Springville, CA

Springville sits in Tulare County's Sierra foothills at a little over 1,000 feet, with State Route 190 carrying the town toward the Tule River Canyon and the mountain country beyond. William Daunt opened the first store here in 1860, and the place was originally called Daunt. The name changed to Springville in 1911, a nod to the soda springs in the area. The first post office arrived in 1886, and Springville Union School, opened as a school in the 1920s, still serves kindergarten through eighth grade. The town's current calendar carries its older economy forward: the P.R.C.A. Rodeo in April, the Apple Festival in October, and the Tule River Historical Society Museum beside the rodeo grounds. Springville is also the last place to gather provisions before routes into Balch Park, Mountain Home Forest, and the Giant Sequoia National Monument. Ranches, small farms, artists, antiques, and the road into the foothills all meet in the same small Tulare County town.