Bakersfield and Modesto: A
Comparison of Two Cities in
California’s San Joaquin Valley
By: Matthew Russell Niblett
Geography 108E, Fall 2004 Research Paper
December 2, 2004
Prof Stuart Sweeney
TA: Thomas Pingle
Table of Contents
Abstract……………p.2
Introduction………p.3
Modesto……………p.3
Bakersfield………..p.9
Similarities……...p.14
References………p.18
Figures……………p.19
Images……………p.21
Tables…………….p.24
Cover Image: Location Map of Bakersfield and Modesto. See Figure 1 for credits.
1
Abstract
This paper compares the economies of two fast growing cities of California‟s San
Joaquin valley, how they formed, and where the two cities are headed now that we have entered
into the twenty-first century. The two cities to be compared are Modesto, California and
Bakersfield, California. Both cities are located near large metropolitan areas, were founded
around the same time in the 1860‟s, and were founded as agricultural communities. Thus, these
cities are ideal candidates for comparison as they both have common origins. The comparative
economic history is derived from history books, census data, irrigation district data, economic
development reports from the state of California, and other relevant sources. This work describes
the way the two cities developed and attempts to forecast what direction the current economic
development of the two cities is heading in.
2
Introduction
The goal of this paper is to explore the economic developments of Modesto, California
and Bakersfield, California (See Figure 1). An effort is made to point out commonalities in their
economic development, as well as trying to forecast the two cities short-term economics for the
early part of the twenty-first century. To explore the development of the two cities, histories of
the two towns will be used for the comparisons of the early development. Employment and
business statistics will be used to explain the development during the latter half of the twentieth
century. In addition to this, a short term forecast for the two cities will be made regarding the
direction of their economies. Before their future economic direction is discussed, a history of
these cities will be presented.
Modesto
The Central Pacific Rail Road laid out Modesto in 1870. In October of that year the first
houses appeared along the tracks and by the end of 1870 there were over seventy buildings at the
new location. Many of the structures were relocated from the towns of Paradise and Tuolumne,
the two towns that were serviced by the riverboats that plied the Tuolumne River. The railroad
decided to call their new town Modesto, to continue their Spanish naming convention; Modesto
is Spanish for modesty, however the railroad was less concerned with its meaning, but rather
more interested in the way it sounds(Modesto, 2004). The townspeople of Paradise and
Tuolumne (See Image 1) knew that their towns were no longer major trade centers for the area
surrounding Modesto and took a keen interest in the development of the new town. Modesto and
the surrounding area were now connected to the rest of the United States, which meant a great
3
deal to them, as most of the people near Modesto had been supporters of the Union during the
Civil War (Osborn, 2003).
The development in Modesto was a major event to in the valley. Stockton, the nearest
port town was, according to B. J. Osborn was, “A hundred meandering miles away [by
steamboat] (p.5).” The railroad made it about thirty. With the coming of the railroad, the
steamboat towns began their steady decline. Whole houses were picked up and transported to
Modesto. Modesto, in addition to the railroad, had also supplanted the peripheral towns as center
of transportation. After only seven months of existence, three stage lines were providing regular
service to Modesto (Osborn, 2003). Even the local newspaper editor of The Tuolumne City
News recognized this and commented, “The greater portion of the inhabitants, even houses, now
swell the new town of Modesto… Parts of whole blocks have disappeared (Osborn, 2003, p.4),”
in one of the papers last columns. The trading centers of Paradise and Tuolumne were giving
way to the new trading center of Modesto.
The transition between the two towns to the single city of Modesto was quite rapid;
Paradise disappeared altogether. Many of the farmers at that time raised livestock or grew wheat,
both heavy crops. With the ability of the railway to quickly ship the farmer‟s heavy crops
Modesto and the surrounding farm communities experienced a tremendous boom (See Image 2)
(Osborn, 2003). It exemplified the perfect trading city; it had a central business district where
businesses set up shop, residencies surrounding the businesses, and finally farmers surrounding
businesses. Farmers could easily ship their goods to the railway depot and purchase the seed
needed to replant their crops from the agricultural supply stores located within the city. If they
needed anything special it was easily obtained with the services provided by the Western Union
telegraph company, which set up shop in 1872.
