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Well, you just found out that you may have to move. Relocating to another area could be a traumatic experience, but it doesn't have to be! With a little knowledge, preparation and guidance, relocating can be an exciting and challenging new phase of your life.
Remember when you moved to where you are living now? You had no idea then that you would love your home, that your neighbors would become such close friends, or that your children would enjoy their school.
You are not alone in your apprehension of leaving what is familiar, with fears about what a new place might hold in store. Yet, neither are you alone in the thousands of families who have found friendly faces in new places. The number of families relocating to Porterville every year continues to grow. All of these families were anxious to learn as much as they could beforehand about this area...
| Porterville, located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the fertile San Joaquin Valley, is a growing city of over 40,000 people, which has a Council-Manager form of government. Nearly mid-way between Bakersfield and Fresno at an elevation of 455 feet, it is the "Gateway to the Sequoias". Average rainfall is 11.47 inches, with low-to-medium humidity. The climate usually promises a mild Spring and Winter, with a hot, dry Summer and Fall. |
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The pioneering spirit runs through the heart of Porterville. While exploring California during the 1840's, General John C. Fremont passed through this territory, then an Indian settlement, as did wagons full of gold-seekers. The first settlers arrived in the 1850's, colonizing what is now the southern part of town. A portion of present-day Main Street was once the Butterfield Stage Line. In 1860, a flood changed the course of the Tule River, which had flowed north of town, to its current east-northwest course.
In 1861, Royal Porter Putnam, a past employee of the Butterfield Overland Mail, founded the city, opening a small trading post known as "Porter's Place." In 1864, Putnam designed the original 40-acre town-site, and the town developed from there.
Porterville was the first valley city to electrically illuminate its Main Street during the 1870's; in 1888, the Southern Pacific Railroad extended its line from Visalia to Porterville, bring development: the San Francisco-based Pioneer Company purchased 6,400 acres and built a hotel, bank, fire station, and water system and donated land for a school.
In 1902, Porterville was incorporated; and by 1907, the Porterville Chamber of Commerce was founded. Porterville was on her way to becoming the bustling city it is today, while managing to retain that old-fashioned, friendly small-town atmosphere which guarantees a togetherness and pride in itself that many larger cities often lack.
| Economy & Industry |
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Porterville's economic basis is agriculture. Orange and olive groves carpet the valley floor, and a variety of nut and fruit trees blend with crops of cotton, grapes and dozens of vegetables, providing a way of life for thousands in the area.
Supportive agri-business industries abound, as do ranches and dairies. However, the city is also home to a great deal of light industry: Porterville College, Sierra View District Hospital and a large number of medical professionals, the Porterville Developmental Center for handicapped residents, a 30-acre Wal-mart Distribution Center, and a massive school system employing over 1,200 people.
The City has been designated a "All America City", "Enterprise Zone," a Main Street City, and a Recycling Zone--all economically advantageous for our city and her many businesses.
Thanks to a large variety of established and newer shopping centers with major retailers such as Target, Wal-Mart, Ross, Office Max, Home Depot, and Lowes, a variety of grocery stores, and long-time local merchants and service-oriented businesses, the cost-of-living in Porterville compares favorably with nearby cities. For outlet stores, you can drive the 20 miles to Tulare and shop at the Horizon Outlet Center with stores such as Bass, Polo/Ralph Lauren, Corning Revere, and many more.
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| Residents & Local Interests |
Porterville is a "melting pot" of people with many ethnic backgrounds contributing to a cultural tapestry woven with threads from all these groups. Churches of nearly every denomination have established congregations here, and there are clubs and service organizations to fit practically any interest or hobby: Elks, Rotary, Optimists and Soroptomists, Veterans' groups, Scouting, 4-H, FFA, support groups, a pilot's association--the list is long and varied.
There are 3 senior high schools, 3 junior high schools, and over 10 elementary schools.
The high school bands have played at Carnegie Hall and marched in the Rose Parade and Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. The high school sports programs have produced many highly ranked teams over the years. Special offers are offered for the academically gifted, and every student has a chance to better himself or herself in whatever field that student chooses to pursue.
Anti-drug and anti-gang educational programs are stressed at every school level, and students are encouraged to become involved in their community in a positive, constructive manner.
The City of Porterville's Parks and Leisure Services provide year-round activities for the youth with sports programs, programs at the Public Library, and special events throughout the year..
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