Kern County Courthouse
Completed 1896
When mining activity around Havilah began to subside, Kern's county seat was moved from the one-time boomtown to Bakersfield. The town's first courthouse was constructed in 1876 but soon proved inadequate for the growing county, and in 1896 it was reconstructed with additions that doubled the size of the original building. When a more modern courthouse was built across the street in 1912, the county sold the old courthouse to the City of Bakersfield for use as its city hall. Both the old and new courthouses were damaged in a 1952 earthquake and demolished. A cement-and-wrought iron fence that enclosed the 1896 courthouse now stands inside the entrance of the Kern County Museum
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First Settlement
When the State was first formed into counties, the whole country extending from the Toulumne river to Walker's pass on the south, and from the Nevada State line on the east to the Coast Range on the west, was divided into two counties - Mariposa and Tulare. From these have since been formed the counties of Mariposa, Mono, Inyo, Merced, Fresno, Tulare, and Kern. This portion of the great San Joaquin valley, until about the year 1835, was almost a terra incognita, having been visited by the trappers only about the date mentioned. In June of that year Lieutenant Moraga and his companions, of the Mexican Army (then stationed at the presidio of San Francisco), crossed the San Joaquin, near the mouth of the Tuolumne, and traveled thence in a southeasterly direction to the Merced river, a distance of about forty miles, the whole of which had to be traversed without water. The weather being very hot, it is not strange that they in their thirst and famished condition called the river El Rio de la Merced, the river of mercy. After visiting King's river the expedition returned over the mountains to the west.
The first American known to have arrived in California overland was Captain Jedediah S. Smith, of New York, at the head of a trading expedition, which he accompanied from St. Louis. In the spring of 1826 Captain Smith, at the head of a party of twenty-five, left the winter-quarters of the company on the headwaters of the Missouri river, to make a spring and fall hunt. They crossed the mountains and entered the great San Joaquin valley, near its southeastern extremity, thus being the first party from the East or North to enter this magnificent valley, and the first to explore any of the rivers flowing into the bay of San Francisco. The counties of Kern and Inyo were formed in 1866. The discovery of gold in the territory now included in Kern County was made in 1854 by a party of emigrants on their way from Los Angeles County.
They had camped on a gulch in the Greenhorn mountains, one of the highest points of the lower Sierra, and there found a rich deposit of gold.
The news spread rapidly, but it was not until 1857 that the great rush known as the Kern river gold excitement took place. A report of rich mines then spread more rapidly, and fortune hunters headed in large numbers from various localities for the new "El Dorado."
EARLY MINING.
Soon many rich mines were located, among which may be mentioned French Gulch, Spanish Gulch, Bradshaw's, Whisky Flat, Keysville, and many others. These placers soon becoming exhausted, miners began the search for the source. This was soon found in numerous auriferous quartz ledges that showed themselves all through the mountains. One of the first discoveries of this character was the Big Blue, the great summer mine near Kernville. This was in 1860. Numerous small leads, and one large one called the Mammoth, were found near Keysville, where the first quartz mill was erected in the county in 1859. Keysville was the most prosperous mining camp in the county up to 1864. The Long Tom mines were discovered in 1863, from which near a half million of gold was extracted within eighteen months. The famous Joe Walker mine near Havilah was discovered in 1866. This was a valuable lead, but at the depth of 400 feet a great body of water was encountered, and thousands of dollars expended in an attempt to pump it out, but all machinery, pumps, etc., proved a failure; the volume of water was too great.
Soon there were many miners who decided that there were more promising features in tilling the soil, stock-raising, etc., than in the uncertain pursuit of mining. Up to the date named little attention had been given to agriculture. Some little hay and grain had been grown in the mountain regions about Walker's basin, Lynn's valley, Bear and Cumming's valleys, Tehachapi, and little flats along the Kern River. Before entering the valley and treating of its agricultural resources, developments, etc., a further ramble will be made in the mining regions.
The Clear Creek Mining District was discovered in July, 1864, by a prospecting party, consisting of Benjamin T. Mitchell, Alexander Reid, George McKay and Dr. C. De La Borde, more generally known as the "French Doctor." The district was organized in August of the same year, and comprised the whole region drained by Clear Creek and Copperas Branch, and bounded by the summit of the mountains surrounding this basin. George McKay was elected recorder of the company. The first lode discovered and recorded was the Havilah. The locaters of this were the gentlemen above named. Afterward this company, known as the Havilah Mining Company, located many other ledges, and soon after dissolved, and each continued prospecting alone. Soon afterward Dr. De La Borde, in connection with August Gouglat, discovered and located thirty-six ledges, among which were the Rhone, Rochefort, Eagle, Dijon, Nos. 1 and 2, Cape Horn, Navarre, Nievre, Alma, Nos. 1 and 2, Lyon, Marengo, and others. The famous Delphi-Tyrone and Lexington lodes were located by H. McKeadney. From this time on the mining interests were rapidly developed.
