Reward is an unincorporated community

Unincorporated area

In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...

 in Kern County

Kern County, California

Spreading across the southern end of the California Central Valley, Kern County is the fifth-largest county by population in California. Its economy is heavily linked to agriculture and to petroleum extraction, and there is a strong aviation and space presence. Politically, it has generally...

, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. It is located 3.5 miles (5.6 km) west-northwest of McKittrick

McKittrick, California

McKittrick is a census-designated place in Kern County, California, United States. McKittrick is located northwest of Taft, at an elevation of 1056 feet . The population was 115 at the 2010 census, down from 160 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...

, at an elevation of 1276 feet (389 m). Reward is located in the McKittrick Oil Field

McKittrick Oil Field

The McKittrick Oil Field is a large oil and gas field in western Kern County, California. The town of McKittrick overlies the northeastern portion of the oil field...

.

History

Reward was originally the location of the Aguaje de Santa Maria (Waterhole of Saint Mary) on El Camino Viejo

El Camino Viejo

El Camino Viejo à Los Angeles , also known as the Old Los Angeles Trail, established in 1820's, was the oldest north-south trail in the interior of Alta California...

.

The first wooden derrick

Derrick

A derrick is a lifting device composed of one tower, or guyed mast such as a pole which is hinged freely at the bottom. It is controlled by lines powered by some means such as man-hauling or motors, so that the pole can move in all four directions. A line runs up it and over its top with a hook on...

 in Kern County was constructed at the later site of Reward in 1878 to drill for flux oil to mix with asphalt that was being mined in Asphalto

Asphalto, California

Asphalto is a former settlement in Kern County, California. It was located on the railroad northeast of McKittrick, at an elevation of 932 feet . Asphalto still appeared on maps as of 1932.-History:...

 and refined in McKittrick

McKittrick, California

McKittrick is a census-designated place in Kern County, California, United States. McKittrick is located northwest of Taft, at an elevation of 1056 feet . The population was 115 at the 2010 census, down from 160 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...

. The settlement was founded in 1907, with a post office operating there from 1909 to 1937.