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The Hag LbNA #71242

Owner:Hello From Bakersfield
Plant date:Apr 29, 2017
Location: Kern County Museum
City:Bakersfield
County:Kern
State:California
Boxes:1
Found by: JoySong
Last found:Mar 8, 2018
Status:FFFFFF
Last edited:Apr 30, 2017
The Hag: Merle Haggard Box Car Letterbox

From Wikipedia:

“Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band the Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the twang of Fender Telecaster and the unique mix with the traditional country steel guitar sound, new vocal harmony styles in which the words are minimal, and a rough edge not heard on the more polished Nashville sound recordings of the same era.
Haggard's childhood was troubled after the death of his father, and he was incarcerated several times in his youth. He managed to turn his life around and launch a successful country music career, gaining popularity with his songs about the working class that occasionally contained themes contrary to the prevailing anti-Vietnam War sentiment of much popular music of the time. Between the 1960s and the 1980s, he had 38 number-one hits on the US country charts, several of which also made the Billboard all-genre singles chart.[1] Haggard continued to release successful albums into the 2000s.
He received many honors and awards for his music, including a Kennedy Center Honor (2010), a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2006), a BMI Icon Award (2006),[2] and induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (1977),[3] Country Music Hall of Fame (1994)[4] and Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame (1997).[5] He died on April 6, 2016 — his 79th birthday — at his ranch in Northern California, having recently suffered from double pneumonia.[6]
Haggard's last recording, a song called "Kern River Blues," described his departure from Bakersfield in the late 1970s and his displeasure with politicians. The song was recorded February 9, 2016, and features his son Ben on guitar. This record was released on May 12, 2016, marking the end of Haggard's music career.”

The Merle Haggard boxcar home he grew up in is now housed at the Kern County Museum.


Our own personal story about Merle:
Bob Price, the unofficial Bakersfield Sound expert in Bakersfield, invited Merle to a CSUB Bakersfield Sound class and he came to speak to our class. It was really wonderful and we hope Bob Price has another Bakersfield Sound class!
To reach this box, park at the Kern County Museum parking lot. On foot, follow the sidewalk south on Chester Ave. When you reach the Jewett Family marker in front of Beale Memorial Clock Tower (surrounded by black metal fence), walk south past marker to the end of the black metal fence.
At the end of the black metal fence, there is a cement wall. At the corner of the cement wall to the east is the Hag Letterbox, partially buried in dirt and covered with 3 pieces of dried cement.
*Warning: Pyracantha bush surrounding area has thorns- be careful!
This is a visible spot, so be discreet in using the box and stamping. Replace and cover with cement pieces.
Please visit this wonderful museum and hopefully you can sample some old time Bakersfield Sound soon!



Hike length: 0.1 miles