Gordon's Ferry

Gordon's Ferry
Location of Gordon's Ferry in Bakersfield, California
Location	Bakersfield, California
Coordinates	35°25′32″N 118°58′4″W / 35.42556°N 118.96778°W / 35.42556; -118.96778Coordinates: 35°25′32″N 118°58′4″W / 35.42556°N 118.96778°W / 35.42556; -118.96778
Area	Northeast Bakersfield
Built	Ferry (1853), Bridge (1901)
Governing body	City of Bakersfield

California Historical Landmark
Official name: Gordon's Ferry on the Kern River
Designated	January 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 further west.^[1] It is a 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 Saint 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 which exist today.^[1] In 1937, the site would be declared California Historical Landmark. It would be the first historical landmark declared in Kern County.^[4]

References

1 2 3 4 History. Panorama Vista Preserve. Accessed: 04-11-2011.
↑ "Gordon's Ferry". Office of Historic Preservation, California State Parks. Retrieved 2012-10-07.
↑ Gordon's Ferry. Bakersfield Life. Accessed: 04-11-2011.
↑ Kern County Historical Chronology. Kern County Museum. Accessed: 04-11-2011.

External links

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
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.
Reed's Station – Located 8 miles southeast of Fort Tejon, near the Tejon Pass summit.
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).
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, near Santa Clara River.
Lopez Station – Located 8 ¹⁄₂ 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, the Santa Monica Mountains.

Source: "List of Butterfield Overland Mail Stations "Itinerary of the Route"". New York Times. October 14, 1858.

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