Fresno
[key], city (2020 pop. 546,770), seat of Fresno co., S central Calif.;
inc. 1885. Settled in 1872 as a station on the Central Pacific RR, Fresno
profited from irrigated farming as early as the 1880s. Extensive and
sophisticated agribusiness in the San Joaquin valley (Fresno co. is the
leading U.S. agricultural county) made Fresno one of the fastest-growing
cities in the nation in the 1980s, its population increasing by more than
62%. The financial, processing and shipping, service, and commercial center
for the valley, Fresno handles fruits and vegetables as well as cotton.
Cattle and dairy farming are also important. Among the city's manufactures
are beer, farm machinery, plastics, vending machines, and orthopedic
appliances. Nearby oil and natural gas fields also contribute to Fresno's
economy. The city is the seat of California State Univ. Fresno and Fresno Pacific
Univ., Fresno
Pacific Univ., and Fresno City College, the oldest junior college in
California (established 1910). The city and its Armenian community are
the subject of William Saroyan's writings.
The Sierra National Forest is nearby.
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