It’s a treasured spot for recreation in the south Valley, and is one of Kern County’s oldest public parks. The story of Hart Memorial Park, today on KVPR’s Central Valley Roots.
Hart Park is located near where the Kern River emerges from its canyon into the valley floor, northeast of Bakersfield. The park dates back to the early 1920s, when Kern County purchased the land for around $20,000. It opened as Kern River Park in 1928.
Within a few years, county supervisor John Hart led the effort to develop and improve the 300+ acre site with new amenities. They included, a swimming pool, a water wheel, a stone gazebo, ball fields, bridges, a lake, a golf course and more. In 1947 the park was renamed Hart Memorial Park in honor of the late supervisor.
Then 1949, the State of California bought 700 acres between the golf course and the park, and assumed title to the existing county-owned land, making it the new Kern River State Park. But despite the name and ownership, Kern County continued to run the park under a 50-year lease. New additions like Lake Ming came in 1959, a venue for boat racing.
In 1961, Belgian immigrant Jean-Pierre Hallet proposed turning an undeveloped portion of the park into a safari-themed attraction that he called "Congoland USA." It would have been stocked with exotic animals from Africa, and Hallet’s private collection of African art and artifacts. Supervisors balked at the idea and the proposal died.
Then in 1975 the state returned control of the land to the county. In 1983, the 14-acre California Living Museum opened as a zoo dedicated to California native animals and plants.
