Native Americans had long lived in the San Joaquin Valley when white settlement began in 1851, following the discovery of gold in the bed of the Kern River. The community was formally laid out in 1869 by Colonel Thomas Baker, and named for the alfalfa field he owned and let travelers use to feed their horses. Bakersfield continued to grow with the coming of the railroad in 1874 and the development of the Kern River irrigation system, which greatly increased the production of grain, alfalfa, and livestock. The city incorporated in 1898, and oil was discovered in the area the following year. The growing petroleum industry and increased manufacturing resulted in continued expansion.

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