Committed to the Community,
Continuing the Legacy

From the beginning, Kern County and Tejon Ranch have enjoyed a close relationship and shared a common history. Being a good neighbor and contributing to the community are part of the legacy that started with the Gen. Edward Fitzgerald Beale family, founders of the Ranch as we know it today.

Among the more visible legacies that exist today are Beale Library, the first public library in Kern County, and Truxtun Avenue in Bakersfield, named after the General’s only son.

The original Beale Memorial Library was dedicated in 1900 as a gift from Mrs. Mary E. Beale and her son Truxtun in memory of their late husband and father. The library survived until 1952, when an earthquake destroyed it. The present Beale Library opened in 1988.

In 1904, Truxtun Beale presented the Beale Clock Tower as a gift to Bakersfield in memory of his mother. The 64-foot tower stood at the intersection of Chester and 17 th Street until the 1952 earthquake toppled it too. The Tower later was moved to its current location at the Kern County Museum in Bakersfield.

In 1939, Tejon Ranch donated the site where Fort Tejon stood to the State of California. The Fort Tejon State Historical Park was established, and remains a site of great historical interest to tourists, historians and local school children.

 

Carrying on the Proud Traditions

Today, the Ranch continues to uphold the proud traditions started by the early leaders of the Ranch with a commitment to wide-ranging programs that preserve its legacy as well as provide for future generations.

In recent years, the Ranch has been recognized for significant contributions in several areas. Tejon Ranch Plaza at Cal State Bakersfield acknowledges the contribution to the expansion of the School of Business and Public Administration and related business and leadership facilities.

At the Bakersfield Museum of Art, the Tejon Ranch Sculpture Garden recognizes the ranch’s support of the recent expansion of the Museum. The garden provides a setting for the museum’s permanent collection as well as rotating exhibits of visiting artists and work from student artists at Cal State Bakersfield and Bakersfield Community College.

Mountain Memories, a non-profit organization, plays an important role in identifying and helping meet the social, health and educational needs in the Mountain Communities. Tejon Ranch supports the group both with financial contributions and donations of time from employees. Its signature event is Mountain Fiesta Days, which raises funds for the unique needs of the community. Examples are providing scholarships for deserving students and eyeglasses for needy children.

The Ranch also made a matching commitment of $100,000 to Shelter on the Hill: a Humane Society in the Mountain Communities, because it will have broad community benefits and help with public safety issues. The Shelter recently reached the matching amount.

One of the Ranch’s most rewarding, longstanding partnerships is with El Tejon Unified School District, which pays only $1 a year to lease Tejon Fields from the Ranch. Hundreds of local kids have played organized sports from soccer to Little League on these fields over the years. The school district owns the buildings at the Fields, but the Ranch contributes annually toward the maintenance of all these facilities. The Ranch also provides scholarships and support for students in ranching, agriculture, athletics, and most recently robotics at Frazier Mountain High School

The Ranch’s commitment to supporting education and children’s activities is a fundamental part of its mission to provide for California’s future.

Whether through large or small contributions, the Ranch has touched the lives of many of its neighbors through its support of hundreds of local organizations and causes. Ranch employees also give generously of their time, volunteering to serve on boards of non-profit organizations, raising money for those in need, and helping with community events.