It was a grand hotel from the roaring 20s, one of the finest between LA and San Francisco. But like so many landmarks of the past, it met the wrecking ball. The rise and fall of Bakersfield’s El Tejon Hotel, today on KVPR’s Central Valley Roots.
The year was 1926. The economy was booming. The automobile and new highways like the Grapevine made travel more accessible, but travelers need a place to stay. Enter the El Tejon Hotel. Five stories tall, with 175 rooms, it was a Spanish Colonial Revival landmark smack in the middle of downtown Bakersfield.
Occupying a lot bounded by 17th Street, Truxtun, Chester Avenue and K Street it boasted opulent features for the time, like air conditioning. Venues like the Oil Zone and Penthouse Bar were popular area watering holes for locals and weary travelers alike…