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Williams, Calif.―Named after
founder W.H. Williams, this small farming city is home to Colusa County
Canning Company, where the tomato is king. Located on Interstate Highway 5 just
58 miles north of Sacramento and 103 miles south of Redding, the landscape
is interesting. With scant green fields, the predominantly wheat-colored
grass provides a stark contrast to the red tomatoes constantly carted by
truck to the canning company. Colusa experiences warm summers and
cool winters ideal for growing tomatoes. The average temperatures are: January temperature 40° F (4°
C); July temperature 97° F (36° C); average annual rainfall 21 in. (53.34
cm); 268 day growing season.
Huge factories with tall
cylindrical, white stacks are the processing plants for tomatoes. Colusa
Canning is a leading tomato grower and processor based in California’s
Sacramento Valley. This northern California facility produces hot-break and
cold-break tomato paste, peeled tomato products and sauces for private label
and branded label customers. New high-speed canning lines serve foodservice
and retail customers. Organic tomato products comprise a significant portion
of Colusa’s business.
Less than 10 miles
distance, the City of Colusa in Colusa County shares the shops, restaurants
and events with its neighbor, Williams. The rich farm belt lies in the heart
of the Sacramento River Valley in Central Interior California. Framed on its
sides by the Coastal and Sierra Nevada Mountain Ranges, it offers a
picturesque agricultural landscape. It is one of the few remaining oases of
uncluttered western frontier. The population of Williams is around 4,000
people, with a large portion of the population comprised of Hispanics.
Like much of California, the topography of Colusa County is varied. The
7,000 foot peak of Snow Mountain sits on the County's western border in the
Mendocino National Forest. Traveling down from the mountain, one passes
world famous wild flowers in the range lands which cover much of the
County's western third. About 10 miles west of Interstate 5, these foothills
ease into the rich, fertile soils of the Sacramento Valley. The Sacramento
River, with a watershed covering much of the northern California interior,
washes the county's eastern border. Colusa County is located about 60
miles north of Sacramento. It is bordered by Glenn, Lake, Yolo, Sutter and
Butte counties. Visitors to this county will enjoy a rural setting where
activities range from fishing and hunting to boating and camping. The Colusa
Casino offers bingo and gaming as well as live entertainment. Cities in this
county include Colusa, the county seat, and Williams.
 Twenty shaded parks, with swimming pools,
tennis courts, softball and soccer fields, are open to the public. Two golf
courses are maintained in Arbuckle and Colusa. Population figures give the
county a total of 18,000 citizens. In Williams, several hotels
are located 45
miles northwest of the Sacramento Airport and just minutes away from
hunting, fishing, boating, bingo, racing and much more.
In addition to sports activities and
dining, be sure to visit the Sacramento Valley Museum located at 1491 E St.
Williams, CA. Phone: (530) 473-2978. Hours subject to change: Friday
and Saturday: 10 am to 4 pm: or by Appointment. The museum is located in the
former Williams High School which was built in 1911. It is the area's
best museum documenting early California life. The museum's exhibits allow
visitors to view life as it was from the mid-1800s to the early 1900s. On
display are vintage toys, clothing, quilts and dolls, as well as an
apothecary shop, a kitchen, bedroom, parlor, a ladies' millinery and dress
shop, a leather shop, blacksmith's shop and a barber shop. In 2004, a
portion of a Sacramento Union newspaper collection found a home at
this museum. Terry Egan, Electronic Resources Librarian at the Oakland
Public Library, queried to find a home for the Sacramento Union Collection.
Their Sacramento Daily Record-Union 1880-1886 were sent to the Sacramento
Archives and Records, and they now have a complete set of the title. The
remainder, about 7 shelf feet of scattered volumes of Sacramento Union,
1880-1906, have been transferred to the Sacramento Valley Museum in
Williams, California.
Annual events
in Williams include a
Hot Rod Car Show in June on Pioneer Day and a huge Farm Equipment Show in
Colusa, usually in February.
Nearby Cities Hotels:
Dunnigan ,
Williams
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