PHOTO COURTESY OF TIMOTHY LEMUCCHI
that Kern County was not created until 1866; Tulare County was formed in 1852. • Not far from Gordon’s Ferry is the site of the famous Discovery Well of May 1899. Head back to China Grade Loop, which turns into Round Mountain Road. Make a right, and the site is only about seven-tenths of a mile up the road, on the right-hand side. An appointment is needed to gain access to the marker — call 3932200; otherwise, you will only get a view from the road. The Discovery Well was hand dug. About 400 feet to the north is the site where Kern River Oil Field’s first commercial well was drilled. This discovery led to the creation of more than 200 oil companies forming in just a matter of months. • Heading back into town, go south on North Chester and make a left on West Columbus Avenue to drive to the historical marker in honor of Elisha Stephens. The marker will be on the northwest side of West Columbus and Isla Verde streets. The story of Elisha Stephens is quite remarkable as outlined in an article by local attorney Timothy Lemucchi. Lemucchi’s greatElisha Stephens
CALIFORNIAN FILE PHOTO
Two of the earliest wells drilled in the Kern River Field, near the site of the Discovery Well.
grandmother was on the wagon train known as the Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party. Stephens was the leader of the wagon train, which departed near Council Bluffs, Iowa in 1844, and crossed the Sierra Nevada Mountains two years before the ill-fated Donner Party. The trail was later used by John Fremont, who received credit for opening up the West. Lemucchi indicates that Stephens “observed bitterly that Fremont ‘found’ the path that he had made.” • The last stop is the Kern County Museum at 3801 Chester Ave., to see the landmark in honor of the Jewett Family, particularly Solomon and Philo. The marker is in front of the Beale Memorial Clock Tower. The Jewett brothers were giants in the early stages of our city. They were pioneers in oil, agriculture, water and banking industries, and they opened the first bank in Bakersfield, the Kern Valley Bank. They owned a huge section of land where Kern County Museum, Sam Lynn Ballpark and Bakersfield Memorial Hospital now stand, to name a few. What you won’t find on the historical marker plaque is that in his diaries, Philo claims to have been the person who suggested our town be renamed from Kern Island to Bakersfield. So find a friend or friends, and enjoy your tour through a small portion of Bakersfield. But if you don’t feel like driving, you can always read about the landmarks online. Or make your own special tour. To view all of the historical landmarks in Kern, go to ceres.ca.gov/geo_area/counties/Kern/landmarks.html. bakersfieldlife.com
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