The Central Pacific line coming south from Fresno reached Goshen in the summer of 1872.
 In response, The Visalia Railroad Company was incorporated 19 May 1874 and a seven-mile spur from Goshen was completed 14 August 1874.
 In 1899 the spur was leased to the Southern Pacific Railroad.
 By 29 November 1898 the rails had been extended southeastward from Visalia to Southern Pacific's East Side Line at Exeter, a distance of ten miles.

In July 1881 Editor-Publisher Ben M. Maddox (see Ben Maddox Way) of the Visalia Daily Times began promoting hydroelectric power from John Hays Hammond's Mount Whitney Power Company on the Kaweah River, which emerges from the Sierra Nevada Mountains about fifteen miles northeast of Visalia.
 In June 1899 power began to flow from Hammond, a little over three miles upstream from Three Rivers.
 Potentially producing 1800 horsepower (1343 kW), the power company actually sold 700 hp (522 kW).

As early as 10 September 1891 Ben Maddox proposed an electric interurban railroad for Tulare County to make use of the extra generating capacity.
 Around 1900 John Hays Hammond and Albert G. Wishon propose an electric railroad from Visalia to Three Rivers (about 30 miles).
 The Visalia Electric Railroad Company was incorporated 22 April 1904.
The Central Pacific line coming south from Fresno reached Goshen in the summer of 1872.  In response, The Visalia Railroad Company was incorporated 19 May 1874 and a seven-mile spur from Goshen was completed 14 August 1874.  In 1899 the spur was leased to the Southern Pacific Railroad.  By 29 November 1898 the rails had been extended southeastward from Visalia to Southern Pacific's East Side Line at Exeter, a distance of ten miles.
In July 1881 Editor-Publisher Ben M. Maddox (see Ben Maddox Way) of the Visalia Daily Times began promoting hydroelectric power from John Hays Hammond's Mount Whitney Power Company on the Kaweah River, which emerges from the Sierra Nevada Mountains about fifteen miles northeast of Visalia.  In June 1899 power began to flow from Hammond, a little over three miles upstream from Three Rivers.  Potentially producing 1800 horsepower (1343 kW), the power company actually sold 700 hp (522 kW).
As early as 10 September 1891 Ben Maddox proposed an electric interurban railroad for Tulare County to make use of the extra generating capacity.  Around 1900 John Hays Hammond and Albert G. Wishon propose an electric railroad from Visalia to Three Rivers (about 30 miles).  The Visalia Electric Railroad Company was incorporated 22 April 1904.
Visalia Electric Railroad