Kern County Fairgrounds (demolished) – Bakersfield CA

Description

The official birth of the Kern County Agricultural Fair was on August 5, 1916. It was located on 106 acres at Chester Avenue, two blocks north of 34th Street and just south of the Kern River Bridge. There were no buildings at that time so they used tents. The Kern County Museum and Clock Tower now stand in that location. Later during the Depression in the 1930’s there was no Fair held for two years. Then in 1952 the Fair was moved from the North Chester location to the present grounds. ” Kern County Fair

WPA Project No. 65-3-4740, App. Date 2-19-36, $19,740, “Construct barns with adobe brick walls & metal roof.” [There was a separate WPA project to manufacture adobe bricks for public works]

WPA Project No. 65-3-1369, App. Date 9/19/35, $48,970, “Fairgrounds, occupational therapy and renovation salvaged material and garments, for surplus commodity. E.R.A. [hand written note] LRL 201 – 3/11/39 Reduced $36,672.25

WPA Project No. 65-3-321, App. Date 9/26/35, $3,720, “Erect fences and seats on grandstand and oil area about Fair Grounds.”

WPA Project No. 65-3-322, App. Date 9/26/36, $4,252, “Completion of walls and placing roof for horse barn.”

WPA Project No. 65-3-4783, App. Date 2-18-36, $1,930, “County fairgrounds. Construct 200 ft. of wire backstop and 280 ft. concrete curb.”

WPA Project No. 165-3-2076, App. Date 12-11-36, $3,914, Total Funds $4,724, Average Employed 18, “At the Kern County Fairgrounds, Bakersfield, Kern County. Complete barns, set doors, windows, and roof trusses and other work incidental thereto. County owned property.”

WPA Project No. 165-3-3068, App. Date 12-16-36, $11,480, Total Funds $20,666, Average Employed 55, “Improve Kern County Fairgrounds at Bakersfield, Kern County by grading, leveling and draining grounds, constructing race track, reconstruction of fences, installation of water system, construction of water tank house and other work incidental thereto. County owned property.”