For
years I have frequented the downtown Visalia post office, scarcely paying any
heed to the young sequoia tree growing just to the west of it. It took a casual conversation between Terry
Ommen, our city's historian laureate, and Suzanne Bianco to draw some attention
to the plight of the ignored tree. From
there, Suzanne and the Convention and Visitors' Bureau (CVB) took the ball and
ran with it. They did fundraising, got
community buy-in and assistance, and developed a small informational park, which
was dedicated on Saturday, April 27. We
are hopeful that it will become another tourist destination for the city,
remind people of our connection to Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon, and
encourage more tourists to pass through Visalia and to use the Sequoia shuttle
to get to Sequoia National Park. Many
contractors, local hoteliers, and others contributed to this project. The
following information is taken from the brochure prepared by the CVB, which you
should obtain a copy of and read.
The
tree is currently 65 feet tall, as opposed to the General Sherman tree which is
275 feet tall. We estimate that our
Sequoia Legacy Tree is 85 years old, having been planted in February 1936, when
it was a 3 year old sapling. It was
planted by Guy Hopping, superintendent of General Grant National Park (now
Kings Canyon), and Nathan Levy, Visalia postmaster. Mr. Levy was very proud of the fact that this
was the only Giant Sequoia tree growing on post office property in the United
States.
In
July 2015, the trunk of our tree measured 41 inches DBH (diameter at breast
height) and the canopy width was about 18 feet.
Giant
sequoia trees are found between 4,000 and 8,000 foot elevation, where
conditions are ideal for their growth.
Our local national parks boast many of the world's largest trees by
volume. The General Sherman Tree is the
largest in the world at 52,508 cubic feet, the General Grant Tree is the second
largest at 46,608 cubic feet. The
largest of the sequoias are as tall as an average 26-story building, and their
diameters at the base exceed the width of many city streets.
On
September 25, 1890, Sequoia National Park was designated by President Benjamin
Harrison and is the second oldest national park. In 1918, an influential group of local men
known as the "Mather Mountain Party" were instrumental in the
creation of the National Park Service.
For nearly a century, Visalia has been known as the "gateway to the
sequoias."
One
other hint for your visit to Visalia's Sequoia Legacy Tree. The pathway around our local tree was
designed to represent the circumference of the General Sherman tree (about 102
feet) so that you can compare the two side by side. As mayor, I'd like to thank all those who had
a hand in this project and in bringing it to fruition. Next time you're downtown, please drop by and
visit this latest amenity to our historic district. And remember, something you do today may be
considered historical by future generations!
Population
Increase: The
California Dept. of Finance recently released its annual population estimates.
Visalia led the way with an increase for January 2017 to January 2018 from
133,841 to 136,246, a change of 1.8 percent. The rest of the county also
continues to grow. I’ve been told that
if Visalia was located in Utah or New Mexico, we would be the second largest
city in those states. In any event, it’s
nice that Visalia has retained its small town, friendly feel.
If
you have questions or topics regarding the city which you would like to have
addressed in future articles, please email Warren at
warren.gubler@visalia.city. For past
articles, visit directfromwarren.blogspot.com.
Mayor
Warren Gubler
