RAYMOND
(WILDCAT STATION)

THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY AND YOSEMITE RAILROAD WAS INCORPORATED ON FEBRUARY 15, 1856 BY THE SOUTHERN PACIFIC COMPANY. THE 21-MILE TRACK RAN BETWEEN BERENDA AND RAYMOND. AT THIS LOCATION A TURNTABLE ALLOWED THE LOCOMOTIVE TO BE TURNED AROUND AND WATERED IF NEEDED FOR THE RETURN TRIP. THE FIRST PASSENGER TRAIN ARRIVED IN MARCH 1880. TOURISTS WOULD RIDE THE TRAIN TO "WILD CAT" THEN CONTINUE ON TO YOSEMITE BY STAGECOACH. AT ONE TIME MEAT SUPPLIES RAN OUT AND WILDCAT CARCASSES COULD BE SEEN HANGING OUTSIDE THE DINING ROOM'S KITCHEN, THUS THE NAME WILD CAT STATION. IT WAS LATER RENAMED "RAYMOND" FOR MR. T. RAYMOND OF THE RAYMOND WHITCOMB TRAVEL ASSOCIATION OF San Francisco. THE POST OFFICE WAS ESTABLISHED ON JULY 9,1886 AND RAYMOND SOON BECAME THE MAIN FREIGHT DEPOT FOR THE MOUNTAIN AREA DUE TO INCREASED CATTLE SHIPMENTS, THE RAYMOND GRANITE QUARRY AND THE SUPPLIES NEEDED BY THE MADERA SUGAR PINE LUMBER COMPANY. THE RAYMOND TRAIN WAS TERMINATED IN 1946 WHEN THE LINE FROM DAULTON TO RAYMOND WAS TERMINATED.

DEDICATED ON APRIL 19, 1997 BY E CLAMPUS VITUS GRUB GULCH CHAPTER ECV 41-49