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Newspaper
Shafter Press
Location
Shafter, California, United States of America
Date
Sep 19, 1947
Page
9
The note highlights Shafter as an incorporated city and central business hub for Northern Kern County. It emphasizes cotton ginning, potato production, and its status as a major agricultural center in the West, ready for fair attendees.
Shafter lies in northwestern Kern County on the Santa Fe Railway main line, 130 miles north of Los Angeles and 302 miles south of San Francisco, also on the Central Valley Highway currently under construction.
Shafter produces more potatoes than any single California community and local growers plant a large share of the state’s acreage including Tehachapi Wasco Edison Cuyama Valley Delano Pixley Santa Maria. Four Shafter cotton gins are operated by four companies, totaling fifteen gins the state’s largest cotton gin operation.
Shafter shows urban area population near 6000 and 12000 in the five mile trade area. At potato season peak the trade area population can reach about 18000 people.
The center serves a radius of fifteen to twenty five miles and Shafter offers more stores and a wider general merchandise selection than any other community in Northern Kern County. Merchants are aggressive and friendly, attracting shoppers from across the county to Shafter.
The Shafter region shipped 15 500 carloads of potatoes yielding growers more than 12 million dollars. Cotton livestock grapes sugar beets and alfalfa add another 12 million dollars, pushing this year’s gross farm income above 25 million dollars. The district ranks among America’s richest per acre baselines.
Shafter has twenty three churches representing most leading denominations. Several churches plan building programs to start in the immediate future.
With Central Valley Project supplemental water, Shafter seems set to become a top food and fiber producer and a leading valley trade center. Local business and agricultural leaders seek new small industries to curb seasonal unemployment and invite energetic newcomers to help develop the community.
Shafter is represented by a progressive Chamber of Commerce Rotary Kiwanis and American Legion with 20 30. Leading service clubs support the community alongside outstanding women’s groups including the Wednesday Afternoon Club Business and Professional Women’s Club Junior Women’s Club and American Legion Auxiliary.
Shafter sits on the Santa Fe main line offering strong freight and passenger links. The city is also served by the Orange Belt Stage line with frequent schedules connecting to statewide and transcontinental routes.
Kern County Airport Commission now operates Minter Field, the $2,000,000 World War II airfield near Shafter. The facility includes modern hangars, repair shops, control towers and landing fields, and offers room for both commercial and recreational flying in the Shafter area.
Shafter touts three Richland elementary units expanding with community growth. Shafter High School in Kern County Union High School district features an acclaimed agriculture program and top livestock prizes. Maple Rio Bravo and Lerdo Schools join the strong system. Shafter High enrolls 500 plus. Richland district aims for 2000 grammar students this year.
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