Willow Springs, Kern County, California

Unincorporated community in California, United States

34°52′42″N 118°17′48″W / 34.87833°N 118.29667°W / 34.87833; -118.29667CountryUnited StatesStateCaliforniaCountyKern CountyElevation

^[1]

2,523 ft (769 m)

California Historical Landmark

Reference no.130

Willow Springs is a village located around a set of former springs (no longer flowing) in Kern County, California, United States.^[2] It is located off of Rosamond Boulevard,^[3] 7.5 miles (12 km) west of Rosamond,^[4] at an elevation of 2,523 feet (769 m).^[1]

Willow Springs International Motorsports Park is approximately two miles east of the original village of Willow Springs.

An underground grid storage project is planned near the Whirlwind Substation.^[5]

History

Willow Springs were used pre-settlement as a water source for indigenous people.^[3] The springs were visited by Father Garces, John C. Frémont, and 19th migrants on route through the Death Valley.^[3]

Willow Springs was an important stop on Los Angeles–Havilah and Los Angeles–Inyo freight and stagecoach lines.^[4]^[3] Most of the masonry buildings were built around 1900 by Ezra Hamilton,^[4] who had discovered gold in the area.^[3] A post office operated at Willow Springs from 1909 to 1918.^[4] The California state mining bureau reported in 1915 that Willow Springs was then "owned by E. M. Hamilton Estate" and had a total of 23 springs...Water contains sodium chloride, borates, and other salts. Well known summer resort. Accommodations for a number of guests."^[6]

The site is now registered as California Historical Landmark #103.^[7]

References

^ ^a ^b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Willow Springs, Kern County, California
^ Waring 1915, p. 318.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Bailey, Richard C. (1967). Kern County Place Names. Annual Publications of the Kern County Historical Society and Kern County Museum (No. 29). Introduction by Ralph F. Kreiser (1st ed.). Bakersfield, Calif.: Merchants Printing and Lithographing Co. p. 28. LCCN 74018077. OCLC 158106.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Clovis, Calif.: Word Dancer Press. p. 1128. ISBN 1-884995-14-4.
^ "Hydrostor applies for license for 4GWh California compressed air storage project". Energy Storage News. December 2, 2021.
^ "Mines and mineral resources of the counties of Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, by Walter C. [!] Bradley, G. Chester ..." HathiTrust. p. 95. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
^ "Willow Springs". Office of Historic Preservation, California State Parks. Retrieved October 7, 2012.

Reference bibliography

Waring, Gerald Ashley (1915). Springs of California. U.S. Geological Survey Water Supply Paper. Vol. 338. U.S. Government Printing Office. doi:10.3133/wsp338.

Municipalities and communities of Kern County, California, United States

County seat: Bakersfield

Cities