Tipton Community Council

Wild West Days

Originally dubbed "Tips End", as it was located at the end of the railroad line, Tipton, also known as "The State Cotton Capital" of California, has its origins in the explosive growth of the Old West Frontier. Officially named by the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1872, numerous stories of its "wild and wooly past" abound. Many "famous gangs" plagued the early railroads of the San Joaquin Valley, among them the infamous Dalton Gang. There was a great deal of monetary exchange in those days and its primary form of transport was the railroads. Gunfights and lawlessness slowly gave way to more civilized means of settling disputes. 

Among a few tales of how the town got its name, one story states town's name came as a result of a war that broke out between local cattlemen and settlers arriving via the newly built railroad. A local attorney, Tipton Lindsey, championed the cause of homesteaders by introducing legislation requiring stockmen restrain their livestock from trespassing on farmer's crops. 

Thus the seeds of a working partnership were sown that survives to this day. A grateful community named the town in his honor. The first school was founded in 1874.

Early 20th Century

The town blossomed into the 1920s when Dust Bowl immigrants flooded in and set up tents and labor camps on the town's outskirts. Partygoers packed the one big hotel. Cockfights drew crowds just outside town.

In the 1940s, hundreds of prisoners of war from World War II were shipped here to work on the farms.
Somewhere along the line, life in Tipton slowed. The town has never surpassed its current population. The bustle of the past has been replaced with the day-to-day rhythm of milking, planting and harvesting.

Council History

Tipton is a small town. Its Community Council is made up of small-town people.

The seven council members are miles away from being smooth-talking politicians, and although they've been at this for only a few years, their spirit and motivation already have brought change to the town.

Like their town of 1,800, the council members are diverse. They also lead lives that reflect the way people here live, dealing with the same frustrations and dreams.

There's Leanne Simoes Sandlin, Council Chairperson with heavy involvement in the local school district. Carl Santos, the straight-talking Council Vice-Chairperson.  Paula Maestaz, the single mom who returned to her childhood home with her three teen daughters. Demetrio Lopez, a farm laborer who left Mexico for a better life. Connie Sanchez, newly elected Council Secretary. Ora Price, a widowed Christian woman who stands up for senior citizens and Council Treasurer Lynda Fitzpatrick a recent transplant from Los Angeles with a strong desire for enhanced public safety.