Happy birthday, Bakersfield!
California’s ninth largest city celebrates 123rd anniversary of incorporation.
The city that gave its name to the famous Bakersfield Sound turns 123 on January 11. It was 123 years ago that Bakersfield was incorporated. Yet many may not know that Bakersfield had incorporated once before.
Bakersfield was first incorporated in 1873 but voters decided to dis-incorporate in 1876. It would not be for another 22 years until Bakersfield incorporated for a second time, this time on January 11, 1898. At that time, the new city’s population was around 4,000 people who were spread over seven square miles. Today, 123 years later, the City of Bakersfield is more than 151 square miles and boasts a population of 392,756, making it the ninth largest city in California and the 52nd largest city by population in the nation.
Happy birthday, Bakersfield. And many more!
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