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 expanding it with reliably sourced entries.

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]
• 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.
• 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]
• 1990
  • Hindu Temple of Kern County founded.^[9]
  • Population: 174,820.^[10]
• 1996 - Buck Owens Crystal Palace (music hall) opens.

21st century

• 2000
  • Bakersfield (Amtrak station) opens.
  • Population: 247,057.^[11]
• 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
• Timeline of California^[13]

Other cities in California

• Timeline of Anaheim, California
• Timeline of Fresno, California
• Timeline of Long Beach, California
• Timeline of Los Angeles
• Timeline of Mountain View, California
• Timeline of Oakland, California
• Timeline of Riverside, California
• Timeline of Sacramento, California
• Timeline of San Bernardino, California
• Timeline of San Diego
• Timeline of San Francisco
• Timeline of San Jose, California
• Timeline of Santa Ana, California

References

1. "History of Bakersfield". City of Bakersfield. Archived from the original on January 2012.
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 2015.
4. "About Us". Bakersfield, CA: Kern County Museum Foundation. Retrieved May 2015.
5. "Bakersfield Sister Cities". City of Bakersfield. Retrieved May 2015.
6. "Movie Theaters in Bakersfield, CA". CinemaTreasures.org. Los Angeles: Cinema Treasures LLC. Retrieved May 2015.
7. "Goodwill Timeline". Bakersfield: Goodwill Industries of South Central California. Retrieved May 2015.
8. "California Food Banks". Food Bank Locator. Chicago: Feeding America. Retrieved May 2015.
9. Pluralism Project. "Bakersfield, California". Directory of Religious Centers. Harvard University. Retrieved May 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 2015.
13. Federal Writers' Project (1939), "Chronology", California: Guide to the Golden State, American Guide Series, New York: Hastings House – via Open Library

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).