History · Firebaugh

Firebaugh’s post office opened in 1865

More historic than 15% of U.S. towns · #589 of 847 in California. What drives it

Most of Firebaugh was built recently: 0.6% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1993. Below: 18 old photos and papers, maps from 1914 on, and the census since 1930.

1865first post office

0on the National Register

0.6%homes built before 1940

18old photos & papers

4famous people

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From Firebaugh’s archive · credits on each photo

Quick answers

How Firebaugh began

When was Firebaugh founded?

1865

The Firebaugh post office opened in 1865, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1914. Another post office, Firebaugh's Ferry (1860), opened inside today’s city and later closed.

First census: 506 in 19302020 census: 8,096161 years

How historic is Firebaugh?

More historic than 15% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓

Founding year: the first Firebaugh post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1914.The full story ↓

History grade

What drives Firebaugh’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Firebaugh is more historic than 15% of U.S. towns, #589 of 847 in California. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Firebaugh’s overall grade.

Founding era1865, from the first post office: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC⁺Homes built before 19400.6% of homes (±0.6) · typical CA town 3.4% · U.S. 8.4%D National RegisterNo listings counted · typical CA town 0.0 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C

All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 15%

NewerOlder

California towns of 2,500+ (847)Ahead of 30%

Few California towns list much on the Register (a typical California town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Firebaugh’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (31% of California towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to C−. The pre-1940 share (±0.6 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata gives 1914.

Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Firebaugh’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A town in old photos18 old photos, postcards and papers.On the map since 19235 editions of the USGS map, 1923 to 1984. Watch Firebaugh change.

★ What stands out · By decade

Firebaugh, decade by decade

2 decades in the archive, from the 1930s to the 1940s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1930s8 items

1939Cotton picker near Firebaugh, California

Firebaugh, California. Came from Webber Falls, Oklahoma with two grown sons in 1938. Cotton pickers

1939Firebaugh, California. Came from Webber Falls, Oklaho…

Untitled photo, possibly related to: Firebaugh, California. Came from Webber Falls, Oklahoma with two grown sons in 193…

1939Untitled photo, possibly related to: Firebaugh, Calif…

Outskirts of Firebaugh. West side of San Joaquin Valley, California. Six families with twenty-two children live in this…

1939Outskirts of Firebaugh. West side of San Joaquin Vall…

1939Outskirts of Firebaugh, west side of San Joaquin Vall…

Untitled photo, possibly relatd to: Outskirts of Firebaugh. West side of San Joaquin Valley, California. Six families w…

1939Untitled photo, possibly relatd to: Outskirts of Fire…

1940s10 items

1940California [Alameda County - Kern County (part)]

1950s–1990snothing yet

Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.

Add from your album

On the map

Firebaugh on the map, 1923 to 1984

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Firebaugh. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

1923Firebaugh sheet · 1:31,680

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Firebaugh.

The story

How Firebaugh came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Firebaugh.

Read it all →

The city, formerly Firebaugh's Ferry, is named for Andrew D. Firebaugh (also spelled Fierbaugh, born in Virginia in 1823), an area entrepreneur. During the Gold Rush, Firebaugh's most famous local enterprise was a ferry boat which shuttled people across the San Joaquin River. In 1857, he built a toll road for wagons, replacing an earlier horse trail that ran parallel to present-day State Route 152 from what became Bell Station over Pacheco Pass to the Rancho San Luis Gonzaga.

Firebaugh was a station on the Butterfield Overland Stage. The Firebaugh's Ferry post office operated from 1860 to 1862. The Firebaugh post office opened in 1865.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Firebaugh in 1919

Passages that mention Firebaugh, cut from the printed page as they were published.

In 1914, Tudge Myer moved the office, as well as his residence, to Firebaugh, finishing his term of office in January, 1915. In the meantime the city of Firebaugh was incorporated and he was appointed the first City Recorder, a position he still holds, while he is also engaged in real estate and in… — **History of Fresno County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present**1919 · page 2003Read the page →
Read the text
In 1914, Tudge Myer moved the office, as well as his residence, to Firebaugh, finishing his term of office in January, 1915. In the meantime the city of Firebaugh was incorporated and he was appointed the first City Recorder, a position he still holds, while he is also engaged in real estate and insurance, as well as holding a commission as a notary public. He is also serving as
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

In 1898 Mr. Bazterra came to Fresno County and accepted a position with Miller & Lux, at Firebaugh, driving big teams in the grain fields for them for a couple of years. He was also at Kearney Rock, and then for another year in Firebaugh, after which he worked for M. Theo. Kearney at Kearney Park f… — **History of Fresno County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present**1919 · page 2515Read the page →
Read the text
In 1898 Mr. Bazterra came to Fresno County and accepted a position with Miller & Lux, at Firebaugh, driving big teams in the grain fields for them for a couple of years. He was also at Kearney Rock, and then for another year in Firebaugh, after which he worked for M. Theo. Kearney at Kearney Park for over one year.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Timeline

Firebaugh, 1860 to 1996

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

19th century
1860Post officeThe Firebaugh's Ferry post office opens
1862Post officeThe Firebaugh's Ferry post office closes
1865Post officeThe Firebaugh post office opens
20th century
1922Born hereMickey Masini is born here
1923On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
1939In the archiveCotton picker near Firebaugh, California
1939Born hereLeonard Padilla is born here
1940In the archiveCalifornia [Alameda County - Kern County (part)]
1946Born hereRichard Yniguez is born here
1996Born hereJosh Allen is born here

Every building

Firebaugh, building by building, 1914

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a sheet.

Firebaugh fire insurance map, 1914, sheet 1

1914Sheet 1 of 1

Sheets

BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Retake this viewCotton picker near Firebaugh, California, 1939

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Firebaugh’s page.

Retake this view · +15

People over time

Firebaugh, census by census

Grew from 506 people in 1930 to 8,096 in 2020, more than tenfold.

10 censuses, 1930–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Firebaugh’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

4 famous people were born in Firebaugh

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →

Josh AllenAmerican football player · b. 1996

Richard YniguezActor · b. 1946

Leonard PadillaAmerican bounty hunter · b. 1939

Mickey MasiniAmerican football player · b. 1922

Places that used to be

Lost post offices

Firebaugh’s post office has been open since 1865. Another post office, Firebaugh's Ferry, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Firebaugh's Ferry

1860–1862

Firebaugh

1865–today

18601940today

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Help out

Finish Firebaugh’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos

00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s

2 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.

Retake an old viewCotton picker near Firebaugh, California: stand where they stood+15 Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

Questions about Firebaugh’s history

What year was Firebaugh founded?

The Firebaugh post office opened in 1865, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1914.

How does Firebaugh rank for history?

Firebaugh is more historic than 15% of U.S. towns, #589 of 847 in California. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

How old are the homes in Firebaugh?

0.6% of Firebaugh’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1993.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →

Start a conversation

Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (10), the Library of Congress (8), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.

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