Reward, Kern County, California


Reward is an unincorporated community in western Kern County, California.

Geography

It is located west-northwest of McKittrick, at an elevation of in the southern Temblor Range. Reward is located in the McKittrick Oil Field.

History

Reward was the location of the Aguaje de Santa Maria water stop on the 19th century El Camino Viejo in Alta California.
The first wooden oil derrick in Kern County was constructed at the future site of Reward in 1878, to drill for flux oil to mix with asphalt that was being mined in Asphalto and refined in McKittrick.
The settlement of Reward was founded in 1907, with a post office operating there from 1909 to 1937.