Events

Cal State Bakersfield and the Public History Institute at CSUB

present

Oildale and Beyond:
Interpreting the Region Through Words, Images, and Music

A conference at CSU Bakersfield

in conjunction with the Oildale Centennial

Saturday, November 7, 2009, 8:00am to 5:00pm

PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED:  http://www.csub.edu/history/

The History Department and the Walter Stiern Library at California State University, Bakersfield, announce a conference on the history of Oildale, California, and the larger region (Bakersfield, Kern County, the Southern San Joaquin Valley).

2009 marks the centennial of this unincorporated area of metropolitan Bakersfield, a distinct working-class community that emerged rapidly after a major oil discovery in the area in 1899 and which has left a legacy in business, literature, and song.

Photo, book, and document exhibits will complement presentations exploring numerous aspects of the history of Oildale and the larger region, including

• the Bakersfield Sound
• the impact of national events on the region
• the experiences and contributions of ethnic groups in Kern County
• the roles of oil and water

Also featured are two Oildale native sons:  Merle Haggard and Gerald Haslam