Historical Markers
Boy looks inside the barrel of an old cannon - military history sites

Self-guided · County in California

Military History Sites in Madera County, CA

Forts, armories, barracks, batteries and memorials from every war the country has fought, listed with what happened at each.

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Photo: Phyllis Lilienthal on Unsplash

History books cover the big events in a chapter each. The places those events touched are scattered across counties like this one. Madera County is one of 58 counties in California.

Child sits on a cannon with others walking by - military history sites
Photo: Belov Sergey on Unsplash
A woman standing in front of a display of guns - military history sites
Photo: Felix Ngo on Unsplash
A group of men in uniform holding guns - military history sites
Photo: Rusty Watson on Unsplash

On the record near Madera County, CA

The 12 nearest

19 listed sites on the record match military history sites within 200 miles of Madera County, CA, out of 30 listed sites of every kind within 25 miles. 2 listed sites carry Madera County as their county.

  1. Copperopolis Armory73 miles from the center of Madera County · Building · Copperopolis · listed 1997National Register of Historic Places
  2. Fort Ord Station Veterinary Hospital103 miles from the center of Madera County · Building · Marina · listed 2014National Register of Historic Places
  3. Livermore Veterans Administration Hospital, Building 62105 miles from the center of Madera County · Building · Livermore · listed 2020National Register of Historic Places
  4. Veterans Memorial Building111 miles from the center of Madera County · Building · Santa Cruz · listed 1992National Register of Historic Places
  5. Alameda Veterans' Memorial Building133 miles from the center of Madera County · Building · Alameda · listed 2007National Register of Historic Places
  6. Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial134 miles from the center of Madera County · District · Martinez · listed 2009National Register of Historic Places
  7. Fort, The134 miles from the center of Madera County · Building · Taft · listed 1981National Register of Historic Places
  8. Georgetown Civil War Armory136 miles from the center of Madera County · Building · Georgetown · listed 2017National Register of Historic Places
  9. Quarters 1, Yerba Buena Island, Naval Training Station140 miles from the center of Madera County · Building · San Francisco · listed 1991National Register of Historic Places
  10. San Francisco National Guard Armory and Arsenal142 miles from the center of Madera County · Building · San Francisco · listed 1978National Register of Historic Places
  11. Masonic Temple--Naval Lodge No. 87, Free and Accepted Masons143 miles from the center of Madera County · Building · Vallejo · listed 2013National Register of Historic Places
  12. Fort Point National Historic Site146 miles from the center of Madera County · District · San Francisco · listed 1970National Register of Historic Places

Distances are straight-line from the center of Madera County, CA. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

Military History in Madera County, step by step

  1. 1

    Read the short history of the period for this area

  2. 2

    Open the map filtered to the sites from that chapter

  3. 3

    Visit the nearest site and read its full record

  4. 4

    Ask what the marker leaves out and look for the rest

  5. 5

    Add the site to a route that follows the period in order

What people in Madera County, CA ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in Madera County, CA?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

Are the hard parts of this history included?

Yes. The record is shown as published, and the stories behind the markers include what happened, who it happened to, and how it was remembered. Leaving the hard parts out would make the stop less worth the trip.

Why are there so many of these sites near Madera County, CA?

Most areas have more than people expect, because the registers list every surviving building and site tied to a period, not just the famous ones. The list on this page shows exactly what is on the record nearby.

How a visit works in Madera County

  1. Step 1

    Find the place

    Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In Madera County, CA the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.

  2. Step 2

    Read the story

    The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.

  3. Step 3

    Get there under your own power

    Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in Madera County, CA are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.

  4. Step 4

    Collect it and come back

    Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.

The rules that make it work

The record comes first

Every site on these pages comes from a published register or marker program, with its source named. Nothing is listed that is not on the record.

Read the whole story

A marker is a few lines on a post. The story behind it is longer, and it includes the hard parts. Both are worth the stop.

Movement makes it stick

People remember the places they walked to. A route through five markers teaches more than fifty marker pages read on a couch.

Local beats famous

The marker two streets over usually has a better story than the one in the guidebook, and nobody else is standing in front of it.

Respect the ground

Many sites are private homes, working churches or cemeteries. View from the public way, follow posted hours, and leave it as you found it.

Every visitor can improve it

Markers go missing, get moved, or carry mistakes. A photo or a location fix from the person standing there is how the record stays right.

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Military History near Madera County

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