We like to think of Poplar as the little township west of Porterville. Poplar was founded not long after Porterville but was originally two miles east of where it is today.

The name “Poplar” was given for the poplar trees that grew along the irrigation ditch, which was called the “Poplar Ditch.” A.B. Carpenter came up with the name, as his ranch was located at Road 208.

Being a farming community, it was thought that a grange would be a good idea. There were already granges in Tulare, Dinuba, Orosi, and Visalia. The Poplar Grange was organized in 1912. Mrs. Della Howell donated land for the Grange Hall, and E.S. Taggard was the first master.

The Grange Hall was built almost immediately, just a few hundred yards east of Road 192 on the south side of Highway 190. The building is still there today, but it is now a church. Even in the early days, the Grange Hall was used as a church on Sundays by the Church of Christ.

It was decided that Poplar needed some publicity, so a town fair was organized in 1913 and held behind the Grange Hall. It was well attended, and many businesses in Porterville had booths to publicize their wares.

Eventually, the Poplar Chamber of Commerce began hosting Chamber of Commerce banquets, and hundreds of people in the area attended. These were held in the parking lot of the baseball field.

The Poplar Grange disbanded in 1965, and its remaining funds were distributed to projects in harmony with the Grange’s mission, such as the Porterville Museum.