The first store opened in the mining district was by Alexander Reid, as also the first boarding-house, and to him much was due for his energy and successful efforts in bringing the mines to public notice, and his unceasing perseverance to make them a success. The first mill erected in this district was the "Pioneer," by Joseph H. Thomas. This mill he brought from the Coso district, formerly the property of the Willow Spring Mining Company. The first run of the mill was from the Dijon lode, which paid at the rate of $37 per ton. The next mill in operation was the four-stamp mill of Hon. J. W. Freeman, which was brought from Greenhorn, and commenced work in January, 1865. The first rock crushed by this mill in the new field was from the ledges of Nice-wander, Park & Co. The largest yield was had from this crushing of all mills in the same district of like amount of rock since, and perhaps more than from the same amount of unpicked rock in the State. The yield of twenty-seven tons of rock was over $5,000, the rock paying over $300 per ton. The gold was saved from the battery alone, there being no other mode for saving it at the mill. The Rochefort lode made a yield of $230, and the Delphi $180 per ton the same week, and it was believed that, considering the facilities for saving the precious metal at the time, the yield for like amount of rock in the State was unprecedented.
Nicewander, Park & Co., erected the fourth, a five-stamp mill, near their mines on the mountains. Several other mills followed as the demand called for.
The New York and Clear Creek Company erected a ten-stamp mill, then not excelled by any in the State. Dr. De La Borde and Gouglat sold their entire interest in this district, in October, for $50,000. Sometime thereafter, Nicewander, Park & Co., sold their entire mining interests to Colonel Arnold A. Rand, realizing nearly double the cost to them.
The preceding review of early mining in Kern County is to show the immense deposit of the precious metal in this region, and gold is but one of many more valuable metallic deposits in the county - more valuable in the sense that they can be worked, and larger profits realized with less capital invested, and quicker returns. Antimony, quicksilver, copper, etc., are found in paying quantities, as also vast gypsum deposits, coal and oil, all of which will be a source of large revenue to the county when railroad facilities enable the men of enterprise and capital to ship these products; and the fact that such deposits of wealth-producing commodities exist in a country is an assurance that railroads will soon be constructed to them, and ere long Kern County will be in the midst of a hum of mineral development.
BEGINNINGS
Resuming the general history of the valley portion of the county, it is proper here to state that in 1861 the first white man camped and settled on what has since been designated as Kern Island. In 1862 two or three others followed, and in a short time were joined by the late Thomas Baker, better known as Colonel Baker, founder of Bakersfield, a man of foresight and good judgement. The only means of communication at that day with the outside world was by two stage lines, - one via Havilah to Los Angeles, the other via Havilah to Owen's river. From Havilah the road crossed Greenhorn mountains to Visalia.
Colonel Baker, with his usual energy, built at great expense a toll-road from the foot of the mountain, a distance of twenty-seven miles, to Havilah, and a desultory communication was established.
GOVERNMENTAL, ETC.
The act creating Kern County was approved April 2, 1866, with the following sections:
SEC. 1. - There shall be formed out of portions of Tulare and Los Angeles counties, a new county to be called Kern.
SEC. 2. - The boundaries of Kern County shall be as follows:
Commencing at a point on the western boundary line of Tulare County, two miles due south of the 6th standard south of the Mount Diablo base line, thence due east to the western boundary of Inyo County; thence southerly and easterly following the western boundary of Inyo County and northern boundary of Los Angeles County to the northeast corner of Los Angeles County; thence south along the eastern boundary of said county to the line between townships 8 and 9, north of the San Bernardino base line; thence due west to the Tulare County line; thence southerly along the said Tulare County line to the southwest corner of Tulare County; thence northerly, following along the western boundary of said county to the place of beginning.
