Founded by Gabriel Allen, this town was a place where merchandise was transfered from wagons to pack teams to be carried up trails to the Kern River Gold camps. Later a railroad was installed and in 1875 the first train arrived. Soon some 2000 residents found work here as the railroad work stalled at Caliente. The name came from nearby Agua Caliente Creek. In 1877 the railroad finally finished over Tehachapi Pass and Caliente became just a small peacefull town.