California Block Club Federation

California Community

Why Do They Call It California Anyway ?

A Neighborhood History

California was originally from 14 ^th Street to 18 ^th Street, Broadway to Oak. This subdivision was called Henderson. The houses were sold to “Negroes” so cheaply that they considered it equal to the California Gold Rush .Therefore the subdivision was renamed California.

By 1870 many things were starting to happen in the California Neighborhood. It had become a working class neighborhood filled with shot-gun cottages. There was a mixed Black and White population with no apparent ethnic concentration. One German family, the Brintstews, lived on Hale Avenue, (named Bismarck before WW1), from 1881 to 1917. The California Colored School was in operation at 15 ^th and Prentice.

However over time California became nearly all Black. This was due to the segregated housing patterns practiced in West Louisville. As early as the late 1870's the “Negro” population had increased, reaching nearly 15,000. Today we are back to a mixed community with all types of cultural backgrounds. Anyone with more history to add can leave it on the website.

In 2010,California has become a large neighborhood, South of Broadway, North of Oak, West of 9 ^th Street, and East of 26 ^th Street. It is a mixture of industry, small businesses, churches, and residents. I invite all my neighbors to come together at the next Federation meeting on the first Tuesday of the month at 6:30pm . Place to be announced, look for flyers at the California Community Center.

Only if we work together can we make a better tomorrow.

About The California Block Club Federation, Inc.                      

The California Block Club Federation Inc. is a non-profit community based organization that consisted of individual Block Clubs that merged in 1978. Now known as The California Federation Inc. we serve as the umbrella body of the neighborhood. Our mission is to unite neighborhood groups, residents, churches, and businesses owners together for a clean environment, crime prevention, and neighborhood improvements, thereby promoting self help activities for all residents.

In 2009, the Federation accomplished the following:

• N eighborhood meetings on the first Tuesday of every month .
• Jewelry Making every week to promote neighborhood togetherness and micro-enterprise .
• Our 7th Annual Back 2 School Bash, to support families with useful information and start our children off to a successful school year.
• The 2nd Annual Victory Park Day.
• S upport of  the California Collaborative  in its effort to bring together the California R esidents . Our California N eighborhood  is becoming a “green and wireless community moving to an arts beat” and we want to make it a n eighborhood of choice .  
• Making Connections Network Nites and activities , a way to build the social networks that we all need for support as we go about our daily lives.

In 2010, the Federation has continu ed to do the above and accomplishing the following:

• H osted 4 heal th dialogs to hear the voices of our community around health issues.
• The 3rd Annual Victory Park Day
• The California Farmer's Market and The Mobile Bike Market
• Hosted 2 Brightside Neighborhood clean-up days
• Along with Metro United Way and the California Collaborative we worked with parents to filled out "Ages and Stages" a tool to track their children's milestones
• Builded partnerships with Friendship Baptist Church and Midwest Church of Christ

The Federation is looking forward in 2011 to our "Block to Block"initiative, the forming of more Block Clubs to raise resident engagement in the improvement of our neighborhood.

Unity in Our Community!

 We're about block clubs, neighborhood groups, churches, businesses and much, much, more!!

Start something good! If you have an idea for something positive we will help you achieve it.

Come and join us!

Let's work together to make California The Neighborhood of Choice.