Hanford, County seat in Kings County, California, United States
Hanford is the county seat of Kings County in central California, set within the San Joaquin Valley. The town is surrounded by flat farmland, crossed by two railway lines, and its downtown consists of low buildings and wide streets typical of a Central Valley community.
The Southern Pacific Railroad founded the town in 1891 during the expansion of regional transport routes and named it after James Madison Hanford, a company executive. The station became a hub for the surrounding agriculture and brought settlers to the region, which had previously been dominated by cattle ranching.
The Carnegie Museum preserves local history, including artifacts from Amelia Earhart's time as a flight instructor at the nearby airport in the 1930s.
The San Joaquin Valley climate is hot in summer and mild in winter, so visiting in spring or fall is often more comfortable. The streets follow a grid pattern for easy orientation, and most sites of interest are within walking distance in the historic downtown area.
In the 1930s, Amelia Earhart worked at the local airfield as a flight instructor before embarking on her famous flights. A museum in downtown preserves items from that period and shows the connection between the town and aviation history.
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