4
To obtain better farm equipment, the farmers traded their wheat for money to buy their
steam engines, and eventually coal to trade with Liverpool, England to power their steam
engines. However, the farmers in true western spirit figured out that they could increase their
profit by converting their steam engines to run off of hay, or the chaff from their fields (Osborn,
2003). The landscape within and around the city changed. What had been a dry sandy treeless
plain, according to the City of Modesto‟s online history segment, was now a vibrant community
dotted by many farms (Modesto, 2004). As farms were added, land prices went up. By the end of
1870 alone, land prices had nearly doubled near the town (Osborn, 2003). The land near
Modesto‟s city center was of higher utility and greater demand, which further increased the land
rent value. Modesto‟s bid-rent functions began to emerge.
With the increase in people and dry farms1 from 1870 until the mid 1890‟s free rangeland
was lost. This forced the decline of the longhorn livestock industry which fortunately for
Modestans made a smooth transition as many livestock farmers made the switch to crop farming.
The newly added livestock men, however, wanted to keep their profits up. Available resources
for farming and city activities were evaluated, and it was concluded that water was to play into
Modesto‟s future. It was decided by the citizens of Modesto and vicinity that a series of
aqueducts and reservoirs needed to be built to further the growth of the agricultural fruit trade
(Barnes, 1987). To achieve this end, the people of Modesto founded a cooperative called the
Modesto Irrigation District (MID), in 1899; the irrigation district they founded would become a
model for the rest of California and the world. With the construction of the dams and later on
their hydroelectric generators as well as the numerous canals that flowed forth from them, the
landscape was transformed into an irrigated landscape. The citizens of Modesto and the
surrounding community financed nearly all of the projects (Barnes, 1987).
1
A dry farm is one that grows non-water intensive crops.
5
With the water came many new varieties of crops and the associated industry to process
the various food types. Key to the electrification effort was Stanislaus County‟s first female
assemblywoman, Miss Esto Broughton of Modesto, who was elected in 1919 before women
gained the right to vote. It was largely due to her efforts in the state assembly that allowed the
Modesto Irrigation District (MID) to construct the hydroelectric turbines; before that time, it was
illegal for a public cooperative to do so. Thanks to Ms. Broughton‟s legislation, Modesto was
one of the first central valley cities to become electrified after MID installed turbines at their
existing dams, and through construction of their Lake Don Pedro dam (Barnes, 1987). This was a
big advantage to manufacturing firms and a strong attractor for future industry, as well as the
populace in general. One of the industries that used this power was the Modesto Ice Plant, which
could out-produce both the ice plants at Fresno and Bakersfield. The plant, which initially
produced ice for the railroad‟s refrigeration cars, is still in use today and produces ice for the
Jack Frost ice corporation. In addition to providing power to the city of Modesto and the
surrounding community, MID also sold excess power to the San Francisco Bay Area (Osborn,
2003).
The increase in the electrical capacity also increased the irrigation capability because of
the cheap cost of electricity and the new dams. This enabled an increase in the number of farmers
that grew water intensive crops, such as melons, grapes, and other various fruit crops. This
increased supply encouraged more food processing facilities to locate in Modesto. One of the
particular food processing facilities was grape processing facilities, such as Gallo Winery, and
other various grape juice manufacturers. During prohibition, many companies switched from
alcoholic beverage production to juice production. One particular company made grape juice that
informed users on how not to let their grape juice ferment into wine, which was a legal
6
technicality that irritated the prohibitionists (Osborn, 2003). Modesto remained principally an
agricultural town through the depression until World War II.
With the coming of World War II, the economics of Modesto changed. The town was
pushed to become a manufacturing center in addition to its agricultural based economy. Due to
MID‟s thoughtful planning and development, the war effort was able to utilize the abundance of
Modesto‟s cheap hydroelectric power (Barnes, 1987), available space and efficient
transportation. Modesto was one of the few cities that had an electrified trolley system that
greatly aided in the transportation of people and minor goods (Osborn, 2003). Many new
facilities were built and an entirely new grid complete with amenities was laid out. Two of the
most notable structures included an Army Hospital known as the Hammond Army General
Hospital that had a capacity for 1,500 patients, and an aluminum plant that employed 500 men
and women, which was operated by the Aluminum Company of America, were constructed at
that time (Osborn, 2003). World War II helped get Modesto into other forms of manufacturing
that lasted well into the early 1980‟s.
