Tulare County Route J42

Tulare County Route J42 is a rural highway corridor mostly carried on Indian Reservation Drive in the Sierra Nevada foothills near Porterville. This highway provides a 14.62-mile connection from California State Route 190 near Porterville to the Tule River Indian Reservation. J42 was commissioned in 1972 and is one of the last two lettered County Routes in Tulare County still signed (the other being J37 on Balch Park Road).

County Route J42 can be seen below as mapped by cahighways.org.

Part 1; the history of Tulare County Route J42

The lands which are now served by Tulare County Route J42 have traditionally been inhabited by numerous Native American tribes. Following the emergence of California as an American state a major gold discovery would be found in the southern Sierra Nevada near the Kern River circa 1853. The influx of American settlers into the southern Sierra Nevada during the Kern River Goldrush directly led to the conflict known as the 1856 Tule River Indian War.

The Tule River Indian War was fought over a sixteen-week period between the Native Yokuts, a United States Army detachment from Fort Miller and the California State Militia. Following the conflict the Tule River Farm would be declared in 1858 in the Sierra Nevada foothills east of Porterville. Tule River Farm was originally attached to the Tejon Agency and was even privately held at one point by Thomas Madden circa 1860.

During 1864 Tule River Farm was reorganized as the Tule River Reservation by authorization of Congress. The original reservation is thought to have had about 450 members of the Yokut tribe and approximately 350 Paiute who relocated after the 1863 Owens Valley Indian War. The original reservation was not popular with locals in the community of Porterville which pushed for it be relocated.

During 1873 the Tule River Reservation was relocated by Presidential Executive Order to the South Fork Tule River east of Porterville. The current reservation can be seen in Township 22S, Range 29E-30E on the 1892 Thompson Atlas of Tulare County. The map displays the roadway now comprising Tulare County Route J42 as having been already constructed.

Indian Reservation Drive can be seen as a minor highway branching east of California State Route 190 near Porterville on the 1935 Division of Highways map of Tulare County.

Tulare County Route J42 was designated during 1972 to serve the Tule River Indian Reservation. The 14.62-mile corridor was assigned as following Road 284, Avenue 138 and Indian Reservation Drive (Tulare County Mountain Road 127). The highway corridor designation terminates at 1012 Indian Reservation Drive near Painted Rock Campground.

Part 2; a drive on Tulare County Route J42

California State Route 190 east of Porterville intersects County Route J42. From California State Route 190 traffic is advised that the Tule River Indian Reservation is 12 miles away.

County Route J42 follows two short jogs along Road 284 and Avenue 138 to reach Indian Reservation Drive.

County Route J42 continues east into the Sierra Nevada foothills, crosses the South Fork Tule River and intersects Success Valley Road. There are several remaining J42 highway shields along the highway. County Routes J42 and J37 are the only remaining lettered county routes in Tulare County with actual field signage.

County Route J42 east of Success Valley Road effectively now terminates at the Tule River Indian Reservation boundary. Signage indicates the roadway within the reservation is no longer maintained by Tulare County.