Back then, the biggest changes came from the clash of cultures. Today, the struggle is more existential: how to balance the demands of millions of tourists drawn to nearby Sequoia National Park with the needs of a community of just over 2,000 people, according to SF Gate.

Three Rivers' beauty — the tumbling Kaweah River, rolling green hills in spring, and proximity to the park's giant sequoias — has made it an increasingly popular destination. A quick search on Airbnb turns up hundreds of listings, from canvas tents pitched in backyards to 11-bedroom riverfront mansions. On summer afternoons, visitors line up for frozen yogurt and craft beer, cars squeeze into makeshift roadside parking, and restaurants overflow. The town feels bustling, but nearly everyone visible will be gone in a matter of days.

The SF Gate article says that the constant churn has left many locals uneasy. Residents say the explosion of short-term rentals has eroded neighborhood ties, driven up housing costs, and even led to more encounters with bears rooting through tourist trash. The issue boiled over last year when the Tulare County Board of Supervisors struck down a proposed ordinance that would have set stricter limits on short-term rentals. The rules would have capped occupancy, tightened noise and trash restrictions, and required rental owners — many of whom live hours away in Los Angeles or the Bay Area — to post contact information.

"The trash is all over the place, and we don't know who to call because the owners are all out of town," one resident complained at the time. "And the guests come here to party, but that's secondary to me. The primary one is we're losing our community."

For longtime locals, the changes are especially stark in the schools. Nancy Brunson, who has lived in Three Rivers for three decades, remembers when about 250 children were enrolled in the local elementary and middle school. Now, she estimates the number is closer to 70. High schoolers are bused half an hour to Woodlake in the Central Valley, and some traditions — like the annual field trip to San Francisco — have disappeared due to dwindling participation. "It changes the nature of a class tremendously, because the smaller the group of kids, the less diverse of an experience they have," Brunson said. She ties the decline to the lack of affordable housing for young families, many of whom are priced out by vacation rental demand.