Modesto has always been growing; between 1900 and 1970, 184,956 new people became
citizens of Modesto. Between 1940 and 1970, the population grew from 74,866 to 194,506, more
than doubling the population of 1940 (Center, 2004). Most of this growth was driven by the new
manufacturing firms that decided to locate in Modesto due in part to its central location, and
because of additional opportunities due to its proximity to the Southern Pacific Railroad and the
two major north south freeways, Interstate 5 and state highway 99, and the relatively short
distance to Stockton, an inland port about thirty miles north of the city(See Figure 1) (Division,
1992). Nearly all the growth that occurred during this time was in manufacturing.
7
During the 1980‟s there was rapid growth in the population that was driven in part by the
growth of the microelectronics and “dot-com” businesses that focused around the greater San
Francisco Bay Area, which has in turn, driven the destruction of the highly productive farmland
around Modesto (Buki, 2001). The coming of the San Francisco Bay Area commuter has brought
about rapid growth. The population of Modesto went from 194,506 in 1970 to 446,997 in 2000, a
difference of 252,491, which far surpassed the 184,956 people that had moved to Modesto
between 1900 and 1970 or the previous seven tenths of the twentieth century (See Figure 2 and
Table 1) (Center, 2004). However not all of these population gains are commuters but they do
constitute a majority. The fact that Modesto has gained such a large populace so quickly has
affected the automotive transportation system, city planning, and agricultural lands. This
development has increased travel time a great deal and has lead to the rapid loss of farmland
(Buki, 2001).
Modesto has also recently stabilized its seasonal employment due to the increase in the
commuter population as well as the diversification of the cities economy. These advances have
occurred primarily in the industrial sector, as well as government, services, retail. Growth in the
manufacturing and retail sectors has helped to stabilize the seasonal economy as well as the city-
based economy, and have increased the city‟s tax base in addition to the increasing numbers of
the commuter populace (Division, 1992). However, the increased numbers of commuters and the
continued urban sprawl following the pattern of development found in the greater Los Angeles
area continue to consume valuable agricultural land, as well as increase the burden on the
surrounding environment, and further stress the transportation network of the greater Modesto
area (Buki, 2001). There is no doubt that Modesto will continue to grow but this growth certainly
8
needs to be examined and checked in order to preserve the rich heritage and agricultural
prosperity of the region.
Bakersfield
Colonel Thomas Baker laid out Bakersfield in 1866, four years before the railroad laid
out Modesto, after he became county surveyor for the newly formed Kern County. Colonel
Baker was very well qualified for the position as he had a hand in the creation of the state of
Iowa, and had experience laying out cities and towns. He knew what to do and what not to do to
make a city function well, as he had also helped to layout the city of Visalia, California and
numerous towns in Iowa. He actively applied this experiential knowledge to the layout for his
city, which was next to his field and whence the city took its name (Burmeister, 1969). It did not
take long for the town to grow because it was at a stage route crossroad. Any traveler whose
destination was from or to San Francisco and Sacramento from Los Angeles and vice-versa had
to pass by his farm, and soon a stage rest stop was founded at the location of the town
(Burmeister, 1969).
The site that Colonel Baker chose for his town was ideally located. As a surveyor, he
knew that the railroads would soon be coming to the region to connect Los Angeles to the
northern part of the state, and he knew that the stage roads to Stockton, San Francisco, and
Sacramento would also be coming through the area. He also knew that transportation would be
the key to the town‟s success, and he wanted to make Bakersfield the biggest agricultural
exporter for the southern San Joaquin Valley. The area was already well known for its livestock
exports. In fact, according to his wife Mrs. Ellen Baker Tracy, Col. Baker is to have said, “The
largest town south of Stockton will have its site here. Three or four lines of railroads will come
9
through those mountain passes and center here. The place is rich in future possibilities (Bailey,
1984, p.35).” He saw the potential of the area and intended to make it a top agricultural center.
