The State - News from July 30, 1989

An angry American Indian family closed what has been a public road, claiming that their ancestors never gave Madera County permission to use it. Echo Valley Road is the only access to about 100 homes in the Sierra Nevada near Oakhurst. Indian heirs of Frank Hammond formed a human barricade across the road and asked residents to sign a form absolving them of any liability for injuries that might happen on the 1,200-foot stretch they claim. Most residents signed the form, but some just drove through, saying that the Hammond heirs were legally wrong to try to land lock their properties. County Counsel Jeff Kuhn said the county has offered $10,000 for the right-of-way, which has been used as a public road since 1961, and is now considering condemnation proceedings to reopen the road. The $10,000 offer was called “a slap in the face,” by Harold Hammond. “This is not about money,” he said. “This is about principle. They took something from us, and they don’t give a damn.”