Why is Bakersfield named Bakersfield?
After looking over his property, Baker decided to name the town after the alfalfa field, creating the name of Bakersfield. That field was well known in the area as Baker let travelers, going through the town, use it to feed their horses. Bakersfield continued to grow over the years as the Gold Rush continued.
Who founded Bakersfield CA?
Thomas Baker
Bakersfield, city, seat (1875) of Kern county, south-central California, U.S. Located in the San Joaquin Valley, it was founded along the Los Angeles and Stockton road in 1869 by Thomas Baker, who reclaimed swamplands along the nearby Kern River.
Why is Bakersfield famous?
Bakersfield is famous for being the home of country music singers Merle Haggard and Buck Owens, and has the nickname “the country music capital of the West Coast.” This is a result of the large number of Dust Bowl refugees that settled in the area.
Did Bakersfield used to be a swamp?
In the meantime, the Bakersfield swamps were drained and filled in, enabling settlers to move into the area that is covered today by downtown Bakersfield. Floods plagued Bakersfield for many years, as snow melt regularly swelled the Kern River to a raging torrent.
What was Bakersfield before?
In 1851, gold was discovered along the Kern River in the southern Sierra Nevada, and in 1865, oil was discovered in the valley. The Bakersfield area, once a tule reed-covered marshland, was first known as Kern Island to the handful of pioneers, who built log cabins there in 1860.
Why is there very little water in the Kern River down here in the valley?
Decades ago, the Kern flowed all the way through Bakersfield. But so much water has been appropriated and diverted in canals to farmland that the river has vanished in the city, leaving miles of dry riverbed.
Who is the richest person in Bakersfield CA?
Buck Owens
Buck Owens is the richest person in Bakersfield — so reports Worth magazine in its March 2002 profile of the 100 richest people in America’s 100 largest cities.
Why is Bakersfield so polluted?
Bakersfield’s high air pollution levels owe to the area’s high-emission industries (such as agriculture and fossil-fuel based energy production), growing residential emissions, and its geographic and climatic conditions, which cause polluted air to become trapped in the valley.
Was Bakersfield ever underwater?
The area was shallow and rich with sea life. The marine animals lived and died there by the millions for as long as 700,000 years, the scientists say. There is no evidence, they say, that the animals all died at once from some lethal red tide or in a violent earthquake. The loss of life there was gradual.
Who owns the Kern River?
It is owned and operated by the Kern River Gas Transmission Company, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy. Its FERC code is 99.
What feeds the Kern River?
The Kern River, originally Rio de San Felipe, later La Porciuncula, is approximately 165 miles long. It drains an area of the southern Sierra Nevada mountains northeast of Bakersfield. Fed by snowmelt near Mount Whitney, the tallest mountain in the continental United States.
Where do the rich people live in Bakersfield?
Olde Stockdale Considered by many as the most affluent neighborhood in the city, Olde Stockdale has the highest median household income compared to all other neighborhoods in Bakersfield.
What is Bakersfield CA known for?
The schools in the area share the same strong roots that country music has, being the birthplace of country singer Merle Haggard. Bakersfield is also home to many museums, including the Bakersfield Museum of Art, Kern County Museum, Buena Vista Museum Of Natural History, and the California Living Museum.
Who was the first person to visit Bakersfield CA?
Spanish priest Francisco Garcés arrived in the Bakersfield area in 1776. In 1776, Spanish missionary Francisco Garcés became the first European to explore the area. Recording his May 1 arrival to a Yokuts village along the Kern River, immediately northeast of present-Bakersfield, Garcés wrote,
How did Bakersfield change over the years?
With the decrease in gold, Bakersfield residents found it necessary to develop a broad range of industries to keep the town diverse. Farmers of Bakersfield implemented the Kern River irrigation system that led to a major increase in the farming of grain, alfalfa and bringing water to the livestock.
Is there a newspaper in Bakersfield CA?
Bakersfield is served by several media outlets. The primary newspaper is The Bakersfield Californian, which is a direct descendant of the first paper published in the region, The Daily Courier in 1866.