Joaquin Rocks
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Joaquin Rocks are a group of three
pillars A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...
of rock, originally known as "Las Tres Piedras" (The Three Rocks), located on Joaquin Ridge, in the
Diablo Range The Diablo Range is a mountain range in the California Coast Ranges subdivision of the Pacific Coast Ranges in northern California, United States. It stretches from the eastern San Francisco Bay Area at its northern end to the Salinas Valley a ...
, in
Fresno County, California Fresno County (), officially the County of Fresno, is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 1,008,654. The county seat is Fresno, the fifth-most popu ...
. The Joaquin Rocks are at an elevation of , and are the most distinguishing feature of Joaquin Ridge. The three pillars of rock are clearly visible on the ridge for many miles from many directions in the
San Joaquin Valley The San Joaquin Valley ( ; Spanish language in California, Spanish: ''Valle de San Joaquín'') is the southern half of California's Central Valley (California), Central Valley. Famed as a major breadbasket, the San Joaquin Valley is an importa ...
and from their summits have a view of much of the valley. It is located, west-northwest of Black Mountain (Anticline Ridge) and southwest of Ragged Valley.


History

The rocks were named for
Joaquin Murrieta Joaquin Murrieta Carrillo (sometimes misspelled Murieta or Murietta) (c. 1829 – July 25, 1853), also called the Robin Hood of the West or the Robin Hood of El Dorado, was a Mexicans, Mexican figure of disputed historicity. The novel ''The Lif ...
(1830-1853), a
Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is divided into Municipalities of Sonora, 72 ...
n 49'er turned bandit during the
California Gold Rush The California gold rush (1848–1855) began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California from the rest of the U ...
after his death at the hands of the
California Rangers The California Rangers was a paramilitary state police force in California, United States, established in May 1853 and disestablished in August of the same year. It was the first statewide law enforcement agency in California. It was founded ...
in the Arroyo de Cantua. He and his gang used this region as a base and a refuge for their business of horse theft and robbery. The Rocks themselves were used as a lookout, overlooking the approaches to their rancho in the Arroyo de Cantua. The small town of Three Rocks, California is named for the rocks.


References

{{coord, 36, 19, 11, N, 120, 27, 32, W, display=title Landforms of Fresno County, California Diablo Range