1908 Colonel Allen Allensworth arrived in Tulare County, California hoping to build a community for black soldiers. A delegation of black men was formed and together they bought 20 acres along the Santa Fe rail line. On that land they established the first town in California to be founded, funded, and governed by African-Americans, Allensworth.

Throughout the early 1900s the township was a beacon. Families came from all across the country to join the community. They built businesses, a post office, a school, and a library. The town caught attention from press across the country as an ideal way of living for black families in the Jim Crow era.

This period of prosperity was brought to an end across a series of misfortunes. The Santa Fe line was rerouted hurting local businesses, water was redirected creating drought, and ultimately arsenic was found in the groundwater, forcing people to leave.

Today, the original townsite is preserved by the state as Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park, and by the Friends of Allensworth who dedicate their time to preserving the proud legacy.