To make Bakersfield and the area around it an agricultural center, he had to drain the
areas extensive marshland; he was aided by the weather. From 1863 to 1865 California was in
the midst of a very large drought. He was able to build a levee during this time, which came to be
known as the Town Ditch that was intended to protect his farmland initially, and eventually the
town, in case of future flooding (Burmeister, 1969), and then proceeded to build a dam across the
northern end of Buena Vista Lake to allow for an agricultural and a city water supply. In 1867, a
very large flood struck the area which diverted the Kern River north of Bakersfield and broke a
natural levee that had maintained the swamp that surrounded most of the town, which in turn
drained it completely aiding him even further to achieve his goal of creating more arable land
(Bailey, 1984). His thoughtful foresight of building the levee had paid off far greater then he
anticipated. Now all Colonel Baker had to do was get more people to move to his town.
He did this in part by his reclamation efforts, and also as Eugene Burmeister said,
“[Through the completion of] a do-it-yourself grist mill… where farmers could grind their corn
and wheat without charge (Burmeister, 1969, p.7).” He saw that once land, agricultural
processing equipment, and transportation came together, that Bakersfield would take off as an
agricultural center and hopefully become a major node. However, these were not the only factors
responsible for bringing people to Bakersfield and its vicinity. Many of the new residents who
came to Bakersfield and the area surrounding it, came not only because of the cheap land, but
also because it was an area that was sympathetic to the Confederate cause (Bailey, 1984). Now
that Colonel Baker had his town and supporting farmers, he knew that Bakersfield would
continue to exist.
10
Bakersfield was also getting the attention of the residents of Havilah, California, a nearby
mining town that was the then county seat (See Image 4). Many of the residents of Havilah had
realized that the towns mining days were coming to a close and that more money was to be had
through farming or through business firms. Eventually the town of Havilah lost its populace and
the seat of Kern County to Bakersfield, which by that time already had three saloons, a brewery,
and a luxury hotel under construction in anticipation of the coming of the Southern Pacific
Railway (Burmeister).
The Southern Pacific Railroad entered Kern County in July of 1873, three years after it
entered Modesto. Unfortunately, Colonel Baker passed away November 24, 1872 and did not
live to see the railroad come. Bakersfield had lost its guiding leader. The executives of the
Southern Pacific Railway knew this and demanded concessions from the city, such that the
station would have more business area devoted around it. The businessmen of Bakersfield
refused believing that the railroad would not defy them and build a new town. However, the
Southern Pacific Railway did. The railroad proceeded to construct their town, called Sumner
initially, five miles away from the heart of Bakersfield (Burmeister, 1969). The city leaders were
devastated and began to question the future of their city. However, some citizens refused to let
the railroad win and decided to connect themselves with Sumner.
To connect themselves, the townspeople decided to construct a streetcar service between
Bakersfield and Sumner. The streetcar service allowed Bakersfield to obtain at least some of the
Railroads patronage. However, the new city of Sumner was rapidly growing as well, as many of
the businesses that had anticipated the arrival of the railroad at Bakersfield made the move to
Sumner, which eventually was called Kern City and later East Bakersfield (Burmeister, 1969).
Unfortunately, even with the streetcar service, the economy in Bakersfield stagnated. People still
11
resided there, but no new people or businesses arrived after the founding of East Bakersfield. In
addition to the snubbing by the railroad, a “land and water war” broke out between ranchers and
farmers, which further hurt the city. Eventually the farmers won, and Bakersfield and Kern
County developed many irrigation canals to support the increased number of farmers (Bailey,
1984). However, this would not be the greatest obstacle facing the city.
On July 7, 1889 a fire was sparked in the downtown area that rapidly spread; the fire
razed all 120 buildings in Bakersfield‟s downtown area (See Image 3). Only the water tower was
spared and even then, they were only barely able to save it. Among the buildings destroyed was
the recently opened telephone office, which the city had worked so hard to obtain. Even though
most buildings in the town were covered by insurance, it was not enough to rebuild and the
banks and other financial institutions in the valley would not extend credit to the city
(Burmeister, 1969). Bakersfield citizen Wallace M. Morgan recollected in 1914,
“The history of Bakersfield is a story of hope deferred, of promises unfulfilled. First we prayed for
a railroad. We got it [in East Bakersfield], but it did not unlock the door of our possibilities as we
expected it would. Then we prayed for colonization [by farmers]. Everything was made ready to
answer that prayer, when the contest over water rights interfered and nothing would be done
toward cutting up the land until that was settled. When it was out of the way and the colonization
scheme undertaken, just at the start, when everybody‟s hope was stimulated, the town burned up
(Bailey, 1984, p.45).”
