On The Map: North Fork

Well, here we are again in the Sierra Nevada talking about a town that really grew because of the Gold Rush.

Miners, prospectors were coming in from all over and they displaced the Mono people who were living here originally.

Milton Brown was one of those prospectors who built a cabin right on Willow Creek.

And his cabin got pretty popular, in fact, a community started to grow around him.

Well in 1888, the post office opened and that made it an official town.

But it was when the United States Forest Service set up their headquarters here that 

established this community as a “timber town”.

You see, lumber was more responsible for 

keeping this community going more than gold ever was.

But the name actually comes from Milton Brown’s original cabin.

Well, actually the location of the cabin.

Which was on a fork in Willow Creek.

Specifically the North one.

Now North Fork is on the map of Madera County.

Well North Fork boasts being the exact center of California.

This marker is about 5 miles outside the center of town, about 60 feet off of road 225.

With Josh Dean behind the camera, I’m A.J. Fox.