Midoil Road is an approximately 5-mile rural highway which traverses the oilfields of western Kern County. This highway begins at A Street in Taft and extends northwest to Midway Road in Fellows.
Midoil Road was constructed as a frontage of the Sunset Railroad following the discovery of the Midway Gusher in 1909. The roadway is named after Midoil siding which was once located between Taft and Fellows. Midoil Road is designated as Kern County Mountain Road 272.
Part 1; the history of Midoil Road
Midoil Road is named after the former Sunset Railroad siding of Midoil. This rural highway corridor begins at the end of A Street and extends northwest through the Midway-Sunset Oil Field in the Temblor Range foothills to Midway Road in Fellows. Midoil Road is designated as Kern County Mountain Road.
In 1901 Post Office Service would be established at the Sunset Oil Field town site of Maricopa. Between 1901 and 1908 the Sunset Railroad was constructed by the Southern Pacific Railroad mainline southwest from Bakersfield. One spur of the line ended at Maricopa whereas another was constructed from Pentland Junction to Siding #2.
Locals originally requested the Southern Pacific Railroad assign the name "Moro" to Siding #2. Company officials deemed the name to be too similar to the coastal town of Morro Bay and instead designating the siding facility as "Moron." The intention was for the name to take the Spanish meaning of "knoll" or "hillock" but came to be associated with the English meaning for lack of intelligence. Moron was renamed as Taft in 1909 in honor of President William Howard Taft.
In 1909 the Midway Gusher would be discovered northwest of Taft. An extension to the Midway Oil Field was constructed from Taft to service the new oil wells. Sidings were plotted at Midoil, Warren, Fellows and at a terminus in Shale. Midoil Road was constructed as a frontage of rails from Taft to Fellows. The name of Fellows come from a Sunset Railroad contractor by the name of Charles A. Fellows.
Main Street in Fellows (now Midway Road) can be seen as it was circa 1910 (courtesy Kern County History Fans).
Midoil Road appears south of the Sunset Railroad on the 1910 United States Geological Survey map of Buena Vista Lake and 1912 edition from McKittrick. Much of the original infrastructure and buildings in Fellows would burn in a large fire circa 1913.
In 1960 the Maricopa branch of the Sunset Railroad was abandoned. This was followed by the spur between Pentland Junction and Shale (via Taft) in 1976. The tracks along Midoil Road weren't removed until the current century.
Fellows in recent decades has declined to a near ghost town. Most older structures in the community have been demolished. Since 2000 the community has had an approximately 66% population decline and only had 52 residents on the 2020 census.
Part 2; a drive on Midoil Road
Northbound Midoil Road begins at the terminus of A Street near the city limit of Taft.
Midoil Road departs Taft and passes the unmarked site of Midoil siding in oil fields in the Temblor Range foothills.
Midoil Road enters Fellows and terminates at Midway Road.
Midway Road continues north and passes through the largely derelict downtown Fellows. Numerous abandoned sidewalks and abandoned building plots can be found approaching Mocal Road.
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