 A
look around many of the towns in Southern California today doesn't reveal
much of what it was like back in its frontier days. Except for a building here and there,
much of the connection with its colorful history has been obliterated with housing
developments and shopping centers.However, in the
eastern portion of Kern County, a glimpse of the Old West and souvenirs of its cowhide and
calico-clad cast of pioneers can still be experienced –
with a small admission price.
Housing the last remnants of our local historical
color are the community museums – often pulled
up out of the dust by concerned residents wanting only to preserve the past and maintained
by a staff of volunteers.
In these small museums –
for most of them are just one or two rooms – the
past nestles in the corners waiting for the imaginations of visitors to give it purpose
again. |