This was the sentiment that many citizens in the town of Bakersfield had. The townspeople had
to find a financial backer, or their town was facing the very real reality of extinction.
Fortunately for the city, the very last financier they went to backed them and the city
rebuilt itself with the best methods and materials available at the time. Luckily for the citizens of
Bakersfield, the reconstruction caught the attention of the San Francisco & San Joaquin Railroad
(SF&SJ), which made plans to connect the city with its lines in 1898 (See Image 4). This
reinvigorated the town and soon all forms of businesses and people were flowing into the town,
especially since the SF&SJ railway significantly under-priced the Southern Pacific Railway. Two
12
years later, the SF&SJ railway was bought out by the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe after the
SF&SJ railway posted significant profits (Burmeister, 1969). The fire had, ironically, saved the
town from oblivion. As Rush Maxwell Blodget put it, “The whole town went up in a glorious
blaze. After that the town history dated from „before the fire‟ and „after the fire‟ (Bailey, 1984,
p.61).” The town was growing quickly. By 1900, the Bakersfield metropolitan statistical area
reported that 16,400 people called Bakersfield home (Center). On the eve of the 19th Century,
July 26, 1899 to be exact, Tom Means completed the first oil well in Bakersfield; the town had
leaped into the twentieth century.
With the discovery of oil Bakersfield‟s fortunes had become increasingly bright. As word
spread that oil had been discovered, flocks of people began to arrive and set up countless
numbers of oil wells, which helped to bring money into the town (Bailey, 1984). In 1901,
Bakersfield converted its horse drawn streetcar system to an electrified system. Bakersfield, like
Modesto, was one of the first and few to install such a system in the San Joaquin Valley in
addition to being one of the first electrified cities (Burmeister, 1969). Bakersfield‟s newfound
wealth came with a price however. Bakersfield, according to Richard C. Bailey, “Became known
as the worst in the West for prostitution, gambling, drunkenness, and vice (Bailey, 1984, p.77).”
Bakersfield began to receive a reputation as being a red light, or indecent city at the turn of the
century. Citizens of Bakersfield, particularly Truxton Beale, did not like this. Beale, a former
ambassador to Spain, decided to construct a Moorish style clock tower in memory of his mother,
who had recently passed away. The tower would become the symbol of Bakersfield, far eclipsing
its once rowdy image, as was it was hoped to do by Beale. Bakersfield was also one of the first
counties to send a woman to the state assembly, Grace Dorris, who served from 1919 to 1923
(Bailey, 1984). However, oil was not the single mainstay of the county.
13
Bakersfield‟s economic diversity was beneficial to the area, because when the depression
struck in 1929 it had little effect on the city; it set in slowly (Bailey, 1984). Bakersfield, unlike
Modesto however, decided to let the state subsidize and construct water works during the
depression era to further increase the agricultural capacity of the county. World War II also had a
stimulating effect on the city; Bakersfield and the oil fields around it were cited as key to
military production and the fields were therefore to be protected by the military. Kern County
was the number one producer of oil and petroleum products in the state and continues to be a top
producer (Bailey, 1984). In addition to the oil production, many new war-related industries came
to the area and provided many new jobs. Most worked at Minter Field, an army air force basic
pilot training center. The electronics and military technologies field especially took off during
the 1980‟s through the present day, according to Richard C. Bailey (Bailey, 1984; Division,
1992). These sectors of industry are heavily influenced by the presence of Edwards Air Force
Base and China Lake Naval Weapons Center. In addition to these industries, Kern County is
among the top three most productive agricultural counties in the United States, as of 1992
(Division, 1992). Bakersfield is increasingly becoming a bedroom community to Los Angeles
area commuters due to the relatively cheap land found in Bakersfield which, although not a
significant portion of the population, threatens to become one. This could pose problems to the
city, especially to the continued success of its agricultural sectors as well as its business sectors
of the economy.
Similarities & Differences
Both Modesto and Bakersfield are alike in many ways even though their history differs
slightly. A few common things that happened to the two cities did indeed aid in their
development. For instance, both cities were founded at major transportation nodes, both were
14
and still are agricultural centers, both have growing populations, and both were among the first
cities, and counties for that matter, to elect a female representative to the California State
Assembly before woman had earned the official right to vote. The two cities are quite similar in
their development, and the following is a highlight of their similarities and differences.
