Yettem CA : EARLY ARMENIAN IMMIGRATION TO CALIFORNIA

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EARLY ARMENIAN IMMIGRATION TO CALIFORNIA

Armenians migrated to California’s San Joaquin Valley as early as the 1880s. In 1901, three Armenians were walking southeast from Fresno when they came across a region at the foothills of the Sierra Mountains. They felt an inexplicable connection to the land and began singing songs of their homeland. They set up tents and founded the town of Yettem - “Garden of Eden” in Armenian. To this day, it is the only town with an Armenian name in the United States.

Join TGHS Board Member Ani Mnatsakanyan as she shares stories of resilience and community strength as Armenians reconstruct their lives in a foreign land, while attempting to preserve their identity and memories of the homeland they were forced to leave behind.

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https://glendalehistorical.org/yettem

 

DISCOVERING EDEN: EARLY ARMENIAN IMMIGRATION TO CALIFORNIA
Armenians migrated to California’s San Joaquin Valley as early as the 1880s. In 1901, three Armenians were walking southeast from Fresno when they came across a region at the foothills of the Sierra Mountains. They felt an inexplicable connection to the land and began singing songs of their homeland. They set up tents and founded the town of Yettem - “Garden of Eden” in Armenian. To this day, it is the only town with an Armenian name in the United States.

Join TGHS Board Member Ani Mnatsakanyan as she shares stories of resilience and community strength as Armenians reconstruct their lives in a foreign land, while attempting to preserve their identity and memories of the homeland they were forced to leave behind.

 

 

 

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https://hetq.am/en/article/2626

 

 

Seda Gbranian-Melkonian

The year was 1890. Reverends Haroutioun Jenanyan, Nazareth Spenchian and Gebriel Baghdoyan set foot in California's San Joaquin Valley. They had left their beautiful homeland Armenia behind. They gazed at the Sierra Nevada mountains and the memory of their homeland filled their souls. The three men were in search of a new home. It took them almost eleven years to understand that the one place in all America that came closest to resembling their homeland in Armenia was the San Joaquin Valley.

In 1901 Reverend Jenanyan purchased land there and named the place Yettem, which means Eden. New comers from the old country purchased small lots from Jenanyan and made it their new home. With new Armenians arriving from the region of Cilicia, a community of farmers was formed, who belonged to the Armenian Presbyterian and the Armenian Apostolic churches. The Armenian Presbyterians had their worship in small school building.

In 1903 the Armenian Apostolic church had its first worship service on Pentecost Sunday at the same school building. After the worship of the Presbyterians, in the afternoon, the Apostolic liturgy took place.

Also in 1903 the name Yettem was officially adopted. This was going to be the only place in the United States of America with a pure Armenian name. The new settlers, most of them villagers from the old country, cultivated the land growing fruits and vegetables.

From 1904 to 1909 church services were held in the Yettem school building. In 1909 the first Parish Council Choir and Building Committees were organized and in May of that year, the cornerstones of a new church were blessed. In January 1911 construction had begun. The church was a modest wooden building with arched windows and a bell tower in front. It was built mainly by volunteers.

Bishop Moushegh Seropian of Fresno travelled to Yettem and consecrated the new church in the name of St. Mary on July 3. One year later the Armenian school and Sunday school were established. In 1914 the first Ladies Society was founded in what was to become the Western Diocese and a year later a library was created. In 1922 the first parish priest arrived and since then there have been nine priests who have served at St. Mary's Armenian church.

In 1920 the Yettem community numbered about five hundred people. However, the Great Depression forced many to leave their homes. Young people moved to Fresno and Los Angeles never to return.

On June 12, 1945 the original church was destroyed by fire. In September, 1946 the foundation stones of a new church were blessed. It was built from red bricks using traditional Armenian church design with a dome and a bell tower. The architect was Laurence K. Cone (Condrajian). The new church was consecrated by Bishop Vartan Kasparian on November 16, 1947.

In July, 1960 His Holiness Vazken I Supreme Patriach-Catholicos of All Armenians visited St. Mary parish of Yettem. Later His Holiness Karekin I and His Holliness Karekin II also visited St. Mary parish. Several other high ranking clergy and VIPs from Armenia and the Diaspora also have been the guests of St. Mary parish.

Among these was the unique visitation of General Antranig, who participated in a fund raising event at Yettem in 1920. In mid seventies, with the help of the parish priest Father Vartan Kasparian, the future National Hero of Armenia Monte Melkonian frequently attended the Sunday school at St. Mary’s Church of Yettem.

Currently there is only one Armenian family that has remained in Yettem since its creation. Every Sunday and during holidays parishioners from nearby towns, mostly from Visalia, come to the church, keeping their religion and Armenian traditions alive. Through youth programs the torch is carried from generation to generation, passing on the Armenian heritage. St. Mary's Armenian Apostolic Church gathers its children around it in a warm and loving embrace, like a caring and affectionate family.

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Yettem School, in Tulare County, CA, was built in 1912. It served a rural population

 

https://archive.org/details/cvicl_000954

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yettem,_California



Yettem, California


Yettem is a census-designated place (CDP) in Tulare County, California.[2] Yettem is located on California State Route 201 11 miles (18 km) north of Visalia. Yettem has a post office with ZIP code 93670.[3] Yettem sits at an elevation of 348 feet (106 m).[2] The 2010 United States census reported Yettem's population was 211.

Yettem's name was Lovell until Hagop Hamalian, the town storekeeper and postmaster, along with Ezekiel Kendigian and Devlat Agha Moorsalian submitted Armenia, Ararat, and Yettem as suggestions for a name change for the town to the Post Office Department, which chose Yettem.[4] Yettem is how Western Armenians pronounce the Armenian word for Eden. Although most of the Armenian population has moved away, there is still an active St. Mary's Armenian Church in Yettem.[5]

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP covers an area of 0.2 square miles (0.4 km2), all of it land.

Demographics
The 2010 United States Census[6] reported that Yettem had a population of 211. The population density was 1,374.7 inhabitants per square mile (530.8/km2). The racial makeup of Yettem was 48 (22.7%) White, 5 (2.4%) African American, 0 (0.0%) Native American, 0 (0.0%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 148 (70.1%) from other races, and 10 (4.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 199 persons (94.3%).

The Census reported that 211 people (100% of the population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized.

There were 51 households, out of which 35 (68.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 32 (62.7%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 7 (13.7%) had a female householder with no husband present, 6 (11.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 4 (7.8%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 0 (0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 5 households (9.8%) were made up of individuals, and 4 (7.8%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.14. There were 45 families (88.2% of all households); the average family size was 4.38.

The population was spread out, with 78 people (37.0%) under the age of 18, 36 people (17.1%) aged 18 to 24, 55 people (26.1%) aged 25 to 44, 32 people (15.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 10 people (4.7%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 23.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 119.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 121.7 males.

There were 62 housing units at an average density of 403.9 per square mile (155.9/km2), of which 13 (25.5%) were owner-occupied, and 38 (74.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 23.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 11.6%. 43 people (20.4% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 168 people (79.6%) lived in rental housing units.

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https://www.putnampit.com/yettem_html.html

A WARM WIND THROUGH YETTEM
An Eighty-year Anthology
By CHARLES DAVIDIAN