Discover Taft: Local History, Fort, and Rails to Trails

For a stay in Taft, local history and the oil industry offer two distinct themes to explore. There is also a historic fort, a walking and cycling trail, and a monument in the town center. If you’re looking for a hotel in Taft, you can start by considering whether you’re more interested in the town’s history, a building, or a trail.

Local History and the Oil Industry

Near Highway 33 and Wood Street, the West Kern Oil Museum documents Taft’s history and the oil industry. These two themes can be considered separately: local history and industrial history. If you’re planning your stay around a particular theme, you can decide whether you want to focus more on the town’s history or the oil industry.

Taft Historic Fort: Inspiration and Construction Dates

Taft Historic Fort adds a specific building to this historical focus. It was modeled on Sutter’s Fort in Sacramento, built in 1840; Taft Historic Fort, by contrast, was built between 1938 and 1940. This distinction matters for understanding the dates: 1840 refers to the model, not the construction date of the fort in Taft. The fort was built as part of a WPA project during the Great Depression. 83 workers made the adobe bricks for its 14-foot-high walls by hand. To understand the fort’s history, the architectural model in Sacramento and the later WPA building project in Taft are therefore two distinct points of reference.

Taft Historic Fort also serves as a venue for weddings, fundraisers, civic events, and other occasions. If your trip is tied to such an occasion, event planning matters as well as the building’s history; check the date relevant to you.

Rails to Trails and the Taft Oilworker Monument

Rails to Trails in Taft is a 1.1-mile walking and cycling trail. The trail type and length provide two different planning details: you can consider it as a walking or cycling route while also taking its distance into account. The Taft Oilworker Monument is at the corner of South 6th Street and Supply Row, near Rails to Trails in downtown Taft. These offer two distinct ways to orient yourself: a route with a stated length and a monument at a precisely specified street location.

These places address different planning questions: the museum brings together local history and the oil industry, while the fort can be understood through its model and construction dates. For Rails to Trails, the trail type and length are specified; for the Taft Oilworker Monument, the exact street location matters. You can choose the focus of your stay based on a theme, building history, route, or landmark.

Regional Context Within the Broader Kern Destination

Within the broader Kern destination, Taft lies east of Carrizo Plain National Monument. Information about the monument is available at the Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center at 400 Kern Street. This regional context adds a separate point of reference for planning your trip to the local Taft attractions.

Discover more destinations: Buttonwillow, Rosamond, Boron, Bakersfield, Ridgecrest, Shafter, Wofford Heights, California City

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