History
The Yokut Indians were the first people to settle in the San Joaquin Valley, some 8000 years ago. In 1776, the Spanish missionary Father Francisco Garc was the first European to reach the area. In 1851 gold was discovered in the Kern River, and in 1865 the first discovery of oil was made in the valley. Settlements grew up, and the place soon became known as "Colonel Baker's field", after one of the local settlers. When Colonel Tom Baker was given the assignment of surveying a township in 1869, the town was given the official name of "Bakersfield".
The town continued to grow, and reached a population of about 300 by 1869, and 800 by 1871. Adversities such as the floods of 1867 and 1893, and the fires of 1889 and 1919, did not reverse this trend. On May 27, 1898, the San Joaquin Valley Railroad arrived in Bakersfield, giving a great boost to population. Then, in the 1930s, the Dust Bowl brought a great influx of migrant workers from the Great Plains, Arkansas and Oklahoma taking work mostly in agriculture and the oil industry. In later years, farm work in the area has mostly been conducted by Mexican immigrants. In the 1960s, C r Ch z led the fight to improve working conditions for migrant farm workers.
The great earthquake of July 21, 1952, changed the appearance of Bakersfield, promoting the flat, sprawling style of building that dominates the city today.
In 1965, a university in the California State University system was founded in Bakersfield. California State University, Bakersfield today has some 7,700 students, with a special focus on business and administration.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren was raised in Bakersfield, and would later go on to decide such cases as Brown v. Board of Education and the Miranda decision.
Demographics
As of the censusGR2
of 2000, there were 247,057 people, 83,441 households, and 60,995 families residing in the city. The population density was 843.4/km (2,184.4/mi ). There were 88,262 housing units at an average density of 301.3/km (780.4/mi ). The racial makeup of the city was 61.87% White, 9.16% Black or African American, 1.40% Native American, 4.33% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 18.68% from other races, and 4.43% from two or more races. 32.45% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 83,441 households out of which 42.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% were married couples living together, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.9% were non-families. 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.92 and the average family size was 3.41.
In the city the population was spread out with 32.7% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $39,982, and the median income for a family was $45,556. Males had a median income of $38,834 versus $27,148 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,678. 18.0% of the population and 14.6% of families were below the poverty line. 24.4% of those under the age of 18 and 8.4% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Bakersfield is generally a politically conservative city with a large population that can trace its family roots to the western exodus of farmers from the American midwest during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. These individuals were know as "Okies" because so many of them hailed from Oklahoma which was hard hit by the dust bowl. John Steinbeck's masterpiece The Grapes of Wrath
is an accurate illustration of their plight.
Local Amenities
Bakersfield is home to California State University, Bakersfield and Bakersfield College. The Kern County Museum, which boasts an extensive collection of regional artifacts, is located on Chester Avenue, just north of Downtown Bakersfield. Bakersfield is also home to the Bakersfield Blaze, a minor league baseball affiliate of the Texas Rangers, who play at the historical Sam Lynn Ballpark. In downtown Bakersfield there is the major civic center, the Rabobank Arena. This arena hosts a symphony orchestra, an af2 team, the Bakersfield Blitz, and an ECHL hockey team, the Bakersfield Condors. Rabobank Arena also hosts the men's and women's basketball teams of CSU Bakersfield, who compete in the California Collegiate Athletic Association in Division II of the NCAA. The city is also home to the Premier Development League soccer team the Bakersfield Brigade who play at BCHS Stadium. Also downtown is Jerry's Pizza, which is known across the country for supporting the underground music scene much like the influential CBGB. Bakersfield's main airport is Meadows Field Airport, which just opened a new terminal, replacing the long outdated one. The increasing number of metropolitan amenities is due to the city's fast paced growth.
Culture
Bakersfield has a large Basque population in and around the city, and many of Bakersfield's oldest and most historic restaurants are Basque.
As is true of many cities in the Central Valley of California, a substantial number of Bakersfield residents have ancestors who migrated to the area from the Great Plains, Arkansas and Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl. In John Steinbeck's historical novel The Grapes of Wrath
, Bakersfield is one of the locations that the protagonists pass through. Jack Kerouac's On the Road
deals with the conditions of migrant workers in this part of California.
In the 1950s, local country musicians such as Buck Owens, Merle Haggard and Wynn Stewart helped invent a rock and roll-influenced country music style called the Bakersfield sound. Their influence was so great that Bakersfield is second only to Nashville, Tennessee, in country music fame. Bakersfield continues to produce famous country music artists.
Despite its country music fame, Bakersfield has also turned out its fair share of hard rock, most notably KoЯn, Burning Image and Adema.
The Christian community can also enjoy national performing Gospel artists, such as Flicker Records recording artist Royal Ruckus and Southern Gospel artist The Lighthouse Boys
Off-road recreation is one of the more popular recreational activities among residents. Bakersfield has always been home to a large population of Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) enthusiasts. The California Department of Motor Vehicles reports as of May 2001, there are over 18,000 OHVs registered in Kern County Kern Off Highway Vehicle Association. On May 26, 2005, the City of Bakersfield and the State of California Parks department obtained an assignable option using a grant from the OHV Trust funds to purchase a prospective 11,000 acre (45 km ) site for an OHV park. Site Located for State Vehicular Recreation Area"Ruth Coleman, Director of California State Parks State remarked, This project responds to the needs of the Bakersfield community for increased recreation opportunities and will provide a cornerstone for the Central Valley Strategy". Friends of Kern Open Space state that there are several educational programs available to train youth in proper OHV operation, including National 4-H and the California Off-Road PALS program. Friends of Kern Open Space
.
External links
Coordinates
: 35.357276 N -119.031661 E
Equal Housing Opportunity - Bakersfield Real Estate 2003 All Rights Reserved - Privacy Statement
Bakersfield
is the county seat of Kern County, California, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 247,057. The city's economy thrives on agriculture, petroleum extraction, and refining. It is one of the fastest growing of the larger cities of the United States. As of 2005 the population is estimated at 307,471 according to local municipal sources. It is California's third largest inland city after Fresno and Sacramento.