Editing Kernville, California (section)

==History==
The [[Kern River]] was named after artist and topographer [[Edward Kern]], who accompanied [[John C. Fremont]] on his 1845 expedition. They camped at what was a fork of two rivers, now the middle of [[Lake Isabella]]. An 1858 gold rush led to the formation of a town briefly called Rogersville, then Williamsburg, which was in 1863 renamed [[Kernville (former town), California|Whiskey Flat]] after a bar opened.<ref>Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Quill Driver Books. p. 1055-1056. {{ISBN|9781884995149}}.</ref> In 1864, the town was renamed [[Kernville (former town), California|Kernville]].

After decades of planning, the [[Isabella Dam]] project began in 1948. As a result, Kernville was relocated upstream to its present location at the tip of the northeast fork of the man-made lake, along with certain historic buildings. Downtown visibly retains Kernville's [[gold rush]] and Old West roots, attracting tourists along with the area's natural scenery and outdoor activities. The town's original location is slightly east of [[Wofford Heights, California|Wofford Heights]]. Foundations and other remnants can still be seen when the lake is low. The famous Mountain Inn, built mainly to house movie stars and crew before the 1948 move, is now (partially) at the new Kernville, renamed the River View Lodge.<ref>http://www.riverviewlodge.net/history/ River View Lodge's official website</ref>

Whiskey Flat Days is the annual celebration of the area's Wild West roots. A parade, historical re-enactments, pioneer-style camps, a carnival, street vendors and rodeo are just part of the festivities put on every President's Day weekend and attended by thousands of visitors.

Even with its annual summer influx of tourists, Kernville remains one of the most quaint, conservative relics of early California. Many local families trace their lineage to original 19th century homesteaders. The post office, established at the original site in 1868, was moved to the new site in 1951.<ref name=CGN />

The original townsite is now registered as [[California Historical Landmark]] #132.<ref name=CHL>{{cite ohp|132|Kernville|2012-10-07}}</ref>