Merced County Historical Society and Courthouse Museum

Merced County was organized in 1855. Farming and ranching were the chief enterprises in the county in the second half of the 19th century. The roads were often developed to transport agricultural products and cattle to the nearest ferry or railroad station. To have a road built in their area, citizens of Merced County would file a petition. The early county roads were called public highways. They were often named either after a landowner of the area such as Healy Ranch Road (1874) or by the towns, ranches, railroads, or ferries where the road began and ended such as Dugan …

Institution: Merced County Historical Society and Courthouse Museum

This collection highlights vintage sheet music covers, exploring the enchanting lyrics and melodies of songs that express love for the Golden State. From the Wild “wet” West to the orderly “dry” California, from a sunmaid waiting “In the Valley of San Joaquin” to a couple walking “On the Banks of the Old Merced,” these songs capture an often romantic and idyllic moment in California history and provide a glimpse of culture, fashion, politics, love, and sentiment.

Institution: Merced County Historical Society and Courthouse Museum

The Yosemite Lumber Company, founded in 1911 by Bay Area investors F.M. Fenwick, James Tyson, and Charles Nelson, was created after Mr. Prather and Mr. Lehmer of the Yosemite Valley Railroad sought partners in freighting lumber along the new line between Mariposa and El Portal. The Yosemite Valley Railroad, completed in 1906, necessitated industrial and commercial use to generate profit and justify the existence of the line. In 1911, at the historic ford of Merced Falls, the most advanced lumber mill of its kind in the area began harvesting 10,000 acres of sugar pine trees in Yosemite Valley along the …

Institution: Merced County Historical Society and Courthouse Museum