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Fort Babies

The Fort Babies are a special group of individuals born at The Fort from 1940 until 1952, when it housed a branch of Kern General Hospital. The Fort Preservation Society is attempting to update files and locate as many Fort Babies as possible to recognize their part in the history of this beautiful landmark.

THE FORT PRESERVATION SOCIETY TO CELEBRATE THE FORT’S 70TH BIRTHDAY AND FORT BABY REUNION

The Fort Preservation Society will celebrate its 70th Birthday and Fort Baby Reunion on Thursday, May 20, 2010.

The entire community is invited to attend the festivities and celebrate the history of The Fort. Along with the birthday and reunion honoring the babies born at The Fort, there will be a dinner prepared by board members. There will be no charge for the festivities of the birthday and reunion; however, there will be a charge for the dinner. Birthday cake will be available to all in attendance.

The Federal Works Administration - Work Projects Administration and the County of Kern began construction using 38 men under the direction of county work relief architect W. Francis Parsons and director of work relief department H.R. Hubbard. The property was purchased from Standard Oil Company and work began on November 18, 1938. At completion, the Grand Officers of the Native Sons of the Golden West dedicated The Fort on May 22, 1940.

During the Depression years of the late 1930’s this project represented one of the largest WPA projects executed in the southern San Joaquin Valley. The Fort has created its historical significance to all residents of the area and is a tribute to the creative ability of the WPA design and construction during the Depression years of the late 1930’s.

The Fort created many new job opportunities during a period of difficult economic times in the late 1930’s. The construction of The Fort during the Depression years played an important role in stabilizing the economic recovery of the Taft area and gave employment opportunities to many workers who would otherwise have been on relief programs.

The Fort, a replica of the 1844 Sutter’s Fort in Sacramento, California, is an exceptional property and a living monument to the dedication of the WPA program that provided badly needed facilities and job opportunities during the latter part of the Great Depression.

The Fort, a massive adobe brick structure, stands majestically on North 10th Street, just Northwest of the center of the city of Taft, California. The Fort covers nearly three acres of land and measures 360 by 200 feet with great walls measuring 14 feet high. It approximates the form and plan of John Sutter’s original fort in Sacramento, California, and is slightly larger than the reconstructed fort in Sacramento.

The Fort is an exceptional property and a living monument to the dedication of the WPA program in providing badly needed facilities and job opportunities during the latter part of the Depression years.

The Fort Babies are a special group of individuals born at The Fort from 1940 until 1952, when it housed a branch of Kern General Hospital. The Fort Preservation Society is attempting to update files and locate as many Fort Babies as possible to include them in the reunion and recognize their part in the history of this beautiful historic landmark.

The Fort Preservation Society is seeking additional help from the community with current names and addresses of Fort Babies born at The Fort. Several of those registered with the society need current addresses in order to be invited to the reunion activities. Anyone with information is invited to call the office of The Fort at 765-7371.

The following Fort Babies, living and deceased, are
registered in the society’s listing:

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