This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Early Kern County History and Gold Mining Roots
Mining shaped Kern County as Greenhorn Mountain hosts early gold activity dating to 1852. Freeman worked Greenhorn Gulch in the 1860s as Keyesville Havilah and Kernville formed. Wagy Flat produced vegetables for Keyesville miners, while Jesse Allen carried a rifle for Tule River troubles. Ashbury Harpending promoted Havilah after fleeing San Francisco. The era tied to biblical Eden imagery and the gold of Havilah.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Kern County
California
Greenhorn Mountain
J. W. Freeman
Greenhorn Gulch
Wagy
Wagy Flat
Keyesville
Jesse Allen
Tule River
Ashbury
Harpending
San Francisco
Kernville