Gordon's Ferry

Historic site in Bakersfield, California

35°25′32″N 118°58′4″W / 35.42556°N 118.96778°W / 35.42556; -118.96778AreaNortheast BakersfieldBuiltFerry (1853),
Bridge (1901)Governing bodyCity of Bakersfield

California Historical Landmark

Official nameGordon's Ferry on the Kern RiverDesignatedJanuary 17, 1937 (1937-01-17)Reference no.137

Gordon's Ferry is both a geographical location and a historic site in Bakersfield, California. It is located where China Grade Loop crosses the Kern River and meets with Alfred Harrell Highway in Northeast Bakersfield. It is named after a ferry that used to cross the river near the existing bridge. It was one of the only eastern crossings, until 1877, when the Jewett Avenue bridge was constructed farther west.^[1] It is California Historical Landmark #137.^[2]

History

The 49ers, on their way to the gold fields during the California Gold Rush, used this place as a ford crossing. In 1853, as the Kern River Gold Rush began, Major Aneas Gordon begin operating a ferry at the crossing of the Stockton - Los Angeles Road. It was an overhead cable type, with a flat bottom boat. With a growing number of settlers coming to the region, the ferry experienced much traffic.

Butterfield Overland Mail

In 1857, the Butterfield Overland Mail 1st Division was established and used the ferry on its San Francisco to St. Louis postal route. The stage company would establish a station at that location (one of six in Kern County), which was called the Kern River Station.^[1]^[3]

Butterfield Overland Mail continued to use the ferry until the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861. Because the original route crossed into the Confederacy, the U.S. postmaster directed Butterfield to change to the Central Overland Route. Kern River Station would continue to be used by other stagecoach companies until the railroad made them obsolete. The ferry would continue to be used by settlers and residents until 1877, when the Jewett Avenue bridge was constructed to the west.^[1]

Oilfield and bridges

As a river crossing, Gordon's Ferry sat empty for many years. However, oil was discovered in the Kern River Oil Field in 1899 (the first oil discovery in Kern County). The oilfield was just north of Gordon's Ferry. Oil was hauled out by trains, which were located in Sumner and Bakersfield, which is south of the river. As a result, in 1901 a wooden bridge was constructed at the previous ferry crossing.

It would later be replaced with the concrete bridge that exists today.^[1] In 1937, the site would be declared a California Historical Landmark--the first in Kern County.^[4]

The California Historical Landmark reads:

NO. 137 GORDON'S FERRY ON THE KERN RIVER - Gordon's Ferry was an overhead cable-type of ferry operated during the 1850s by Major Gordon. An adobe station house was located on the south bank of the Kern River, just a few yards to the west of this marker, which also served as a station on the Butterfield Overland Mail Route from 1856 to 1860. Registred June 6, 1934.

The marker is located near the Kern River bridge, on China Loop, 1,000 ft South of Round Mountain Road, Bakersfield.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d History Archived 2011-08-24 at the Wayback Machine. Panorama Vista Preserve. Accessed: 04-11-2011.
^ "Gordon's Ferry". Office of Historic Preservation, California State Parks. Retrieved 2012-10-07.
^ Gordon's Ferry Archived 2011-07-26 at the Wayback Machine. Bakersfield Life. Accessed: 04-11-2011.
^ Kern County Historical Chronology Archived 2011-09-29 at the Wayback Machine. Kern County Museum. Accessed: 04-11-2011.

External links

Panorama Vista Preserve Archived 2011-08-24 at the Wayback Machine

Butterfield Overland Mail 1st Division Stations

San Francisco – Western terminus and 1st Division headquarters, located in downtown San Francisco.
Clarks's Station – Located 12 miles south of San Francisco in what is now San Bruno.
Sun Water Station – Located 9 miles south of Clarks Station in what is now San Mateo.
Redwood City – Located 9 miles south of Sun Water Station.
Mountain View Station – Located 12 miles south of Redwood City.
San Jose Station – Located 11 miles south of Mountain View Station in the city of San Jose.
Seventeen Mile House – Located 17 miles south of San Jose.
Gilroy Station – Located 13 miles south of Seventeen Mile House in what is now Gilroy, California.
Pacheco Pass Station – Located 18 miles east of Gilroy near the top of Pacheco Pass.
St. Louis Ranch – Located 17 miles east of Pacheco Pass.
Lone Willow Station – Located 18 miles east of St. Louis Ranch near Los Banos.
Temple's Ranch – Located 13 miles southeast of Lone Willow Station near Dos Palos.
Firebaugh's Ferry – Located 15 miles southeast of Temples Ranch, on the San Joaquin River.
Fresno City – Located 19 miles southeast of Firebaugh's Ferry.
Elkhorn Spring Station – Located 22 miles east of Fresno City near present-day Riverdale.
Whitmore's Ferry – Located 17 miles southeast of Elkhorn Spring Station on the Kings River.
Head of Cross Creek Station – Located 15 miles southeast of Whitmore's Ferry.
Visalia – Located 12 miles southeast of Cross Creek Station.
Packwood Station – Located 12 miles east of Visalia.
Tule River Station – Located 14 miles south of Packwood Station.
Fountain Spring Station – Located 14 miles southeast of Tule River Station.
Mountain House – Located 12 miles south of Fountain Spring Station.
Posey Creek Station – Located 15 miles southwest of Mountain House, on Posey (Poso) Creek.
Gordon's Ferry (Kern River Station) – Located 10 miles south of Posey Creek Station on the Kern River just above present-day Bakersfield.
Kern River Slough Station – Located 12 miles south of Gordons Ferry.
Sink of Tejon Station – Located 14 miles southwest of Kern River Slough Station.
Fort Tejon – Located 15 miles southwest of Sink of Tejon Station, north of and below the summit of Tejon Pass.
Reed's Station – Located 8 miles southeast of Fort Tejon, near, to the south of the summit of the Tejon Pass.
French John's Station – Located 14 miles east southeast of Reeds Station, in the vicinity of the mouth of Cow Springs Creek Canyon.
Mud Spring, a later station operating in 1860, 14 miles east from French Johns and 13 miles north from Clayton's Station (formerly Widow Smith's Station). [1]
Widow Smith's Station (Clayton's Station, Major Gordon's Station) – Located 24 miles from French John's Station, in upper San Francisquito Canyon near Green Valley.
King's Station – Located 10 miles south of Widow Smith's Station in lower San Francisquito Canyon.
Hart's Station or Lyons Station – Located 12 miles south of King's Station, in Santa Clarita.
Lopez Station – Located 81⁄2 miles southeast of Hart's Station, in the San Fernando Valley north of Mission San Fernando Rey de España.
Cahuenga Station – Located 12 miles southeast of Mission San Fernando, in Cahuenga Pass, of the Santa Monica Mountains. The first station of the 1st Division, it was located 12 miles northwest of Los Angeles.