The first meeting of the Board of Supervisors was held at Havilah, the first county seat, August 1, 1866. Henry Hammell and J. J. Rhymes were present. Mr. Hammell was chosen chairman of the Board. This meeting was held "pursuant to the act of the Legislature creating the County of Kern, to define its boundaries and to provide for its organization." The act also provided for such organization by appointing the first crops of county officials. The Board at the meeting referred to proceeded to lay out, organize and define the boundary of townships Nos. 1, 2, and 3. The first tax levied by the Board was State and county, $2.61 on the $100 worth of property.
At the meeting of the Board of Supervisors, August 5, 1867, the new courthouse at Havilah, constructed as per contract for $2,200 was accepted.
It appears that about the time the new county was organized a news organ was also established. We find that the first number of a paper called the Courier, was issued in Havilah Saturday, August 18, 1866, by the Courier Publishing Company; C. W. Bush, editor; George A. Tiffany, printer. Politically this paper was Democratic, was a four page, six-column sheet, and was much above the average newspaper in a new field. The first number presented the following as a County Directory:
State Senator, J. W. Freeman
Member of Assembly, I. C. Brown
County Judge, Theron Reed
District Attorney, E. E. Calhoun
Sheriff, W. B. Ross
Clerk, Recorder, and Auditor, H. D. Bequette
Treasurer, D. A. Sinclair
Assessor, R. B. Sagely
Surveyor, Thomas Baker
Superintendent of Public Schools, J. R. Riley
Coroner and Public Administrator, Joseph Lively
Supervisors, Harry Hammell, S. A. Bishop and J. J. Rhymes
B. Brundage, Thomas Lespeyre and E. E. Calhoun appear as advertisers in the legal profession in the first number of the Courier. The medical profession was represented in the same paper by the cards of J. A. Davidson and C. W. Bush. E. W. Doss, "Pioneer Druggist." Bridger & Howeth, proprietors of Sozarac Billiard Saloon; Clear Creek Exchange Hotel, by H. T. Miller. Bell Union Hotel, Hammel & Denke, proprietors. Mead & Clark's United States Mail Stage Line for Visalia; grocery and general store, by W. G. Mills; Clear Creek store, D. A. Sinclair, proprietor. Several others advertised in this issue.
The Courier of September 15, 1866, makes mention of the organization of a hook and ladder fire company in Havilah, but it seems they never owned a hook or a ladder. The same paper mentions L. F. Humiston as county judge, and quotes prices of produce, goods, etc., as follows: flour, per barrel, $12; butter, per pound, 50 cents; cheese, 37 cents; potatoes, 3 1/2 cents; beans, 8 cents; eggs, 62 cents per dozen; coal oil, $2.25 per gallon; candles, 37 cents per pound; crushed sugar, 30 cents; brown sugar, 20 to 25 cents; coffee, 37 to 50 cents. October 13th of that year the paper appeared in a new and much improved dress. The heading was, "Havilah Weekly Courier," J. K. Acklin, printer and business manager.
John M. Brite appears as County Supervisor, suceeding J. J. Rhymes. In December, mention is made of Theron Reed as district judge. Saturday, December 29, 1866, A. D. Jones appears as editor of the Courier. In November of that year, mention is made of F. W. Doss as superintendent of public schools, and that Henry Hammell, J. J. Rhymes and John M. Brite comprised the County Board of Supervisors, having previously stated that Brite succeeded Rhyme.
The first regular meeting of the Board of Supervisors at Havilah, when all were present, was August 6, 1866. At the special meeting previously held, the clerk was instructed to advertise for proposals to build a county jail. At the regular meeting referred to proposals were received from four different bidders, and the contract was awarded to Thomas B. Stuart, for the sum of $1,600, to be completed in sixty days. The building to be constructed of one-foot square timber, 20 x 16 feet, and to contain three cells, the partitions of which were to be six inches thick, the doors to be of half-inch iron made as grating. The contract also included a sheriff's office, to be constructed over the jail. The building was to be erected on a lot containing two acres purchased by the Board for county purposes. At the same meeting the Board entered into a contract with Thomas Baker and his associates to make or construct irrigating ditches on Lower Kern river, by which many thousands of acres of land then valueless and belonging to the State and county would be made productive and of great value. Baker and his associates were to receive a portion of said lands in payment for their work.
The name Havilah is from the Old Testament, - Genesis II: "Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold." Havilah, the place of much gold, was the first county seat of Kern County, situated about 360 miles southeast of San Francisco, at an elevation of about 2,000 feet above ocean level, and about 110 miles inland on a direct line.
