Historical Marker · No. 100
Havilah
Havilah, Kern County · California
Erected by Bakersfield Parlor No 42 N.S.G.W., El Tejon Parlor No 239 N.D.G.W., the Kern County Historical Society, and the Kern County Chamber of Commerce, 1938
Havilah lost the county seat and then lost the courthouse twice over. Asbury Harpending named the camp in 1864 for the biblical land where there is gold, and by the end of 1865 it held nearly a thousand people and 147 business buildings. It was Kern County's first seat from 1866. When the government went to Bakersfield the courthouse was pulled down and its lumber sold to P.T. Colby, who rebuilt it there as a house. The 1966 replica that stood beside this plaque burned in the Borel Fire in July 2024.
What the plaque says
California Historical Landmark Havilah Gold deposits at Havilah were discovered in 1864. After Kern County was organized in 1866, Havilah was the county seat until 1872, when the government was moved to Bakersfield. Havilah was an active mining center for more than twenty years. There are still some active mines in this vicinity. Dedicated June 12, 1938 Bakersfield Parlor No 42 N.S.G.W. El Tejon Parlor No 239 N.D.G.W. Kern County Historical Society Kern County Chamber of Commerce Department of Natural Resources Reg. No 100 State of California
Where it stands
35.51820, -118.51630 · Directions
More markers nearby
- Keyesville — 7.5 mi
- Campsite of Edward M. Kern — 9.6 mi
- Kernville — 15 mi
- Caliente — 17 mi