The gold fields of Kern County gave birth to a number of rough-and-tumble mining towns, some of which still exist today.

The towns of the Kern River gold rush

KVPR's Central Valley Roots explores the history, people and places of Central California. Discover something new about our region, past and present, with each episode. From Fresno and Bakersfield, to Visalia and Merced, the Central Valley is full of rich stories that make the place we call home special. Send us your question about local history or places to roots@kvpr.org and we might answer it in a future episode. Hear the series on the radio weekdays at 5:06 a.m., 9:04 a.m. and 5:32 p.m. or listen to our podcast.

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The towns of the Kern River gold rush

The towns of the Kern River gold rush

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