Key to both cities success was the fact that they were both close to large-scale efficient
transportation, primarily in the form of the railroad. The railroad was vital because it allowed the
surrounding community to export goods and also to import them. This is highly evident in the
case of Bakersfield; after the Southern Pacific decided to locate their station in East Bakersfield,
the town lost many businesses to Sumner and then was only partially saved by their construction
of a streetcar line that connected the two cities. Bakersfield lost a great deal of business and early
growth potential due to the fact that the railroad had decided to relocate five miles away. For
Bakersfield to survive it had to have the ability to send goods from the city as well as to obtain
goods outside the city. It is an example of scale economies of trade; it was more profitable to the
businesses that had already located in Bakersfield to make the switch to Sumner and utilize the
number of people and goods that the railroad had made available by connecting to it.
Modesto is representative of this fact; the town was designed and planned out initially by
the railroad. It became highly successful because it was close to the railroad and the steamboats
that had once plied the rivers in the valley and the towns where they stopped could no longer
compete. Modesto absorbed the town of Paradise and Tuolumne‟s business and residential
communities. The benefits of being closer to the railroad outweighed those of being farther from
it. However, Modesto is also similar to Bakersfield in that, it too constructed a streetcar system
to help better facilitate the transfer of goods and people.
15
Both towns were very proud of their streetcar systems and both cities were among the
first cities in the valley to implement electric streetcars, as well as to be electrified. The
electrification of both cities was critical to their success and helped to attract many firms,
especially in Modesto where the electricity was produced through a cooperative and remained
cheap. Modestan‟s were quite proud of their cheap electricity and oft pointed to their ice plant as
an exemplary business. Modesto could out-produce Bakersfield and Fresno, a much larger city,
and took great pride in this. However, the foundation for both cities electrical supplies is rooted
firmly in their water supply.
However, this is where Modesto differs from Bakersfield. Citizens of Modesto decided to
form a cooperative and distribute and control their own water and destiny, rather than to have the
State of California and the federal government control and allot water to them. What partially
enabled Modesto to obtain its publicly subsidized water and power company was the fact that
Modesto and the surrounding area did not have a “land and water war” between ranchers and
crop farmers. Bakersfield did not have that option as they were caught up in a “land and water
war” and therefore went in the opposite direction. It decided to let the state and federal
government construct the dams and hydroelectric plants near it and pay for the electricity and
water they needed. During the power rationing that the state was forced to undertake that
affected nearly all of California, Modesto went largely untouched. Modesto was able to sustain
itself and make good on contracts that it had with other firms. Due to MID‟s excellent planning
and foresight, Modesto is well prepared for such electrical shortages and is still able to provide
low electrical rates to its customers. Water is an entirely different matter however.
Both Modesto and Bakersfield continue to grow and increasingly rely on the central
valley aquifer. Modesto is encouraging the growth around it because it is providing more jobs
16
and increasing the number of business firms within it. However, this growth comes not only at
the cost of transportation, but also at the cost of water. Water is the mainstay of the principle
economies of the region. Bakersfield is the opposite; its growth has been laid out relatively well
and has not experienced an increase in the number of commuters. Unfortunately for Bakersfield,
some Los Angeles commuters have discovered that the land prices and cheaper cost of living.
This in turn has the possibility of increasing the demand for housing and services, which could
affect Bakersfield the way that has affected Modesto.
The low cost of land, the relatively cheap power, and the number of services provided by
Bakersfield have increasingly attracted commuters to the Los Angeles agglomeration. In short, it
is at risk of becoming a leapfrog community for Los Angeles, and at risk of entering the path of
development that Modesto has already embarked upon. Fortunately for Bakersfield, the oil
industry and military have provided many jobs within the city and have attracted people to live
there and the Los Angeles commuters have only recently begun to afflict the city.
