[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 108 (Monday, June 29, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E630]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           RECOGNIZING THE CITY OF KERMAN'S 80TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. ADAM GRAY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 29, 2026

  Mr. GRAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the City of Kerman 
as it celebrates 80 years as an incorporated city on July 3, 2026.
  The site of Kerman was first established by the Southern Pacific 
Railroad Company as a train station in 1891. It was at this site in 
1892 that the famous Sontag and Evans gang held up the San Francisco-
Los Angeles passenger train, one of the last train robberies in the 
country.
  Settlement and cultivation of the Kerman area began and continued 
through the turn of the century as irrigation projects brought water to 
the area, primarily from the Kings River to the south. In 1900, William 
G. Kerckhoff and Jacob Mansar purchased around 3,027 acres of land and 
formed the Fresno Irrigated Farms Company.
  In 1906, the town was renamed Kerman by combining the names Kerckhoff 
and Mansar. By 1914, Kerman had an estimated population of 400 people 
surrounded by 29,000 acres of producing cropland. The Kerman Creamery 
was a significant business and produced about 1,600 pounds of butter 
daily. In 1921, Madera Avenue was paved from the Southern Pacific 
railroad tracks north to the San Joaquin River, and streetlights were 
installed from the tracks to Whitesbridge Road.
  In 1946, the 1,050 residents of Kerman voted to incorporate. Sitting 
at the crossroads of State Route 145 and 180, Kerman has seen waves of 
residential and business growth that have expanded the city.
  Today, Kerman has a population nearing 20,000 and is the largest city 
in West Fresno County. Still surrounded by agriculture, Kerman has also 
become a popular bedroom community to Fresno through its continued 
growth, family atmosphere, and supportive local businesses and 
employers.
  Please join me in honoring the 80th Anniversary of the City of 
Kerman, where community comes first.

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