Baker (California)
Baker | ||
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Highway 127 into Baker |
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Location in California | ||
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Basic data | ||
Foundation : | 1908 | |
State : | United States | |
State : | California | |
County : | San Bernardino County | |
Coordinates : | 35 ° 16 ′ N , 116 ° 4 ′ W | |
Time zone : | Pacific ( UTC − 8 / −7 ) | |
Residents : | 735 (as of 2010) | |
Height : | 283 m | |
Postal code : | 92309 | |
Area code : | +1 760 | |
FIPS : | 06-03512 | |
GNIS ID : | 238894 | |
Website : | www.bakercc.com | |
Aerial view of Baker in the Mojave Desert |
Baker is a settlement ( unincorporated area ) in San Bernardino County in the US state of California . The small town is about 160 kilometers (100 miles) south of Death Valley National Park .
geography
location
Baker is located in the northeastern part of San Bernardino County , the second largest county in the United States by area . The village is located in the middle of the Mojave Desert at the intersection of Interstate 15 and California State Route 127 (Death Valley Road), the southern route to nearby Death Valley National Park . The village is located about halfway between the southern California metropolis of Los Angeles and the gaming city of Las Vegas . South of Baker extends the Mojave National Preserve, a large nature reserve that includes part of the Mojave Desert.
Neighboring communities
The area around Baker is a sparsely populated desert landscape. The closest major town is Barstow , approximately 70 miles (112 km) west on I-15. The largely abandoned settlements of Kelso and Cima are each approximately 45 miles (72 kilometers) southeast in the Mojave National Preserve .
history
In the late 1880s, a certain Francis Marion Smith acquired several mines near Death Valley . Borax was mined in some of the shafts , which was in great demand at the time. In order to be able to transport the recovered material better, it was decided to build a railway line. In 1906 the first rails of the newly established Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad were laid. The tracks ran from Ludlow to Beatty in the neighboring state of Nevada .
During the construction of the railway line in the area of today's village of Baker, a passing point was created which was initially called "Berry Siding". In 1908 it was finally renamed after Richard C. Baker, the railroad company's president and main investor.
In 1913, nearby Death Valley reached the highest temperature ever recorded in the United States, at 56.6 degrees Celsius (134 degrees Fahrenheit ) . Shortly afterwards, the tourist traffic to Death Valley gradually started and the area was increasingly developed by roads. The small settlement of Baker was now growing steadily. Heavy rains damaged the railway line in the late 1930s, which eventually went bankrupt in 1940 and was demolished.
Due to its convenient location to several nature parks, tourism has become an important pillar for the city. Baker is also known as the "Gateway to Death Valley". Since the construction of Interstate 15 in the mid-1960s, the village has also been a popular resting place on the way through the Mojave Desert between southern California and southern Nevada . The city center along Baker Boulevard is characterized by a large number of motels, gas stations and fast food places .
population
According to the 2000 census , the parish had 914 inhabitants, while that number was only 735 after the 2010 census .
Economy and Infrastructure
traffic
Road traffic
Baker is located at the intersection of Interstate 15 and California State Route 127 (Death Valley Road), which is accessible from the south to Death Valley National Park . A few miles to the west begins the famous Zzyzx Road , which can be reached via an exit on I-15. South of the village, Kelbaker Road leads through the Mojave National Preserve to the small desert settlements of Kelso and Cima .
The company Thruway Motorcoach maintains on behalf of Amtrak two bus stops at Baker Boulevard. The route between Bakersfield and Las Vegas is served .
Rail transport
Between 1906 and 1940 there was a connection in Baker to the Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad , which ran from Ludlow to Beatty in Nevada . In what is now the area of Baker there was an alternative point called "Berry Siding", which was renamed "Baker Siding" in 1908 and thus gave the city its current name. The railway line was used exclusively for freight traffic, mainly the mineral resources extracted in the surrounding mines, mainly borax , were transported. With the bankruptcy of the railway company in 1940, the line was finally closed and the tracks completely removed.
Air traffic
Baker Airport is located on the northern edge of the village on California State Route 127 . The small landing area has a 962 meter long paved runway. Baker Airport has an average of 42 flight movements per month.
Attractions
In town
The sights in the center itself are rare. However, the world's tallest thermometer deserves a special mention (“largest thermometer in the world”). It is considered the symbol of the community and can be recognized from a great distance. The approximately 42 meters (134 feet ) high structure was built to commemorate the highest temperature ever recorded in the United States . In nearby Death Valley, a temperature of 57 degrees Celsius (134 degrees Fahrenheit ) was reached in 1913 . In the summer of 1980, Baker measured a temperature of 51.1 degrees Celsius (124 degrees Fahrenheit).
Surroundings
The Baker area is also home to an abundance of impressive natural monuments. The city is a conveniently located starting point for several nature parks, including:
- The Death Valley National Park , about 181 kilometers (113 miles) north of Baker. This is also the lowest point in the United States.
- The Mojave National Preserve spreads south of the village . The nature reserve in the Mojave Desert covers an area of around 6,200 square kilometers, and a visitor center has recently been located in the old train station in Kelso .
- A few miles west of Baker on I-15 is the Zzyzx Road exit . The dirt road leads to an oasis where Curtis Howe Springer built a resort hotel until the late 1960s. Today the Desert Study Center of California State University is located here .
- About 50 kilometers (31 miles) north is the Dumont Dunes , a collection of sand dunes that can be ridden by quad bikes .
Baker in the media
Baker is mentioned in the film Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) by the main character Raoul Duke ( Johnny Depp ) as a stopover on his way from Las Vegas back to Los Angeles. The film itself is based on the book of the same name by Hunter S. Thompson . The science fiction film The Big Empty (2003) is largely set in Baker and was shot on location.
Web links
- Baker Chamber of Commerce - Baker Chamber of Commerce
- A history of Baker - History of Baker (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b A Brief History Baker, California. Baker Chamber of Commerce , archived from the original on July 25, 2013 ; accessed on August 13, 2010 .
- ↑ a b c A Brief History of Baker, California. (PDF; 54 kB) Baker Chamber of Commerce , archived from the original on August 10, 2011 ; accessed on August 13, 2010 .
- ↑ Baker Amtrak Thruway Bus Stop. (No longer available online.) Amtrak , archived from the original on August 21, 2010 ; accessed on August 13, 2010 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Airport Master Record. (PDF; 15 kB) Federal Aviation Administration , archived from the original on October 18, 2012 ; accessed on August 13, 2010 .
- ^ Filming Locations for The Big Empty. Internet Movie Database , accessed August 13, 2010 .