The region was formerly known as the town of Sumner, which was later incorporated and renamed Kern City.

It also contains a small business district (which was the downtown for Kern City) centered on the intersection of Baker and Sumner streets.

Census data is provided on the right for the time period when the region was an independent town and city.

Bakersfield was positioned to be a whistle-stop, but a land dispute developed between the city and the railroad.

The result of the dispute was Southern Pacific building its tracks five miles east of Bakersfield and founding their own town.

In the 1950 U.S. Census, an unincorporated community under the name East Bakersfield was listed with a population of 38,177;[8] and then did not appear in the 1960 U.S.