Panoche Creek

Panoche Creek
Big Panoche
Panoche Creek; Big Panoche
Etymology	Spanish
Native name	Arroyo de Panoche Grande
Location
Country	United States
State	California
Region	Fresno County
Physical characteristics
Source	source
• location	Drains the higher portion of the Diablo Range west of Llanada., San Benito County
• coordinates	36°37′32″N 121°00′30″W / 36.62556°N 121.00833°W
• elevation	2,070 ft (630 m)
Mouth	mouth
• location	empties into the San Joaquin Valley, 7.3 miles west of Mendota., Fresno County
• coordinates	36°44′55″N 120°30′48″W / 36.74861°N 120.51333°WCoordinates: 36°44′55″N 120°30′48″W / 36.74861°N 120.51333°W
• elevation	259 ft (79 m)

Panoche Creek formerly known as Arroyo de Panoche Grande (Big Sugarloaf Creek)^[2] and later anglicized to Big Panoche Creek and later "Panoche Creek". For a time its lower reaches were called "Silver Creek."^[1] It is a creek in San Benito County and Fresno County, central California.

The source of this creek is a pond, just east of Panoche Pass. The creek drains the higher portion of the southern Diablo Range west of Llanada, in San Benito County, flowing easterly through the Panoche Valley into Fresno County and emptying to the northeast into the San Joaquin Valley 7.3 miles west of Mendota near the former site of Hayes Station.^[1]

Panoche Creek has the largest drainage area of any stream on the east slope of the Diablo Range.^[1]

History[]

Arroyo de Panoche Grande was part of a route between the Indian settlements of the central coast of California and the San Joaquin Valley. It was also a watering place on El Camino Viejo in the San Joaquin Valley between Arroyita de Panoche (Little Sugarloaf Creek) and Arroyo de Cantua (Cantua Creek).^[2]

Spanish soldiers followed Panoche Creek on expeditions to explore the region, to pursue and punish neighboring, unfriendly Indians raiding mission cattle or horses, or to bring in subjects to convert in Indian Reductions.^[3] Musteneros followed it into the big valley, to catch wild horses and drive them back, or over the El Camino Viejo to be sold. Some settlers came over the route to establish Las Juntas in 1810. Later vaqueros used it move cattle between the coast and the big valley.

Both Panoche Creek and Panoche Valley, are referred to as the "Big Panoche", distinguishing them from the Little Panoche Creek, and valley.^[1]

References[]

^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Panoche Creek
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Mildred B. Hoover, et al. Historic Spots in California. 3rd edition. Stanford University Press, Stanford, 1966. p.89
^ Henry D. Barrows and Luther A. Ingersoll, A Memorial and Biographical History of the Coast Counties of Central California, The Lewis Publishing Company, 1893, Chapter 3

[gnis-1] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Panoche Creek

[Hoover-2] Jump up to: ^a ^b Mildred B. Hoover, et al. Historic Spots in California. 3rd edition. Stanford University Press, Stanford, 1966. p.89

[3] Henry D. Barrows and Luther A. Ingersoll, A Memorial and Biographical History of the Coast Counties of Central California, The Lewis Publishing Company, 1893, Chapter 3

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