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Bakersfield California Walking Tour
Item 3 of 23
This marker notes the location of the historic French Hotel, built in the 1870s when Bakersfield was still a frontier town, and also the historic Southern Hotel which followed it. The French Hotel was lost in the massive fire that destroyed almost the entire city of Bakersfield in 1889. The Southern Hotel was constructed in its place and was a much larger and grander hotel that quickly became a premier destination in the area. After the Southern Hotel closed in 1947, the building was demolished and the current Modern-style office building was constructed. The building features ribbon windows and a streamlined facade with a rounded corner on the exterior. The historical marker appears to the left of the entrance on Chester Avenue.

Southern Hotel

Building, Sky, Motor vehicle, Cloud

Southern Hotel postcard

Building, Font, Poster, Facade

Southern Hotel

Building, Wheel, Window, Vehicle

Southern Hotel

Wheel, Building, Land vehicle, Window

Southern Hotel

Building, Window, Style, Black-and-white

Parade in front of the Southern Hotel, celebrating the arrival of the Santa Fe/San Joaquin Valley Railroad on May 27, 1898. (Postcard)

Building, Sky, Art, Travel

Parade in front of the Southern Hotel, celebrating the arrival of the Santa Fe/San Joaquin Valley Railroad on May 27, 1898. (Photograph)

Wheel, Land vehicle, Vehicle, Building

Brass token issued by Southern Hotel. Worth 25 cents for use in hotel restaurant and bar.

Coin, Nickel, Currency, Money

Brass token issued by Southern Hotel. Worth 25 cents for use in hotel restaurant and bar.

Coin, Money handling, Currency, Money

Southern Hotel

Building, Property, Window, Cloud

Ruins of the hotel destroyed in the 1889 fire

Tree, Motor vehicle, Wood, Adaptation

The French Hotel, which stood on the same spot in the 1870s-1880s

Sky, Building, Tree, Landscape

Cloud, Sky, Building, Street light

The Southern Hotel was established in the previous location of the French Hotel, a modest wooden structure built when Bakersfield was still a frontier town. The Southern Hotel saw its heyday in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Following a huge fire that swept through Bakersfield in 1889, which destroyed the majority of the town in a mere three hours, the Southern Hotel was rebuilt in an ornate Victorian style. Costing $110,000 to construct, the newly built Southern Hotel contained three stories and 84 rooms in total. Each room featured hot and cold running water and gas. It was said to have been built for a city three times the size of Bakersfield.

The grand vision for the Southern Hotel coincided with similar efforts by city leaders to reimagine Bakersfield in the wake of the devastating fire of 1889. The goal was a fully redesigned, state-of-the-art, expanding metropolis. As the city approached the turn of the twentieth century, the Southern Hotel, in particular, was intended to be on a par with the most glamorous hotels in San Francisco. Subsequently, as Bakersfield's economy grew in the coming decades, the Southern Hotel drew visitors from all over California. In addition, the hotel issued special brass metal tokens for 25 cents. The tokens listed the hotel proprietor's name, W.F. Rau. They could be used to purchase items in the hotel shop, restaurant, and bar. These tokens are now considered antique collectible items.

On May 27, 1889, a large parade marched down Chester Avenue directly in front of the Southern Hotel. Patrons gathered to watch from the street, as well as from the upper-story windows of the hotel, some of which were partially shaded by striped awnings. The parade celebrated the arrival of the Santa Fe / San Joaquin Valley Railroad. After Bakersfield became part of this transportation network, both people and goods were able to travel to and from the city via rail transit. The addition of Bakersfield on this important railroad transportation route helped to contribute to the economic boom in the city and in California during the early 20th century.

Blog | Great Bakersfield Fire of 1889, Amp. Accessed March 26th 2021. https://amp.blog.shops-net.com/31756468/1/great-bakersfield-fire-of-1889.html.

Boose, Denise. The Southern Hotel Marker, The Historical Marker Database. Accessed March 26th 2021. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=117146.

CA 1900S BAKERSFIELD CALIFORNIA (KERN CO) "SOUTHERN HOTEL WF RAU" (IN BAR) TOKEN, Worthpoint. Accessed March 26th 2021. https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/ca-1900s-bakersfield-california-kern-1941026127.

Image / [Southern Hotel, Bakersfield], Calisphere. Accessed March 26th 2021. https://calisphere.org/item/dc06bbaf4b72b3604cae5f828ebeea32/.

TIMELINE: 150 years of Kern County history, The Bakersfield Californian. December 1st 2016. Accessed March 26th 2021. https://www.bakersfield.com/special/150-years/timeline-150-years-of-kern-county-history/article_3b1dbe9c-ece6-50d6-8b44-88fb09a8507a.html.

Ruins of the Southern Hotel, Online Archive of California. Accessed March 26th 2021. https://oac.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt5t1nf359/?brand=oac4.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Denise Boose, The Historical Marker Database

Ebay

Calisphere

Calisphere

Calisphere

Ebay

The Bakersfield Californian (Bakersfield.com)

WorthPoint

WorthPoint

Calisphere

Calisphere

Calisphere

Denise Boose, The Historical Marker Database