shows this same stately and uniform style of planting that represents a remarkably intact remnant of the agricultural colony landscape that shaped early Fresno.
The Historical Landmarks and Records Advisory Commission reviewed information on this location during its September 10, 2026 meeting and unanimously voted to recommend that the location be listed on the Fresno County’s List of Historic Places.
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Historic Place Certificate
CAO ANALYST:
Mary Lu Valencia