Lone Star Ghost Town Site and Visalia District Railroad Grade

About a half mile south of the intersection of Jensen Avenue and Fowler Avenue in Fresno County is the remains of a small rail siding known as Lone Star and the grade of the Visalia District Railroad.

Lone Star is a former rail sidings of a Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad (ATSF) line known as the Visalia District Railroad. The Visalia District Railroad began operations apparently in 1891 and branched east of Fresno at the Central Pacific Mainline in modern day Calwa. From Calwa the Visalia District Railroad traversed southeast into Tulare County through the following communities; Cecile, Lone Star, DeWolf, Clifton, Del Rey, Miley, Parlier, and Reedley. The Visalia District Railroad and it's sidings can be observed appearing by comparing the 1891 Fresno County Map to the 1914 edition.

1891 Fresno County Map

1914 Fresno County Map

Post Office Service operated in Lone Star apparently from 1891 to 1895 and again 1900 to 1910. As can probably be inferred from it's name, Lone Star was named after the State of Texas. Lone Star as a community never appears to have grown very much and is now the location of a produce warehouse. From Fowler Avenue the grade of the Visalia District Railroad can be easily observed.

I'm not certain when the Visalia District Railroad was dismantled but it does disappear between 1981 and 1998 on maps I've compared on historicaerials.com. Interestingly part of the Visalia District Railroad Grade and the Lone Star station has been preserved in the produce warehouse yard which can be seen from Fowler Avenue looking east.

The Visalia District Railroad Grade is very evident one mile west of Lone Star at Clovis Avenue.

The legacy of Lone Star actually lives locally as the nearby grade school is named after the community. Lone Star being located on Fowler Avenue is part of the Fresno County Blossom Trail, more information can be found here:

Fresno County Blossom Trail; 30th Anniversary

Interestingly Lone Star is located only two miles south of the former rail siding of Butler which is also on Fowler Avenue.

Nexus of the Universe; Bulter, CA ghost town site

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