Fresno’s Tower District is known for nightlife, live entertainment and an inclusive attitude. But how did this neighborhood come to be? We’ll explore that story today on KVPR Central Valley Roots.
The Tower District takes its name from the neon-clad Tower Theater, a streamline moderne movie palace at the corner of Olive and Wishon Avenues. It was built in 1939, but the neighborhood’s history goes back much further.
The Dry Creek Canal runs through the southern portion of the district. It was along these banks near Blackstone Avenue at the Zapp family built Fresno first amusement destination Zapp’s Park in 1904. Visitors could enjoy rides and relax lakeside, at Blackstone and Olive Avenues. Soon the area became Fresno’s first “streetcar suburb” thanks to the electric trolleys of the Fresno Traction Company…