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. Bakersfield was an agricultural trade centre for the mines of the Sierra Nevada and the Owens Valley in the 1870s. The Southern Pacific Railroad reached Sumner (now East Bakersfield), several miles northeast of downtown Bakersfield, in 1874 (it had bypassed the city of Bakersfield because of a right-of-way dispute between city and railroad officials), and the Santa Fe Railway was linked to Bakersfield in 1898. San Francisco capitalists, acquiring large-scale landholdings in the area, helped develop an extensive irrigation system to distribute the waters of the Kern River; the region subsequently became important in the production of grain, alfalfa, and livestock. The discovery of the Kern River oil fields in 1899 brought a large-scale petroleum industry, which was centred at Bakersfield.
The city quickly rebuilt after a fire destroyed the business section in 1889 and again after an earthquake caused widespread damage in 1952. Bakersfield grew steadily throughout the 20th century, with expanding petroleum-based industries, livestock raising, and the mechanized farming of potatoes, grapes, alfalfa, cotton, and grain. Nearby vineyards produce about one-tenth of the wine made in California.
The city has diversified industries manufacturing steel products, textiles, bedding materials, and electronic parts. Tourism is also important; particularly notable attractions include the California Living Museum, which has a zoo, botanical gardens, and a natural history museum; Bakersfield Museum of Art; Kern County Museum; and Lori Brock Children's Discovery Center. Dubbed “Nashville West,” Bakersfield is renowned for its contributions to country music and is the home of many recording artists, including Merle Haggard and Buck Owens. Educational institutions include Bakersfield (community) College (founded 1913) and California State University, Bakersfield (1965). Two important aerospace facilities, the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake and Edwards Air Force Base, lie to the east. Sequoia National Forest is nearby. Inc. (first) 1873 (disincorporated 1876); (second) 1898. Pop. (1990) city, 174,820; Bakersfield MSA, 543,477; (2000) city, 247,057; Bakersfield MSA, 661,645.
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