The first steam quartz mill erected at this place was by a Mr. Thomas of Visalia, in 1864, and was an eight-stamp mill. Havilah contained 500 inhabitants that year. Of that number there were twenty-five families; the balance were miners, prospectors, etc. There were 147 buildings or tenements of various kinds in the town, among which were four hotels, twelve mercantile establishments of various kinds, doing an extensive business, two drug stores, three boot and shoe stores, two livery stables, two breweries, three bakeries, two billiard saloons, two barber-shops, three fruit stores, two bath houses, one paint shop, three blacksmith and wagon shops, besides numerous saloons, bars, etc., four physicians, one surveyor and civil engineer. Some were rather expensive buildings. The Bell Union Hotel, built and run by Messrs. Hammell & Denker, cost $16,500.
January 1, 1868, there were three post offices in the county, viz.: Lynn's Valley, Havilah and Kernville.
This same month and year Philip T. Colby succeeded L. F. Humiston as county judge. H. D. Bequette appears as court commissioner in connection with his duties as county clerk, recorder and auditor. This year there were six townships in the county.
There being some dispute as to the boundary line between Kern and Los Angeles counties, a resurvey was made by George W. Orth on the part of Kern County, and William P. Reynolds on the part of Los Angeles County, and the following report was made by the Kern County surveyor: "The line having been located by act of legislature between townships 8 and 9 north, ranges 16 and 17 west of San Bernardino meridian, where a cedar post was set and marked L A on south side, and K on north side, and ran thence according to the true meridian west (the variation of the needle being 14 minutes, 41 seconds east) and at 480 chains set another and similar post, and with like letters thereon as before. Around this post was raised a mound of stones. Thence over rolling hills, and at 653 chains to the crest of the main range of mountains and at 843.35 chains attained the highest elevation along the line; thence, gradually descending, at 885 chains enter Canada los Encinos, passing across which at 1,120 chains; set cedar posts on each side of Fort Tejon and Los Angeles road; thence over bald hills, at 1,280.30 chains established the corner to Los Angeles, Kern and Santa Barbara counties, from which found by traverses Fort Tejon to bear north 17 degrees, 20 seconds east, 322 chains distant, and James Gorman's house to bear south 61 minutes east, 308 chains distant.
"May 27, commencing at the initial point and setting posts as previously described, at the initial point and settling posts as previously described, every six miles, ran according to the true meridian, the variation of the needle being 14 minutes, 41 seconds east, east through a dense growth of cactus trees, and at 1,370 chains set posts on each side of Willow Springs and Lake Elizabeth road; thence over open desert, at 1,471 chains. Set posts on each side of Clear Creek and Soledad road. Thence passing at times through the beds of dry lakes, composed of a hard, spongy clay, incapable of holding water, and again over open desert, to a point due north of Mt. San Antonio, distant from the initial point 4,564.35 chains, at which was established the corner to Los Angeles, Kern and San Bernardino counties.
"By observation whilst on the meridian at 9:30 p. m. on May 16, 1869, at Cow Springs, variation of the needle was found to be 14 degrees, 41 seconds east.
"The line running west from the point last named passes for the first seven miles through an open, undulating plain, watered by numerous branches running from springs in the foothills, and susceptible of a high degree of cultivation; thence to the Canada los Encinos, over rugged mountains covered with scrub oak, cedar, fir, pine and manzanita; thence to the western corner, over bald hills, and crossing some good grazing land. The entire eastern line passes through an open desert almost destitute of vegetation, and rendered useless by the entire absence of water. The work on this end was rendered very disagreeable and expensive, inasmuch as all the water used by the party was transported in wagons, and during the latter portion of the time the men and stock suffered extremely, having hoped to find stock water by digging into the beds of dry lakes.
"During the seven days occupied on the western line the weather was very cold, with violent and constant winds; on May 22, 23 and 24, rain storms and at 8:46 p. m., May 27, an earthquake lasting ten seconds."
The files of the Courier are incomplete, having been destroyed by fire. April 13, 1872, the paper is headed Kern County Weekly Courier, Bakersfield. A five-column folio. June, 1872, mention is made of a new paper started at Havilah, called The Miner.
In 1872 the question of moving the county seat was agitated, and the new and promising town, Bakersfield, in the valley was the prospective location. February, 1873, an election was held as to said removal. Owing to some irregularities in the vote, three precincts were thrown out, but the court afterward instructed the Board to count them. Bakersfield won the county seat by a small majority. The result was hotly contested, much bad feeling engendered, as is generally the case on such occasions, and a year was consumed in costly and acrimonious litigation before the seat was finally located at Bakersfield. The injunction suit was commenced in the month of May, 1875. The county expended, by warrants on the treasury in conducting this suit, the sum of $2, 237.80. Pending the decision of the court as to said injunction was evidently held July 12, 1866, but no record of it can be found. Thomas Baker was at the time county surveyor, and E. W. Doss superintendent of schools.
