Hanford sits in the middle of California’s San Joaquin Valley in the western part of the United States.http://www.ci.hanford.ca.us/about/directions.asp The city’s roots trace back to the settlements of Chinese immigrant workers who were building the Southern Pacific Railroad that would be part of the Transcontinental Railroad system in the 19th century.http://www.ci.hanford.ca.us/about/history.asp Incorporated in 1891, the city is the seat of Kings County and has a population of around 60,000.http://www.ci.hanford.ca.us/about/history.asp http://www.ci.hanford.ca.us/about/demographics.asp Kings County is a major agricultural region; farms near Hanford produce 16 different crops (including nuts, fruits and cotton) with a value of more than $1 billion a year.http://www.countyofkings.com/ag%20commissioner/Crop%20Reports/2009.pdf

In 1980, city officials began a campaign to preserve and restore the city’s historical buildings. http://www.ci.hanford.ca.us/about/history.asp These efforts to revitalize downtown Hanford through historic preservation have led to the city being recognized with an Award of Merit from American City and County and being named one of the “Prettiest Painted Places in America” by the Rohm and Haas Paint Quality Institute.http://www.ci.hanford.ca.us/about/history.asp

The history of Hanford began in 1877 as a settlement for railroad workers and was named after Southern Pacific paymaster James Madison Hanford.http://www.kingscountylibrary.org/res/hstk2.htm The town was incorporated in 1891 as a response to inadequate fire protection which allowed fires in 1887 and 1891 to significantly damage the downtown business district.http://www.ci.hanford.ca.us/about/history.asp The area’s agriculture started with the planting of the first grape vineyard in 1890 and the first dairy in 1893.http://www.kingscountylibrary.org/res/hstk2.htm

In 1924, construction was completed on the Civic Auditorium, which at the time was the only opera house in California between Los Angeles and San Francisco.http://www.ci.hanford.ca.us/about/history.asp

Hanford is located at latitude 36.33 N and longitude 119.65 W. http://www.city-data.com/city/Hanford-California.html It is 33 miles south of Fresno, the nearest major population base to Hanford.http://www.travelmath.com/driving-distance/from/Fresno,+CA/to/Hanford,+CA Weather in Hanford tends to be very warm in the summer and moderately cold in the winter, with an annual average precipitation of 8.58 inches.http://www.idcide.com/weather/ca/hanford.htm The city limits encapsulate 13.1 square miles and it is located 247 feet above sea level.http://www.city-data.com/city/Hanford-California.html.

• The Kings Art Center: Opened in 1989, the art museum has 10 rotating shows each year along with a permanent collection of paintings, sculptures and other art from local and national artists.http://www.kingsartcenter.org/about.shtml
• Giant Chevrolet Speedway: Located at the Kings County Fairgrounds, the 1/3-mile dirt track hosts sprint cars, stock cars and modified car racing on Saturday nights throughout the year.http://www.kingsspeedway.net/schedule.php
• The Carnegie Museum: A museum built with a grant from industrialist Andrew Carnegie in 1905, the Carnegie Museum features exhibits which showcase the history of Kings County.http://www.visithanford.com/hfdvis23i.htmlhttp://www.hanfordcarnegiemuseum.org/Exhibits.html
• The Hanford Fox Theater: Originally built in 1929, the restored Fox Theater includes an antique Wurlitzer organ.http://www.visithanford.com/hfdvis23j.htmlToday it hosts concerts, plays and other special events.http://www.foxhanford.com/
• The Museum of China Alley: Hanford's Chinatown District is preserved at this museum, which features representations of the lifestyles of the area's early Chinese immigrants.http://www.visithanford.com/hfdvis23e.html

• Lorenzo Neal: National Football League running backhttp://www.nfl.com/players/lorenzoneal/profile?id=NEA237924
• Tyson Chandler: National Basketball Association centerhttp://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/chandty01.html
• Scott Parker: National Hockey League playerhttp://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/players/1824
• Steve Perry: Journey lead singerhttp://www.starpulse.com/Music/Perry,_Steve/Biography
• Matt Shively: Actorhttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm2397866