It’s Not Only Colonel Baker’s field

Written by Bakersfield Magazine

Grandma Sally was reflecting on the events of the day my mom was born. As I remember the story, it was a very hot July day in the thick of WWII. Grandpa Don, who was serving his country as an oil man, was able to stay in Kern County. Per Uncle Sam (the country’s uncle, not mine specifically), his expertise was needed at home. Sally had been saving their ration coupons (six months worth!) to surprise him with a steak dinner. Well, Don was about to sit down to the biggest, thickest, juiciest steak dinner this side of Texas when the phone rang. “It’s a girl!” Sally surprised him, all right.

Don would always joke that he should have eaten the steak instead...

When you’re younger, you overhear things: bits and pieces, whispers, musings, parts of a phone call, a snippet of dinner conversation. You run across newspaper clippings in a drawer, photos in a suitcase, yearbooks on a shelf. Old stuff—names, places, faces—you don’t give them much thought at the time, but you tuck them into that place in your memory marked “important.”

Sally was always happy to add a little insight into local lore. Being a rancher’s daughter, it was only natural. She knew most of the farmers; she had gone to school with many. Between her and Don, who knew most of the business owners, they practically knew everyone in town.

Don, on the other hand, would rarely share when it came to his childhood. When he did, he would tell you of growing up just past the Bluffs, being a member of the KCUHS Marching Band, picking up fossils at Shark Tooth Hill, and his days of working for Standard Oil in Taft before leaving the oil patch to help out at his father-in-law’s ranch. Then there were the stories of farming cotton on land he leased from the Kern County Land Company (across from what is now Stockdale High) and, later, his adventures in wildcatting at Lost Hills.

Mom always spoke of the characters she met while growing up at Kern Lake, BHS Driller Pride, hanging out at Stan’s and Michener’s drive-ins, Christmastime at Brock’s Department Store, how she met Dad, about us kids, and business.

Dad likes to talk about cruising Chester Avenue, Andre’s Drive-In, drag races at Famoso, his early years at Channel 29, the magazine, his grandkids, and, of course, Mom.

They’re the little things...snippets of yesteryear, glimpses of the past, stories of adventures, tales of good times and bad. All of them with a single common thread—they all happened here.

And that is the premise behind this issue’s “Kern County Generations.” What started out as an idea to do a feature on Kern’s early days, has blossomed into what we hope will be an ongoing chronicle of the history of Kern County. From the people whose passion and purpose contributed to the building of Kern, to the longstanding and family-owned businesses that have helped shape, and continue to guide, the direction of the city we call home. It’s a history lesson of sorts, bringing all those little snippets that have been “tucked away” to life, all the while uncovering new ones, complete with a website dedicated to the cause. Generations starts on page 45. The website can be found at: www.KernCountyGenerations.com.

But, all work and no play makes for a long day, so we are also thrilled to unveil this issue’s other great feature: Wake Up! B•Town—the official unofficial guide to how Bakersfield starts its day. It’s a fun romp through mornings and the people who help us start the a.m. Wake Up! starts on page 35.

These, and all the regular features you’ve come to love, are inside.

We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed putting it together. This issue is definitely one to treasure!

For an unforgettable dining experience, Aureole is a must.

Article appeared in our 28-1 Issue - April 2011