The first deed recorded in Kern County was July 23, 1866, being for a lot in Havilah, from H. C. Harding to James R. Watson.
It will be seen that the act authorizing a county to be called Kern was passed in April, 1866. In August of that year the county was organized and boundaries defined, and in November of the same year the first grand jury was drawn, as follows: W. W. Hudson, foreman; Robert Palmer, W. T. Henderson, Thomas H. Bennix, J. P. Swearingen, B. T. Mitchell, W. H. Williams, M. H. Erskine, E. R. Burke, Solomon Jewett, Edward Tibbett, V. G. Thompson, Henry Pascoe, J. J. Murphy, J. S. Totty, Daniel Muncton, W. D. Ward, T. W. Barnes, Stephen Chandler, and Isaac Lightner.
The Board of Supervisors reconstructed the civil townships of the county in 1873, with names as follows: South Fork, township No. 1; Havilah, township No. 2; Tehachapi, township No. 3; Tejon, township No. 4; Bakersfield, township No. 5; and Lynn's Valley, township No. 6.
The board also authorized A. R. Jackson to draw a map of the county, at a cost of $500.
The Courier seems to have had strong bearing toward Republican politics in 1873.
On election day, October, 1873, there occurred a triple tragedy at Sageland, near Havilah. Henry Watson killed Moss Gilman, and upon Robert Peppard attempting to arrest him, a struggle ensued, in the course of which they stabbed each other so fatally that they both died almost immediately. Watson and Gilman were very drunk and had quarreled the night before, and on the morning of the election. About noon Gilman went to bed, Watson sought him out and asked, "Have you voted?" "Yes." "Who for?" "Reed." With that he struck Gilman and went out. Being remonstrated with for having struck a man helplessly drunk, he said: "Then I will go back and kill him." He returned accordingly, and, finding Gilman still on his bed, fractured his skull in peices with his revolver, and slashed his body in many places with his knife.
Thomas Bridger (owner of the mill and mine) then went to arrest him; but he swore that he would not be arrested. At this stage of the proceedings, Peppard, who was with Bridger, attempted to seize him by the hand in which he held a large sheath knife, and was stabbed twice in the breast. He then closed with Watson, and in the struggle that ensued they fell together and rolled down a slight declevity. When they arose Peppard said to Watson: "You have cut me, and you shall die." Suiting his action to the word, he threw all his strength into a rapid and powerful thrust with his knife. The keen blade penetrated Watson's heart, and they both fell dead together!
It was near one year after the election to change the county seat from Havilah to Bakersfield before the matter was decided by the court. In January, 1874, the court in session at Visalia (Judge Deering presiding), decided that Bakersfield was duly chosen by a majority of the voters at the election in 1873. The first court held in Bakersfield was presided over by Judge Colby, beginning Monday, February 2, 1874, and continued three days. Some of the public records were transferred from Havilah in Saturday preceeding.
Plans for a courthouse and jail at Bakersfield were advertised for as early as July, 1874, and stipulated not to cost more than $25,000. A. A. Bennett's plans were accepted and the work of erection began at once. Although some bad feeling existed, the ceremonies of laying the corner stone were conducted in due form, the Masons and Odd Fellows participating with the insignia if their order, as follows:
B. Brundage, Master of the Bakersfield lodge of Masons was chosen master of ceremonies. When the orders had resumed their respective places the choir, composed of Mrs. Hunt, Mrs. Willow, Mrs. Condict, Mr. Olds, Dr. Ormsby and Mr. Johnson, opened the exercise with an appropriate song. The following souvenirs were deposited under the corner stone in accordance with custom: Copy of the Bible, history of the organization of Kern County; Impressions of the court and county seals; organization of the town of Bakersfield; organization of Kern lodge, No. 224, F. & A. M.; copy of the great register of Kern County; one copy each of the Kern County Weekly Courier, Southern Californian, San Francisco Daily Bulletin, San Francisco Alta Californian, San Francisco Morning Call, San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco Chronicle, and Sacramento Weekly Record-Union; a copy of the original map of the town of Bakersfield, of the constitution and by-laws of Kern Lodge, I. O. O. F., and a package of miscellaneous coins.
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