The 1920s were a pivotal decade in Turlock as the city grew and prospered with bountiful crops, especially with melons, saw the fire department grow and Turlock Irrigation District started offering electricity.

People will have an opportunity to learn what shaped the city 100 years ago from local historian Scott Atherton as he gives his presentation Turlock and the Roaring 20s at the Turlock Library.

The event starts at 11 a.m. Saturday in the library’s community room. The presentation is free and open to the public. The presentation is through a partnership between the Turlock Historical Society and Museum, the Friends of the Turlock Public Library and the Stanislaus County Library.

Atherton’s presentation, which lasts about 45 minutes and will be followed by a question and answer session, covers a broad range of different dynamics during the decade, including social, political and economics.

One aspect Atherton will be discussing is Turlock’s one-time reputation as the melon capital of the world.

“Melons from Turlock were shipped all over the world,” Atherton said.

Agriculture was the primary economic driver for the town as the fertile soil and favorable climate made it a “breadbasket” for feeding the country, Atherton said. The success of farmers and dairies attracted new business proprietors and settlers to the area. This period saw the establishment of various businesses and services to support the growing population.

The 1920s also was the decade that Turlock’s Assyrian community began to grow as refugees sought a new home following the WWI Assyrian genocide. The Assyrian community played a significant role in the town's cultural and social life.

The early 20th century and into the 1920s saw a growing Scandinavian presence in Turlock as well. Nils O. Hultberg, who arrived in the area in 1901 purchased 1,000 acres of land from John W. Mitchell, with a vision of establishing a Swedish colony in Turlock.