unWired Community Spotlight: Visalia, CA

unWired Community Spotlight is a series highlighting the communities that make Central California a great place to live. unWired is proud to provide fast and reliable Internet to homes and businesses in Visalia and the surrounding areas.

Founded in 1874, Visalia is the oldest city between Stockton and Los Angeles. It was named after the city of Visalia in Kentucky, where settler Nathaniel Vise was from. Known as the Gateway to the Sequoias, thousands of tourists travel through Visalia every year on their way to Sequoias and Kings Canyon National Parks. These parks are home to the 1st and 2nd largest trees on Earth, the General Sherman Tree and General Grant. Visalia is also home to one of the largest valley oak groves in California at Mooney Grove Park.

Downtown Visalia is home to some distinctive architecture, specifically in the art-deco genre. Fox Theatre is the centerpiece of downtown Visalia, built in 1930 as a part of the Fox Theatre movie theatre chain. The Bank of Italy (currently Bank of the Sierra) and the Art Deco/Beaux-Arts Visalia Town Center Post Office are both on the National Register of Historic Places. One of the newest additions to downtown Visalia is The Darling, a boutique hotel located in a refurbished art-deco style courthouse.

Agriculture is a powerhouse in and around Visalia, with top crops including grapes, olives, cotton and citrus. Located just east of Highway 99, distribution and manufacturing industries are also among the fastest growing, bringing thousands of jobs to the area along with a steadily growing population. Amazon, Jo-Ann and VF Outdoor are all major distributors located within the Visalia Industrial Park.

Photo credit: travellens.co