Böcker av Jeff Benziger

Fertile soil drew Ceres founder Daniel Whitmore to the flat land south of the Tuolumne River in California's San Joaquin Valley in 1867. Named for the Roman goddess of agriculture, Ceres was laid out in 1875 among the stalks of grain. A devout Baptist, Whitmore offered free lots to anyone who wanted to make Ceres their home with a pledge never to use alcohol. As irrigation water and railroad tracks were later introduced, the town flourished as an agricultural community where peaches, almonds, and walnuts are grown. Today Ceres has retained its agricultural roots, and drinking is now permissible. In fact, one of the nation's largest wine producers, Bronco Winery, calls Ceres home. Residents come together as a community with the Ceres Street Faire, summer Concerts in the Park, Farmers Market and the dazzling Christmas Tree Lane.

Nestled where the San Joaquin Valley begins rolling into the Sierra Nevada foothills, Waterford is steeped in a rich history. From its scenic Tuolumne River corridor, early gold seekers and travelers in untamed central California forded the summer stream here or crossed swollen winter flows by ferry. Waterford was originally named Bakersville for founder William W. Baker, who arrived by covered wagon in the 1850s. The fertile soil provided good farming and prosperity for disillusioned gold seekers. When an ingenious gravity irrigation system was introduced in the 1890s, farms thrived, drawing families, businesses, and churches. Rowdy saloons briefly flourished before stalwart citizens drove them out. Waterford's brave first settlers, farmers, and businessmen made their marks here, and included such visionaries as the Rudi brothers, longtime meat purveyors whose Waterford offspring included Oakland A's baseball legend Joe Rudi.