Fresno

Fresno ( Spanish for 'Ash') is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about 115 square miles (300 km²) and had a population of 542,107 as of the 2020 Census, making it the fifth-most populous city in California, the most populous inland city in California, and the 33rd-most populous city in the nation.

Named for the abundant ash trees lining the San Joaquin River, Fresno was founded in 1872 as a railway station of the Central Pacific Railroad before it was incorporated in 1885. It has since become an economic hub of Fresno County and the San Joaquin Valley, with much of the surrounding areas in the Metropolitan Fresno region predominantly tied to large-scale agricultural production. Fresno is near the geographic center of California, approximately 220 miles (350 km) north of Los Angeles, 170 miles (270 km) south of the state capital, Sacramento, and 185 miles (300 km) southeast of San Francisco. Yosemite National Park is about 60 miles (100 km) to the north, Kings Canyon National Park 60 miles (100 km) to the east, and Sequoia National Park 75 miles (120 km) to the southeast.

Fresno is also the third-largest majority-Hispanic city in the United States, 50.5% of its population being Hispanic in 2020.

Fresno in "The Breaking of Nations"

In the Summer of 2031, Fresno hosted a gathering of reactionaries who opposed Pacifican independence. The Fresno Convention aimed to draft their own secession resolution. However, thanks to the efforts of Pacifica's acting president, Nicole Yoshida, and the attendees' own general inertia, the Fresno Convention was a failure.

Fresno in Broadway Revival

After he arrived in Yosemite National Park on March 20, 1934, David Greenbaum was able to get a ride with a construction worker to Fresno. They ate in a legitimate greasy spoon. From here, Greenbaum took a bus to San Francisco.

Fresno in The Hot War

Fresno was home to the headquarters of Consolidated Cropdusting, an agricultural business which operated throughout the Central Valley. In 1952, World War III aviator Bruce McNulty joined this company.

Fresno in The House of Daniel

In 1934, Fresno was the raisin capital of the world. More mundanely, Fresno was the home of a healthy Armenian population, who used garlic to both in cooking and to keep vampires away.

Because the minor league Oakland Oaks actually practiced in Fresno, a local semipro team, the Fresno Acorns, had to become the best semipro team in town in order to be viable opponents.

The House of Daniel played the Acorns on August 5, 1934, which was an incredibly hot day. The House won, 4-3, but in later years all Jack Spivey would remember were the heat and the win.

Fresno in Joe Steele

Joe Steele, the 32nd President of the United States, was born in Fresno in 1878, shortly after his parents emigrated from the Russian Empire province of Georgia. Steele served on Fresno's city council early in his political career.

Fresno in "My Hypothetical Friend"

Dave Markarian's company Interstellar Master Traders was headquartered in Fresno.