Bakersfield, CA

The Bakersfield intermodal center—opened amid much celebration on July 4, 2000—is located southeast of downtown and adjacent to the Beale Memorial Library and the convention center. Designed by Los Angeles-based Rossetti Associates Architects, the Bakersfield station is a modern structure with vast walls of glass and a striking veneer of warm, rich India red. From a distance, the building is easily understood as three distinct parts. To the west is the public waiting room marked by an angular roofline. A three story rectangular tower marks the transition to the private administrative area—offices and baggage handling—located at the eastern end of the building which is crowned with a gently curving roof. The original of today’s station was built for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad in 1899 and torn down in 1972.

The city’s origins lie with Colonel Thomas Baker, who came for the gold rush and stayed on to farm on the banks of the Kern River in a location called “Kern’s Island.” One story behind the naming of the town recalls that Baker was known for his good nature and hospitality. Eventually, Kern’s Island was referred to as “Baker’s Field” which became “Bakersfield” when the town was officially founded in 1869.

In the 1870s, Bakersfield produced cotton for the mills in San Francisco. Barley, wheat, and flax also grew well in the fertile soil, and farmers experimented with subtropical fruits like their counterparts on the coast. Coach roads linked the town to California’s larger cities to allow crops to get to market, but it was not until the arrival of the Southern Pacific (SP) Railroad in 1874 that Bakersfield truly opened to growth.

In the southern part of the San Joaquin Valley, natural oil deposits had seeped to the surface for centuries; the gooey liquid had been used by the Yokut to waterproof baskets. The development of the automobile industry at the end of the 19th century created a sustained demand for petroleum products and in 1899 the first well was sunk north of the city. Derricks soon dotted the landscape and the SP built a branch line to carry the oil to San Francisco. Within a decade, Kern County was producing about one-eighth of the world’s petroleum.

Agriculture and oil remain the area’s major businesses, and Bakersfield has grown into one of the largest cities in California. The mild climate allows for a diverse array of crops, including almonds, pistachios, citrus, and roses. Kern County is still one of the top oil producing areas in the nation and consequently many oil and gas companies have their regional headquarters in town.