Rush Blodget

Little Dramas of Old Bakersfield Rush Blodget

About Little DramasLittle Dramas of Old Bakersfield may seem but a light and whimsical work. It is not. There is a great deal of true sentiment there, much original history, and a trove of keen observation. This may have been Rush Blodget's only published work, but it was not his only writing. He was our family historian and genealogist par excellence, and his interest and output was phenomenal. He collected information and printed exhaustively after doing his own careful research; interviewing and corresponding with ancient pioneers, collecting letters, faded photographs and mementos, and then organizing them all for his descendants. Little Dramas gives amazingly accurate picture of our town in its rough early days. And it isn't the famous names-Father Garces, Col. Baker-who make it so, but the motley cast of local characters he has pulled from his memory. The book clearly describes the connections to the gold mines and oil wells, the political struggles and the many personalities living in the area. Upon reading the serious historians-Dr. Boyd, Richard Bailey, Frank Latta-I began to know the early inhabitants quite well. Rush's Little Dramas let me see Bakersfield in a new light. His insights were fresh and unique, putting life into people who were stiff and formal in official histories. Every reading revealed more layers, and still does. I am sure there will be always those who are interested in Bakersfield's early days and will be pleased as I am to see it reprinted.