City of Bakersfield
The city that gave its name to the famous Bakersfield Sound is the hub of California’s largest agricultural-producing county and one of the nation’s largest oil-producing areas. Located at the crossroads of several transportation networks, Bakersfield’s central location supports a well-developed economic sector plus numerous festivals and sports events. It also is the seat of Kern County government.
In the mid-19th century, Col. Thomas Baker let the word out that his property was a place where weary travelers could stop and rest themselves and their animals. Word soon spread that everyone was welcome in Baker’s field. From the town he plotted in 1869 to today’s ninth largest city in California, that welcoming spirit of Col. Baker lives on.