Southern Hotel Historical Marker (1889-1947)

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.