Tule River Farm For thousands of years, this area was inhabited by varying cultures of
indigenous peoples. Historic tribes encountered by Europeans in the area included the
Yokuts,
Mono and
Tübatulabal. The area was first colonized by the
Spanish and
Mexicans, followed by European Americans after the US victory in the
Mexican–American War in 1848. After the Owens Valley Indian War and Following the
Tule River Indian War of 1856, the Tule River Farm, a farm attached to the Tejon Agency, was established in 1858 at the base of the foothills, near the present town of
Porterville. The farm was established on on the South Fork of Tule River. In 1860, Thomas Madden, an Indian service employee, gained personal title to the Tule River Farm, by using state school warrants. The federal government rented the Tule River Farm and paid Madden $1,000 per year.
Tule River Reservation In 1864, the Tule River Farm became the Tule River Reservation, one of five
Indian reservations authorized by Congress. When the United States defeated Half the Owens Valley Paiutes in the
Owens Valley Indian War of 1863, they were removed to the reservation, whose population nearly doubled. In 1864, the population consisted of 450 Tule River Indians and 350 Owens River Indians who were relocated there from
Fort Tejon. As a result, the Tule River Indian Reservation was relocated; in 1873 it was established by Presidential Executive Order of
Ulysses S. Grant as a homeland for Tule River, Kings River, Owens River, Monache Cajon and other scattered bands of Indians. Traditionally, 60 Yokuts tribes lived-in south-central California to the east of Porterville. By the end of the 19th century their population was reduced by 75% due to warfare and high fatalities from European diseases. The surviving Yokuts banded together on the Tule River Reservation, including the Yowlumne,
Wukchumni bands of Yokut. ==Government==