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Bakersfield was settled in 1858 by a handful of families who had trekked northward through the El Tejon Pass seeking home sites rather than gold. The town was named by an early settler, Colonel Thomas Baker, who invited the weary travelers through the valley to rest overnight. These travelers would plan in advance to meet and rest in "Colonel Baker's field." Baker formally laid out the town in 1869, and within two years the city had a telegraph office, two stores, a newspaper, two boarding houses, one doctor, a wagon shop, a harness shop, one attorney, a saloon, and fifty school pupils. The Rabobank Arena, Convention Center and Theater rests on part of the original Colonel Baker's field as well as the Centennial Plaza community park.
The City of Bakersfield was first incorporated in 1873, and in the same year, the County seat was moved from the booming little town of Havilah to Bakersfield. Three years later, the town decided to disincorporate. It was not until 1898 that the community incorporated again. The 1910, the City of Kern, formerly the Town of Sumner (East Bakersfield), annexed to the City of Bakersfield.
The changes have been many since Colonel Baker's time, but Bakersfield still retains the hospitality originally extended by the Colonel. The City of Bakersfield now boasts a population of over 323,000 people (the 11th largest city in California) and covers more than 130 square miles.
Harvey L. Hall, the 25th mayor of the City of Bakersfield, is currently serving his second term, having been re-elected in 2004. He continues to work toward “Unity in the Community” and enhancing the quality of life for all greater Bakersfield residents, making Bakersfield the best city in America.
With its big city conveniences and advantages, Bakersfield still manages to maintain an atmosphere of small town hospitality, friendship, cooperation, compassion, and optimism. In 1990, the citizens of Bakersfield received the National Civic League's stamp of approval through the designation of an "All-America City" for proactively dealing with the needs of its citizens. Hallmarks of the Bakersfield community continue to be a high quality of life, a strong family orientation, and the fact that people care.
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Did you know the oil district encompassing Bakersfield and the surrounding area produced 167 million barrels of oil in 2007? In fact, the Kern River Field just north of Bakersfield produced over 30 million barrels of oil last year. Bakersfield has a long and proud tradition of being a hub for oil extraction and refining in California. The history of oil in Bakersfield and Kern County is documented at the Kern County Museum in its world-class exhibit - Black Gold: The Oil Experience.
Besides oil, Bakersfield is known as the “country music capital of the West Coast”. The Bakersfield Sound, a rebellious response to the slick production of Nashville albums, became popular in the late 1950’s and continues to influence many of today’s artists. Country musicians and Bakersfield residents Buck Owens and Merle Haggard pioneered the raw sound. The mixing of guitar, drums, fiddle, and steel guitar was a departure from the string orchestras and studio production tricks used in Nashville.
In 1988 country music artist Dwight Yoakam recorded a duet with Buck Owens titled “The Streets of Bakersfield.” Both the album, Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room and the song reached number one on the respective Billboard charts.
Although Owens passed away in 2006 his legacy and love for Bakersfield lives on at the Crystal Palace: Owens’ music venue, museum, and store.
Bakersfield is also home to the world-famous alternative metal band Korn. The band’s roots trace back to Jerry’s Pizza on Chester Avenue. The group has sold over 30 million records worldwide and has been nominated for six Grammy Awards, winning twice (1999, 2002).
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