Edison (formerly, Wade) is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in the Tehachapi mountains of

Kern County Kern County is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 909,235. Its county seat is Bakersfield. Kern County comprises the Bakersfield, California, Metropolitan statistical area. The county sp ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. It is located east-southeast of downtown

Bakersfield Bakersfield is a city in Kern County, California, United States. It is the county seat and largest city of Kern County. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Valley region. Bakersfield's populat ...

, at an elevation of . In 1902, the

Edison Electric Company General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable ener ...

built a substation on the site. The

Southern Pacific Railroad The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials- SP) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the ...

arrived at Wade in 1903, and changed the name to Edison. In 1928 oil was found nearby, and the Edison Oil Field gradually developed, peaking in the 1950s. The community is within the administrative boundaries of the oilfield, and active wells surround the town.Kasline, Fred A. ''Edison Oil Field: California Division of Oil and Gas, Summary of Operations''. 1940. Vol. 26 p 12-18White, J. Lloyd. ''Edison Oil Field: California Division of Oil and Gas, Summary of Operations''. 1955. Vol. 41 No. 2, p 5-9 The Edison post office opened in 1903, closed in 1929, and re-opened in 1946. File:Aerial - Edison, CA 01.jpg, Aerial view of Edison from the east-northeast File:Edison, Kern County, California. The town of Edison, a potato town in a nearly developing large-scal . . . - NARA - 521781.jpg, Potato farm in Edison, 1940

References

Unincorporated communities in Kern County, California Populated places established in 1902 Unincorporated communities in California {{KernCountyCA-geo-stub