Timeline of Bakersfield, California

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Bakersfield, California, USA.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Prior to 20th century

• 1873 – City of Bakersfield incorporated.[1]
• 1888 – Bakersfield and Kern Electric Railway begins operating.
• 1889
  • July 7: Great Bakersfield Fire of 1889.
  • Oil discovered.[2]
  • Bakersfield (Southern Pacific station) opens.

20th century

• 1904 – Beale Memorial Clock Tower built.
• 1907 – The Bakersfield Californian newspaper in publication.[3]
• 1910 – Kern becomes part of Bakersfield.[1]
• 1921 – Central Park established.
• 1928 – Kern County Chamber of Commerce Building and Padre Hotel constructed.
• 1929 – Hart Park opens.
• 1930 – Fox Theater in business.
• 1945 – Kern County Museum opens.[4]
• 1952 –
  • July 21 – The 7.3 M_w  Kern County earthquake affected the southern San Joaquin Valley with a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme), killing 12 and injuring hundreds in the region.
  • August 22 – A 5.8 M_w  aftershock affected Bakersfield with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe), killing two and causing an additional $10 million in damage.
• 1954 – Bakersfield City Hall built.
• 1955 – Memorial Stadium opens.
• 1961 – Sister city relationship established with Wakayama, Japan.[5]
• 1962 – Bakersfield News Bulletin begins publication.[3]
• 1963 – Crest Drive-In cinema in business.[6]
• 1964 – Goodwill thrift shop in business.[7]
• 1965 – Community Action Partnership of Kern established.[1]
• 1976 – Bakersfield Department of Water Resources established.
• 1977
  • December: Great Bakersfield Dust Storm of 1977.
  • Mesa Marin Raceway opens.
• 1980 – California Living Museum (zoo) founded.
• 1983 – County Food Bank established.[8][2]
• 1990
  • Hindu Temple of Kern County founded.[9][3]
  • Population: 174,820.[10]
• 1996 – Buck Owens Crystal Palace (music hall) opens.
• 2000
  • Bakersfield (Amtrak station) opens.
  • Population: 247,057.[11]

21st century

• 2001 – Harvey Hall becomes mayor.
• 2006 – River Walk Park opens.
• 2007
  • Kern Veterans Memorial unveiled.
  • Kevin McCarthy becomes U.S. representative for California's 22nd congressional district.[12]
• 2009
  • Mill Creek linear park opens.
  • Bakersfield 16 Cinema in business.[6]
• 2013 – Kern County Raceway Park opens.

See also

• Bakersfield, California history
• Timelines of other cities in the Southern California area of California: Anaheim, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Ana

References

1. "History of Bakersfield". City of Bakersfield. Archived from the original on 2012-01-10.
2. Leon E. Seltzer, ed. (1952), Columbia Lippincott Gazetteer of the World, New York: Columbia University Press, p. 146, OL 6112221M
3. "US Newspaper Directory". Chronicling America. Washington DC: Library of Congress. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
4. "About Us". Bakersfield, CA: Kern County Museum Foundation. Archived from the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
5. "Bakersfield Sister Cities". City of Bakersfield. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
6. "Movie Theaters in Bakersfield, CA". CinemaTreasures.org. Los Angeles: Cinema Treasures LLC. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
7. "Goodwill Timeline". Bakersfield: Goodwill Industries of South Central California. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
8. "California Food Banks". Food Bank Locator. Chicago: Feeding America. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
9. Pluralism Project. "Bakersfield, California". Directory of Religious Centers. Harvard University. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
10. Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990, US Census Bureau, 1998
11. "Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000". Bakersfield city, California QuickLinks. State & County QuickFacts. US Census Bureau.
12. Civic Impulse, LLC. "Members of Congress". GovTrack. Washington, D.C. Retrieved May 30, 2015.

Bibliography

• Margaret Miller Rocq (1976). "Kern County". California Local History: A Bibliography and Union List of Library Holdings. Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0-8047-0908-8.

External links

• "Kern County Local History Photograph Collection" – via Online Archive of California.
• Items related to Bakersfield, various dates (via Digital Public Library of America).