Near Keene in Kern County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

A Humble Home

— Cesar E. Chavez National Monument —

Photographed by Denise Boose, October 6, 2023

1. A Humble Home Marker

Inscription. This unpretentious building was the home of Cesar Chavez and his wife Helen. When the Chavez family moved here in 1971, the oldest of their eight children had already moved out of the family home but their younger children were raised here. Cesar lived with Helen in this house until he passed away in 1993 and Helen remained here until her death in 2016.

Today, the house is kept exactly how it was when Helen passed away. In the kitchen, a child’s drawing of a fish is held to the refrigerator with a magnet. In the living room, bookcases hold a large collection of framed family photos. The house’s modesty and simplicity depict the values of the Chavez family. What does the way you style your home say about you and your family?

Park Preservation
By caring for structures of historical significance, the National Park Service (NPS) protects and preserves the nation’s cultural heritage. This home helps tell the history of the American farmworkers movement. What other parts of history do you think are important to preserve?

Erected by National Park Service - U.S Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Civil Rights • Hispanic Americans • Labor Unions. A significant historical year for this entry is 1971.

Location.

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

35° 13.542′ N, 118° 33.545′ W. Marker is near Keene, California, in Kern County. It is on Woodford-Tehachapi Road half a mile east of Keene, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 29700 Woodford-Tehachapi Road, Keene CA 93531, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in California’s San Joaquin Valley,

specifically in the Central Valley,

and in the Sierra Nevada.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Helen's Park (here, next to this marker); Cesar E. Chavez National Monument (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Great Flood of 1932 and Engine No. 3834 (approx. 1.8 miles away); The Cross at the Loop (approx. 2.2 miles away); Tehachapi Loop (approx. 2½ miles away); Tehachapi Pass Railroad Line (approx. 2½ miles away); Bear Valley Historic Schoolhouse (approx. 4.9 miles away); Bealville (approx. 5 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Keene.

Photographed by Denise Boose, October 6, 2023

2. A Humble Home Marker

Photographed by Denise Boose, October 6, 2023

3. A Humble Home Marker

Cesar Chavez Home image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Denise Boose, October 6, 2023

4. Cesar Chavez Home

Photographed by Denise Boose, October 6, 2023

5. Cesar Chavez Home

Credits. This page was last revised on May 12, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 7, 2023, by Denise Boose of Tehachapi, California. This page has been viewed 345 times since then and 42 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on October 7, 2023, by Denise Boose of Tehachapi, California. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.