Originally published Dec. 15, 2018.
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Maderan Lena Northern Adams probably never spent an inordinate amount of time reflecting upon her yesteryears. She was simply too busy. However, when she did ponder the past, one event surely must have stood out in her mind: the Raisin Queen contest of 1914.
Maderans have always found the time and energy to participate in community ventures, some of which took them beyond the borders of Madera County. One such event was the California Raisin Day celebration in Fresno.
Actually, Raisin Day celebrations in 1914 were not confined to the San Joaquin Valley, nor even California. According to the Madera Daily Mercury, every city of importance on the Pacific Coast held its own Raisin Day festivities, and Fresno’s raisin promoters set April 30, 1914, for theirs.