History

Los Banos (Spanish for “The Baths”) has a rich history. Reaching back to the Native American Yokuts who utilized the wetlands of the Central Valley region and called it home.

In the late 18th century brought the Padres and a mission building campaign began in California. During the 100 year rule of the Spanish, the life and influence the Yokuts had in the area faded away. Though the Yokuts began to integrate into the Spanish culture, unfortunately, their own culture, like many others, did not survive.

The first Europeans of Los Banos were primarily the Spanish and Portuguese. However, Los Banosbecame a town because of a visionary from Germany named Henry Miller.  As an 8 yr old boy he dreamt of golden valleys as far as he could see with fat cattle wearing a Double H brand.  In 1850, at the age of 22, Miller stepped off a boat in San Francisco with $5.00 in his pocket. By the end of the day he had a job in a butcher shop, a year later, he owned his own shop and began to search for a better quality beef.  His travels led him down El Camino Real (Hwy 101) towards the fertile San Joaquin Valley he’d heard of.  He was speechless  the first time he topped Pacheco Pass and saw the golden valley and fat cattle with the Double H brand exactly as he’d dreamt as a boy back in Germany!  Before he left our Valley that first day he had an option on the Santa Rita Ranch (home of the Double H).  He founded Los Banos some years later and made it his business headquarters. At the time of  Henry Miller’s death in 1916 he owned over 1,000,000 acres, 1,000,000 head of cattle and 100,000 sheep; making him the largest landowner in America.

Due to the unique location of Los Banos, being centrally located, with San Francisco to the north, Yosemite to the West and Bakersfield/Los Angeles to the south, made it a prime location for people to rest during their travels. One group in particular were, the Buffalo Soldiers!

Buffalo Soldiers

After the Civil War, Congress established the all-Black 9th and 10th Cavalry and 24th and 25th Infantry regiments. Their primary duty was to protect Americans moving into the country’s remote western frontier. Although the name “Buffalo Soldiers” originally applied only to the Black cavalry troops, it is now widely used to refer to all four African American Army regiments.

One of the primary duties of the Buffalo Soldiers on the western frontier was to protect the settlers and railroad workers from American Indians, bandits and cattle rustlers. The Buffalo Soldiers built forts, scouted, and surveyed the land. They were sent to some of the most remote and lonely outposts on the frontier. Their equipment and horses were substandard, usually hand-me-downs from the white army units. They often suffered from prejudice and hostility from the people they protected. Yet despite the hardships they endured, eleven Buffalo Soldiers earned the Medal of Honor, as well as the respect and praise of their commanding officers.

The Buffalo Soldiers continued to distinguish themselves throughout the Spanish-American War, the war with the Philippines, World War I, and World War II. After World War II, the armed forces were desegregated by order of President Harry S. Truman.

US Army Soldiers protected our National Parks until 1914. In 1903 Buffalo Soldiers of the 9th Cavalry, led by then Captain Charles Young, were garrisoned at the Presidio of San Francisco. Among other duties, they were stewards of Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks.  Typically the soldiers left the Presidio in May, worked in the National Parks during the summer and returned to the Presidio in November. It was a 16 day journey by horseback from the Presidio to Sequoia; on day seven of which they camped overnight in Los Banos, presumably at Henry Miller’s racetrack!

While it was not uncommon for folks along the route to have Cavalrymen camp in/near their towns enroute to/from the National Parks, townspeople were unaccustomed to seeing an entire company of Black Cavalrymen. It generated a good deal of curiosity and caused many to visit their encampment.

According to every available source Charles Young was an incredible leader of men during both war and peace.  Under his leadership during the summer of 1903 (when he served as the first and only Black Superientendent of a National Park) he and his men accomplished more at Sequoia National Park than did the three previous Superientendents in the three years prior!  The wagon road they built that summer allowed visitors to reach the famous Moro Rock; that road is still in use today as a trail in the park.

Young recommended the government acquire patented lands in the park. This recommendation was mentioned in legislation introduced in the House of Representatives. The Visalia, California, Board of Trade showed appreciation of his performance as the park’s acting superintendent by presenting him with a citation.

Charles Young

Colonel Charles Young

Charles Young (1864 - 1922) was born on March 12, 1864 to former slaves in MaysLick, Kentucky. He attended the all white Ripley High School and was the first Black to graduate with honors. He was the third Black American to graduate from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point (1889).  He spoke six languages, composed and performed music on the violin, piano and guitar.

Charles Young was a Professor of Military Science at Wilberforce University (he also taught Mathematics & French), he was the first Black Military Attache, the Highest Ranking Black Line Officer from 1894-1922, Leader of the 1^st Black Military Unit requested to be a Presidential Escort (at San Francisco in 1903 by President Roosevelt in appreciation for the Buffalo Soldiers performance at San Juan Hill), the first (and only) Black Superintendent of a National Park.

He had a distinguished military career as an efficient,capable and popular officer. His strength of character and personality caused him to be held in high regard by both blacks and whites, yet according to an Arlington National Cemetery website, he never received the accolades and honor due him.

Get the facts! Download the Charles Young Chronology/Fact Sheet (PDF-74 KB)

Cathay Williams

Cathay Williams

Cathay Williams (1844 - 1892) was born September 1844 near Independence, Jackson county, Missouri and was the first African American female in the US Army. Posing as a man under the name, William Cathay, soldier Williams at the age of 22 (or perhaps 16), enlisted in the United States Regular Army on 15 November 1866 at St. Louis, Missouri for a three year engagement. At the time physical examinations were not required for those who enlisted. Only two others knew of her secret, her cousin and a friend, both of whom were fellow soldiers in her regiment.

As an uneducated black woman in 1866 she would make a very low wage as laborer and cook. As a black man in the army however, she would earn more money than a black female cook. For her it may have seemed a matter of survival and may not even realized she was setting a precedent.

To date she is the only documented African-American woman enlisted and served in the U.S. Army before women were allowed to serve. She was neither praised nor punished, she did not distinguished herself nor disgraced the uniform while in service. She was considered to be an average soldier that kept a low profile.

She was able to hold her own and march, drill and work along side the men she served with. There is no record of her company ever engaging the enemy while she was in the Army.

It was only discovered that she was a woman after fatigue set in from recovering from smallpox for some time. It could also have been that she was tired of living as a man (reports say).