Minkler is a small former railroad siding community founded in 1911 on Kings Canyon Road (formerly Dunlap Road) just east of Byrd Slough. The community of Minkler between 1934 and 2020 was part of the alignment of California State Route 180 which passed by on Kings Canyon Road. In 2020 California State Route 180 was shifted north of Minkler onto a four-lane expressway bypass. This blog serves as a history of California State Route 180 within Minkler and what artifacts of the older alignment can still be found.
California State Route 180 can be seen passing through Centerville and Minkler below on the 1935 Division of Highways map of Fresno County.
Part 1; the history of California State Route 180 in Minkler
Minkler is a former railroad siding near the Kings River east of Centerville. Minkler was originally as a siding of the Wahtoke Branch located at the junction of the Porterville-Orosi Branch. Both the branch lines were constructed by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway. The Wahtoke Branch itself had been constructed in 1911 from Reedley northward towards quarries located at Piedra. The Orosi-Porterville Branch was constructed circa 1913-1914 from near the Byrd Slough to Ducor via Orosi and Porterville. In 1920 the Minkler Cash Store would open along the Dunlap Road just east of the Kings River.
Minkler siding can be seen north of the Dunlap Road (later Kings Canyon Road) at the junction of the Wahtoke Branch and Orosi-Porterville Branch on the 1923 United States Geological Survey map. The siding at Minkler is displayed as being within walking distance of the Frankwood School.
In 1890 the original Frankwood School would be constructed at the corner of Frankwood Avenue and the Squaw Valley Road (later Dunlap Road and Kings Canyon Road). In 1921 the original Frankwood School was replaced with an 8,000 square foot brick "L" shaped structure. The 1921-era schoolhouse would mostly serve the Minkler area.
During 1905 Legislative Chapter 598 would authorize a survey to locate a route for a highway to be constructed from Grant Grove of General Grant National Park into the Kings River Canyon. This corridor would be formally added as a planned state highway by way of 1909 Legislative Chapter 223 as Legislative Route Number 41.
The 1919 Third State Highway Bond Act would provide funding for construction of the Kings River Canyon Road. In 1933 Legislative Route Number 41 would be extended to Tracy via Fresno. The state highway west of Grant Grove followed Dark Canyon Road (now partially Forest Road 14S45), Pinehurst Road (now California State Route 245) Dunlap Road, and Old Dunlap Road (now Ruth Hill Road) through to Centerville. The initial Grant Grove-Centerville alignment of Legislative Route Number 41 passed through the communities of Pinehurst, Miramonte, Dunlap and Squaw Valley (now Yokuts Valley) and Minkler.
During August 1934 the original Sign Routes were announced in the California Highways & Public Works. California State Route 180 was assigned to the corridor of Legislative Route Number 41 which passed through Centerville.
California State Route 180 can be seen passing through Centerville and Minkler below on the 1935 Division of Highways map of Fresno County. California State Route 180 east of Fresno entered Centerville on Ventura Avenue. From Venture Avenue the highway jogged south on Smith Avenue and east through Centerville on Dunlap Road towards Minkler. The highway heading eastbound within Minkler took a left-hand turn at Reed Avenue.
The July 1935 California Highways & Public Works featured a washed-out temporary bridge carrying California State Route 180 over the Kings River between Centerville and Minkler. This span was in place due to a new permanent bridge being under construction.
The November 1941 California Highways & Public Works details the opening of the new alignment of California State Route 180 bypassing Squaw Valley and Dunlap. The then new highway is referenced in the article as "Kings Canyon Road" and is noted to have been completed on August 28, 1941. This is the first known instance of Kings Canyon Road nomenclature being used. The designation of Kings Canyon Road appears to have been immediately applied to California State Route 180 as a replacement for Dunlap Road and Ventura Avenue to the Fresno city limit. The Kings Canyon name would be eventually extended west into Fresno to 1st Street via Centerville.
In 1958 the Frankwood School would merge with the Centerville School District. The schoolhouse was put up for sale and was repurposed as a steak house known as the Sherwood Inn Restaurant. The steak house would operate continuously at the corner of California State Route 180 and Frankwood Avenue for approximately 30 years.
In fall 2010 the Frankwood Schoolhouse would be purchased by new owner. The structure was restored and reopened in January 2012 as the Schoolhouse Restaurant.
During December 2014 the California Transportation Commission approved funding of the Minkler/Centerville bypass between Post Miles FRE 74.612-77.975. The initial funding for the Minkler/Centerville bypass was slated for the 2015-16 Fiscal Year and had an estimated cost of $90,948,000. The bypass would serve as an extension of the four-lane Kings Canyon Expressway a short distance east of Frankwood Avenue.
During October 2016 the California Transportation Commission approved a State Transportation Improvement Program allocation for a bypass route of CA 180 around Minkler and Centerville via Post Miles FRE 74.1-78.6. The 2016 allocation by the California Transportation Commission was for $34,665,000. This allocation was approved a second time by the California Transportation Commission in March of 2018 with no alterations to Post Mileage or allocated funds. The 2018 allocation by the California Transportation Commission called for a completion of the Minkler/Centerville bypass by August 2019.
The Kings Canyon Expressway was expanded eastward through Centerville and Minkler to Frankwood Avenue by early 2020. The former alignment of California State Route 180 along Kings Canyon Road in Centerville and Minkler was relinquished to Fresno County. Kings Canyon Road west of Minkler was severed and the roadway was realigned to funnel onto Lone Oak Avenue. Kings Canyon Road east of the Frankwood School was cut off from the expressway.
Part 2; former California State Route 180 on Kings Canyon Road in Minkler
This view faces west on Kings Canyon Road towards the Minkler Cash Store and Byrd Slough Bridge. The current bridge was erected in 2020 after California State Route 180 was shifted north to the expressway bypassing Minkler.
The Minkler Cash Store has an older Division of Highways community sign in the front window which displays a population of 30.
Kings Canyon Road between Reed Avenue and Frankwood Avenue no longer has street blade signage. Caltrans spec shields approaching Frankwood Avenue can still be found near the Frankwood School.
The Frankwood School can be found at the southeast corner of Kings Canyon Road and Frankwood Avenue.
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