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Overview

The Kern County Children's Shelter, a public orphanage, operated for about 40 years, beginning in 1909. It was founded by the publicly-spirited Ellen Baker Tracy, the widow of two pioneering Anglo-American ranchers and the founder of Bakersfield's first school.

Building History

In order to create a much-needed social safety net for children and the sick, charities began to grow throughout the US during the 19th century. During this time period, those dealing with children's health and weffare (particularly orphanages) were often run by upper-class women who had the means and personal freedom to work outside the home to perform public service. By the late-19th and early-20th centuries, these women-run organizations began to emulate corporate models, utilizing their hierarchical and departmentalized structures and standardized procedures for operations and staffing.

Ellen Alverson Baker Tracy, (born 12/21/1837 in Ann Arbor, MI-d. 09/06/1924 in Bakersfield, CA), the third wife of the Bakersfield's founder, Colonel Thomas Baker (1810-1862), founded this Bakersfield orphanage and donated two acres of land on which it was built on 12/03/1908. (After Thomas Baker's death, Ellen married Ferdinand Tracy, [born 1829-d. 01/11/1908], the founder of Tracy, CA, in 1875. She dedicated the Children's Shelter to Tracy's memory.) Two days later, on 12/05/1908, Bakersfield residents held their first Children’s Shelter Tag Day, raising $6,000 for construction. The orphanage was dedicated on 11/12/1909. (See Wallace M. Morgan, History of Kern County, [Los Angeles: Historic Record Company], pp. 170, 172.)

After World War II, the orphanage was sold. Susie Antogiovanni and her family owned the building in the 1950s, and operated a series of restaurants, Susie’s Cafe, Flor d’ Italia, and Il Travatore Italian Restaurant, in it. (See Gabriel Ramirez, Bakersfield.com, “Inside Story: Sinaloa Mexican Restaurant,” published 09/29/2012, accessed 08/03/2020.)

Antogiovanni leased the space to two pioneering Mexican-American restaurateurs in Bakersfield, Mike and Annie Muñoz beginning in 1957. Since 1948, the Muñoz Family had operated a restaurant in the city, the first location at 620 East 19th Street, called "Sinaloa Spanish Food." They renamed their restaurant "Sinaloa Mexican Restaurant" during the early 1960s, and bought the former Children's Shelter from the Antogiovannis in 1962.

The 70-year-old Sinaloa Mexican Restaurant closed permanently in 01/2019.

Building Notes

While it was the Sinaloa Mexican Restaurant, the second floor served as a lounge, and was used for dancing.

PCAD id: 23528