Easton in Fresno County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Easton ⎯⎯⎯ Washington Union High School District
Photographed by Lester J Letson
1. Easton side of the Marker
This side can be seen from Elm.
Inscription.
Easton, also, Washington Union High School District. . [Side A:]
Easton. In 1878, O.W. Easton and J.P. Whitney, San Francisco entrepreneurs, bought a total of 12 sections of land in this area (7680 acres), formed the Washington Irrigated Colony and began selling 20-acre farms. Allen T. Covell was the superintendent and resident manager of the Colony, established the townsite that came to be called Covell. The town was composed of lots, each of which came as a bonus to the purchaser of a 20-acre farm. As the community grew and the postal areas were rearranged, the community was renamed Easton. [Side B:]
Washington Union High School District. One hundred years ago, voters of the area formed the Washington Union High School District, but initial classes were held in the Easton Town Hall and in the Easton Park. Finally in 1901, the first school building was constructed on the site at a cost of $7,500. The building was destroyed by fire in 1923 and a new school was built in 1924 at a cost of $145,000. There were various additions as the population increased including a nine-classroom unit in 1961, but the entire building was razed in 1972 and a new high school complex was dedicated in 1975.
[Side A:]
Easton
In 1878, O.W. Easton and J.P. Whitney, San Francisco entrepreneurs, bought a total of 12 sections of land in this area (7680 acres), formed the Washington Irrigated Colony and began selling 20-acre farms. Allen T. Covell was the superintendent and resident manager of the Colony, established the townsite that came to be called Covell. The town was composed of lots, each of which came as a bonus to the purchaser of a 20-acre farm. As the community grew and the postal areas were rearranged, the community was renamed Easton. [Side B:]
Washington Union High School District
One hundred years ago, voters of the area formed the Washington Union High School District, but initial classes were held in the Easton Town Hall and in the Easton Park. Finally in 1901, the first school building was constructed on the site at a cost of $7,500. The building was destroyed by fire in 1923 and a new school was built in 1924 at a cost of $145,000. There were various additions as the population increased including a nine-classroom unit in 1961, but the entire building was razed in 1972 and a new high school complex was dedicated in 1975.
Erected 1992 by E Clampus Vitus. (Marker Number 35.)
Location. 36° 38.917′ N, 119° 47.45′ W. Marker is in Easton, California, in Fresno County. It is at the intersection of South Elm Avenue and West Lincoln Avenue, on the right when traveling south on South Elm Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 6041 South Elm Avenue, Fresno CA 93706, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in California’s San Joaquin Valley, specifically in the Central Valley, and in the Sierra Nevada. It is also on the American Pacific Coast. Globally, it is in North America, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexicos Alta California.
This side of the monument is actually the back side and can be seen from Lincoln.
sectionhead>Another marker is no longer nearby. The Basque Hotel (was approx. 5.7 miles away but has been confirmed missing).
More about this marker. The monument is 2 sided commemorating the high school on one side and the settlement of Easton on the other side. It once sat on what was Highway 41 at Lincoln, but with the new Freeway 41, the old route reverted to South Elm. To get to the marker today take Yosemite Freeway 41 and exit at American Avenue or Adams Avenue and make your way to South Elm at West Lincoln.
The marker sits on a grassy patch about 15 yards from the larger Washington Union High School sign on Elm.
Regarding Easton / Washington Union High School District. The area was made usable by a system of canals that brought water from the foothills making what was once arid desert like land usable farmland. The nearby Washington Colony cemetery dates from the time the Washington Irrigated Colony was set up in the 1870's.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 5, 2024. It was originally submitted on February 27, 2010, by Lester J Letson of Fresno, California. This page has been viewed 4,534 times since then and 145 times this year. Last updated on August 4, 2023, by Ronald D. (Ron) Trigueiro of Fresno, California. Photos:1, 2. submitted on February 27, 2010, by Lester J Letson of Fresno, California. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