Both cities have clearly grown, and it is apparent from population data that the two cities
and their regions have relatively paralleled each other in their development, especially in their
populations; both tend to follow the same pattern of development (See Figure 3). This implies
that Modesto and Bakersfield, although separated, belong to relatively the same development
pattern due in part to their close proximities to two major urban areas. Therefore, it is important
to take note of the events and the way that each city is expanding. If something does or does not
end up working for one of the cities, it would be prudent for the sister city to take head and
initiate a correct response. It is obvious, however, that both cities will be around for the
foreseeable future and will continue to innovate and proceed as they have in the past.
17
References
Bailey, Richard C. Heart of the Golden Empire: An Illustrated History of Bakersfield. Woodland
Hills, CA: Windsor Publications, Inc., 1984.
Barnes, Dwight H. The Greening of Paradise Valley. Modesto, CA: Modesto Irrigation District,
1987.
Buki, Charles. The Great Valley at 2,000 Feet. Modesto, CA: The Great Valley Center, 2001.
Burmeister, Eugene. City Along the Kern. Bakersfield, CA: Kern Publishing House, 1969.
Center, Texas A&M Real Estate. "Bakersfield, Ca Population by Decades". 2004. HTML File.
(November 1, 2004). November 1, 2004.
.
---. "Modesto, Ca Population by Decades". 2004. HTML File. (November 1, 2004). November
1, 2004. .
Division, State of California Employment Development Department Labor Market Information.
"Projections of Employment by Industry and Occupation 1989-1996: Bakersfield." Ed.
Employment Development: State of California, 1992.
---. "Projections of Employment by Industry and Occupation 1989-1996: Modesto." Ed.
Employment Development: State of California, 1992.
Modesto, City of. "Modesto Historical Information". Modesto, 2004. (November 1, 2004).
.
Osborn, Billy J. Modesto: An Informal History. New York, NY: iUniverse, Inc., 2003.
18
Figures, Images, and Tables
Figure 1 – Location of Modesto and Bakersfield
Source: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/us_2001/california_ref_2001.jpg (Accessed 11/2004). Note:
Modesto and Bakersfield Names have Been Enlarged and colored red by author.
19
Figure 2
Modesto, CA MSA Population by Decade
500,000
400,000
Population
300,000
200,000
100,000
-
1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
Year
Figure 3
Modesto vs Bakersfield MSA Population
700,000
600,000
Population
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
-
1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
Year
Bakersfield Population Modesto Population
20
Image 1 – Paradise and Tuolumne City (Map 1896)
Source: http://www.davidrumsey.com/maps6084.html (Accessed 11/2004). Note: Image is a selection made by
author.
21
Image 2 – Downtown Modesto 1873
Source: http://www.modestogov.com/localInfo/cityHistory/hist-01.asp (Accessed 11/2004)
Image 3 – Remains of Downtown Bakersfield After 1889 Fire
Source: (Burmeister, 1969, p.28)
22
Image 4 - Towns Connected by SF&SJV Ry. and SP Ry. (Map 1895)
Source: http://fermi.jhuapl.edu/states/1895/ca_1895.jpg (Accessed 11/2004)
23
Table 1
Modesto, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area Population by Decade
Population Annual
Date Population Change % Change
1900 9,550 - -
1910 22,522 12,972 9.0
1920 43,557 21,035 6.8
1930 56,641 13,084 2.7
1940 74,866 18,225 2.8
1950 127,231 52,365 5.4
1960 157,294 30,063 2.1
1970 194,506 37,212 2.1
1980 265,900 71,394 3.2
1990 370,522 104,622 3.4
2000 446,997 76,475 1.9
Source: http://recenter.tamu.edu/data/popmd/pm5170.htm
184,956 =Population change 1900-1970
119,640 =Population difference 1940-1970
252,491 =Population difference 1970-2000
Table 2
Bakersfield, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area Population by Decades
Population Annual
Date Population Change % Change
1900 16,480 - -
1910 37,715 21,235 8.6
1920 54,843 17,128 3.8
1930 82,570 27,727 4.2
1940 135,124 52,554 5
1950 228,309 93,185 5.4
1960 291,984 63,675 2.5
1970 329,162 37,178 1.2
1980 403,089 73,927 2
1990 543,477 140,388 3
2000 661,645 118,168 2
Source: http://recenter.tamu.edu/data/popmd/pm0680.htm
312,682 =Population change 1900-1970
194,038 =Population difference 1940-1970
332,483 =Population difference 1970-2000
24