Kern County CA Archives History - Books .....The New Court House 1934
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 19, 2006, 6:39 pm

Book Title: Where Rolls The Kern

CHAPTER XIII.
The New Court House.

   THE year 1874 stands out as one of the most eventful years in Bakersfield's
entire history. It was in that year that Bakersfield finally won the bitter
battle for the seat of county government. In the same year it witnessed the
founding of a number of rival towns, at a time when its commercial position was
yet none too secure; and, more discouraging still, it saw the railroad build
through the County and miss its limits, making it, in railroad parlance, an "off
line town."

   However, the optimistic and aggressive spirit that has always been
characteristic of the town was manifest in that early day, and instead of
brooding over the discouragements noted above, a successful campaign for a new
court house was waged. In July of 1874 plans for a court house and jail were
advertised for, with the stipulation that the proposed edifice was not to cost
more than $25,000. In the face of many objections, the contract for the
construction of the building was awarded at a total figure of
$29,999—approximately $5,000 more than the amount stipulated in the call for bids.

   Despite bad feeling still existent both as a result of the bitter battle that
had been waged over the removal of the county seat, and over the award of the
contract at a figure much greater than originally agreed upon, the ceremonies
incident to the laying of the cornerstone were largely attended and constituted
a most outstanding event. The rites were conducted under the joint auspices of
the Masonic and Odd Fellows lodges, with the Honorable B. Brundage, Master of
the Bakersfield Masonic lodge, acting as master of ceremonies.

   In addition to appropriate speech making, there was vocal music rendered by a
choir composed of Mrs. Hunt, Mrs. Willow, Mrs. Condict, Mr. Olds, Doctor Ormsby
and Mr. Johnson. When the cornerstone was sealed in place it contained a box in
which had been deposited the following: A copy of the Bible, a history of the
organization of Kern County, impressions of the Superior Court and County seals;
a roster of Kern Lodge, No. 202, I. O. O. F.; a roster of Bakersfield Lodge No.
224, F. & A. M.; a 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,
Sacramento Weekly Record-Union; a copy of the original map of the town of
Bakersfield; a copy of the constitution and by-laws of Kern Lodge, I. O. O. F.,
and a package of miscellaneous coins.

   The building was formally accepted April 3,1876, and furnished at a cost of
$3802. The building did duty for many years, and was "pointed to with pride" by
local residents, as a most imposing public edifice. Even as late as the '90's
the building was deemed worthy of more than passing comment, and we find Myron
Angell thus describing it in his history published in 1891:

   The very creditable public edifice was erected in 1875 on a public square of
two acres. It is a solid cement brick structure, two stories, with high
basement, and surmounted by a handsome dome-covered cupola, on which stands the
Goddess of Liberty. The basement is used for various storage purposes. The first
floor is reached by broad and lofty-steps, and contains the sheriff's office,
offices of the district attorney and the treasurer and tax collector and jail.

   The second story contains the superior court room, offices of the clerk,
recorder, superintendent of schools and board of supervisors' rooms. The court
house grounds are surrounded by a fine, high, solid wooden fence of considerable
artistic beauty. The grounds are well set with blue grass and white clover,
forming a beautiful park.

   A few months after the acceptance of the new court house a contract was let
to William McFarland to build a County Hospital for $1400, on the ground
occupied by the present Kern County Union High School. For a time a branch
hospital was maintained at Havilah, possibly as a sort of peace offering to
partially compensate for the removal of the county seat; and a short time later
a branch hospital was located at Hot Springs.

   In November, 1874, a branch jail was built at Kernville at a cost of $200,
indicating that a part of the citizenry there may have been still clinging to
some of their earlier habits. In 1875 the old county jail at Havilah was
presented to Caliente and removed to that point.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Where Rolls the Kern

A History of Kern County, California
By Herbert G. Comfort

MOORPARK, CALIFORNIA:
The ENTERPRISE Press
1934

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/kern/history/1934/whererol/newcourt279nms.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/cafiles/

File size: 5.2 Kb