White River, California facts for kids

White River is a small community in Tulare County, California, in the United States. It is located about ten miles east of the town of Delano, California. This area is called an unincorporated community because it doesn't have its own local government like a city does.

History of White River

White River started as a gold mining camp in 1856. This was during the time of the Kern River Gold Rush, when many people came to California hoping to find gold.

From Dogtown to Tailholt

The first name for this gold camp was Dogtown. It was first located near a place called Coarse Gold Gulch. This spot was about two miles west of where White River is today.

Later, when the first road was built to Linn's Valley, Dogtown moved. It moved about one and a half miles west, closer to the new road. Its name was then changed to Tailholt.

How Tailholt Got Its Name

The name Tailholt came from a funny event involving a stagecoach. A stagecoach is like a big bus pulled by horses, used for travel long ago. A lady passenger on the stagecoach had a dog. Her dog jumped out the window while chasing a cat!

The lady grabbed her dog's tail and held on tight, screaming for help. Mother Cummings, who owned the local restaurant, came to help her. As she helped lift the dog back into the stagecoach, Mother Cummings said, "Well Ma'am, a tail-holt is better than a no holt at all."

The stagecoach driver, named Yank, thought this was very funny. When he returned to Visalia, he told the postmaster that the new name for the town was Tailholt. Later, the town's name was changed again to the more formal White River.