North Fork (formerly Brown's and Northfork; Mono wa?ahhpY', "cedar grove")[5] is an unincorporated community in Madera County, California, United States.

[3] For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined North Fork as a census-designated place (CDP).

North Fork is part of the Madera Metropolitan Statistical Area and is home to the tribal headquarters of the Northfork Rancheria of Mono Indians of California.

[26] The community also has a higher percentage of veterans at 13%, compared to the California average of 4.3%, indicating a considerable number of residents with military backgrounds.

The Sierra Timber Reserve Act, enacted in February 1893, resulted in the land around North Fork coming under federal control.

They were unable to pursue their traditional way of life or maintain their newly adopted practice of cattle grazing, finding themselves effectively excluded from their ancestral lands.

[27]: 122 The first permanent community was established as a remote mountain outpost in 1865 when Milton Brown built what is believed to be the first house in the area — a log cabin at the end of a newly developed wagon road leading from Crane Valley to the north fork of the San Joaquin River.

Serving as a supply point, Brown catered to stockmen, sheepmen, and miners who left their wagons under his care while venturing further into the mountains.

"[27]: 115–117 A significant shift in the settlement's trajectory occurred in 1886 with the establishment of a sawmill on Peckinpah Mountain by Milton Brown and his partner, John Bartram.

[28] The small settlement, comprising mainly a handful of stores, hotels, and a watering trough, was primarily inhabited by miners and hog stockmen.

[29] The Fresno Morning Republican once described the area as "a bleak little mountain center," emphasizing its isolation from valley towns such as Friant and Madera.

[30]: 18  The supervisor's office held a steady presence in North Fork, acting as the heart of the reserves, until it was eventually moved to Clovis in 1989.

The introduction of logging trucks and modern equipment allowed deeper access into the Sierra National Forest, increasing the industry's reach and efficiency.

[34] The mill emerged as a major employer, offering jobs to over 130 workers at peak times and contributing about $500,000 to the local economy annually.

These changes, along with rising costs, made lumber production unprofitable, leading to layoffs starting in 1991 and the mill's closure on February 25, 1994.

[38] Until 1996, the timber industry was the backbone of North Fork's economy, with the local lumber mill serving as the town's main source of livelihood.

The exact center, marked by a sign and a survey marker, is approximately 7.1 miles (11.4 km) driving distance from the United States Forest Service office in North Fork.

[50] With the closure of the local mill in the 1990s, the event, now known as the Mid-Sierra Loggers Jamboree, has evolved into a tribute to the enduring legacy of logging in the region.