Stanislaus County

By Jennifer Walker

          Situated near the middle of the state in a fertile and protected valley, Stanislaus County is in a perfect location for agriculture, and the county is filled with wide-open spaces free of congestion. Residents enjoy scenic views of growing crops, changing leaves, spectacular sunsets over the mountains and glimpses of snow-capped peaks. They also enjoy the relaxed, rural atmosphere and being able to keep their horses at home or nearby—and there is plenty of room for them, despite the slowly encroaching urbanization.

History

Stanislaus County was first formed in 1854 from a portion of Tuolumne County. It was named for the river of the same name, which flows through the county. Although river was originally discovered by Gabriel Moraga in 1806, it was eventually named for an Indian chief who was educated in a mission and baptized Estanislao, the Spanish rendition of Stanislaus, which was the Latin rendition of Stanislav, an 11th century Catholic saint. Estanislao rebelled against his captors and ran away, making a stand in 1829 against Mexican troops by the river that was later named for him. He was defeated by General Mariano Vallejo.

The Name

The debate on how to pronounce the name—is it “Stan-iss-loss” or “Stan-iss-law”?—is one that has raged in the county since the time of the early settlers. Depending on how you look at the derivation of the name, either pronunciation is correct. If you consider the fact that the river and county were named for Estanislao and therefore use the Spanish pronunciation, you would leave the ‘s’ at the end silent. However, many of the original the pioneer settlers hailed from Holland, Germany and Denmark. They pronounced the ‘s’ at the end, because Stanislaus (pronounced STAN-ĭss-lŏs) is a common male name from those countries—which is the origin of the name Estanislao. Given that the county’s name has been pronounced two different ways since the very beginning, it seems the debate may never be concluded.

Geography

In addition to the river that bears its name, there are two other rivers in Stanislaus County: the San Joaquin and the Tuolumne. The San Joaquin runs from north to south, splitting the county. The west half is largely agricultural, supported not only by the rivers but by the largest ground water basin in the state. The county is home to miles of flat farmland and orchards growing many crops, such as wine grapes, peaches, melons, apricots and walnuts. In fact, Stanislaus County is fourth in the nation for the production of wine grapes. There are also a lot of dairies, food processing plants and other industries here.

The county is bordered by the Diablo mountain range to the west and the Sierra foothills to the east. Because of all the crops, much of the county is green year-round. The county is not a large one, comprising only 1,515 square miles (21 miles of which is water), nor is it crowded—the 2000 census calculated only 332 people per square mile. Most of the people are in the cities, as farmland covers nearly 75% of the county.

Horse Events

While there are no large or world class equestrian facilities in Stanislaus County, there are a few private ranches that hold horse shows and other events. The best known of these are the hunter paces and cross country clinics at Lone Tree Farm in Waterford and English and western shows, gymkhana and rodeo events at Diamond Bar Arena in Ceres.

The Oakdale Rodeo is world famous and is held in April every year (the 11th and 12th in 2009), with people traveling from all over the country to compete. This year, audiences will be treated to a show by trick rider John Payne, also known as the One Armed Bandit, as well as bullfighters in addition to the typical rodeo events, parade and dance. The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Posse also holds a rodeo, taking place on June 13th and 14th this year at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds in Turlock.

Working cow enthusiasts will also find team penning and reining events here; in fact, cowboy culture is rich in the county—Oakdale claims to be the “Cowboy Capital of the World”, with a long history of ranching and equestrian life. The Oakdale Cowboy Museum commemorates the ranchers and rodeo cowboys and cowgirls that made the county what it is today. In addition to the many exhibits of cowboy paraphernalia and memorabilia, the museum holds events and fundraisers throughout the year.

Trail Riding

Although there are not many opportunities for trail riding within Stanislaus County, riders can enjoy the rugged 83,000 acre Henry W. Coe State Park. It is the largest state park in California that has wide-open spaces, with terrain that varies from mountain ridges to deep canyons and ecology types from grasslands to conifer forests to oak woodlands. It is open year-round, and the mild weather in the county allows riders to take advantage of it. Be prepared for a challenging ride, though: the park warns of steep, rough terrain.

Ride for just a few miles, or if you are so inclined, the park has eight designated horse camps with pipe corrals so you can extend your stay and see all the park has to offer. The best times to visit the park are in the spring, when the weather is most pleasant and you can see Mariposa lilies, poppies, fiddlenecks, buttercups, shooting starts and other wildflowers, and in autumn, after the summer heat has cooled and the black oaks are covered in golden leaves.

Activities for Everyone

On those days when you want to leave the horse at home to spend time with your family, there are many opportunities for recreation in Stanislaus County, from the community parks scattered throughout to the Woodward and Modesto reservoirs that offer water sports and other outdoor activities like camping and archery. The Frank Raines and LaGrange regional parks are available for off-road enthusiasts, including biking and hiking trails, picnic areas, camping, volleyball courts and more. Permitted hunters are welcome to seek deer, wild pig and waterfowl during the season in designated areas.

The Stanislaus County Fair, held from July 31st to August 9th this year, has a pre-fair horse show, with events for mules, 4H and FFA members, gymkhana, junior rodeo, working cow and open and junior English and western classes. During the fair, horse lovers will enjoy performances by the Budweiser Clydesdales. The fair is fun for all ages, with livestock exhibits, carnival, demonstrations, truck and tractor pulls, concerts and contests.

Business

As a largely agricultural county, there several businesses here to support rural life, such as trainers, breeders, photographers, farriers and veterinary clinics and hospitals. One such business is Bonander Trailers (209/632-8871). Established over 60 years ago in Turlock, the company now has locations all over California. As their website boasts, “A Horse....A Car....A Load of Green Waste....Or, Even An Elephant...We Have The Trailer For You!” They not only sell a wide variety of vehicles and trailers, they also sell parts and perform service.

However you pronounce the name, Stanislaus County is a diverse county with a long history of farming and ranching that continues today.