Castroville, California
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Castroville is an unincorporated town and
census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...
(CDP) in
Monterey County Monterey County ( ), officially the County of Monterey, is a county located on the Pacific coast in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, its population was 439,035. The county's largest city and county seat is ...
,
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, United States. At the time of the 2020 census the population was 7,515, up from 6,481 in 2010. Castroville is known for its
artichoke The artichoke (''Cynara cardunculus'' var. ''scolymus''),Rottenberg, A., and D. Zohary, 1996: "The wild ancestry of the cultivated artichoke." Genet. Res. Crop Evol. 43, 53–58. also known by the other names: French artichoke, globe artichoke, ...
crop and for the annual
Castroville Artichoke Festival The Artichoke Festival (formally known as the Castroville Artichoke Festival) was a food festival held annually from 1959 until 2025 in Monterey, California, Monterey, a town in Monterey County of the U.S. State of California. The city of Castrov ...
, leading to its nickname as the "Artichoke Center of the World". The community's origins lie in Rancho Bolsa Nueva y Moro Cojo, a Mexican-era rancho granted to the Castro family of
Californio Californios (singular Californio) are Californians of Spaniards, Spanish descent, especially those descended from settlers of the 17th through 19th centuries before California was annexed by the United States. California's Spanish language in C ...
rancheros.Ogden Hoffman, 1862, ''Reports of Land Cases Determined in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California'', Numa Hubert, San Francisco Following the American
Conquest of California The Conquest of California, also known as the Conquest of Alta California or the California Campaign, was a military campaign during the Mexican–American War carried out by the United States in Alta California (modern-day California), then part ...
, Juan Bautista Castro founded Castroville in 1863.


History


Rancho Bolsa Nueva y Moro Cojo

Rancho Bolsa Nueva y Moro Cojo was a Mexican land grant given in 1844 by Governor
Manuel Micheltorena Joseph Manuel María Joaquin Micheltorena y Llano (8 June 1804 – 7 September 1853) was a brigadier general and adjutant-general of the Mexican Army, List_of_governors_of_California_before_1850#Mexican_governors_of_California_(1837–47), gover ...
to Maria Antonia Pico de Castro, Juan Bautista Castro's mother. Rancho Bolsa Nueva y Moro Cojo is a combination of three land grants: Rancho Bolsa Nueva y Moro Cojo, given in 1844 by Governor Micheltorena to María Antonia Pico de Castro; Rancho Bolsa del Potrero y Moro Cojo, in 1822 by Governor
Pablo Vicente de Solá Pablo Vicente de Solá (1761–1826) was a Spanish officer and the twelfth and last Spanish colonial governor of Alta California (1815-1822). He was born in Mondragón, Gipuzkoa, Spain. Land grants Solá granted in 1821 the Rancho Rincón de l ...
to Joaquín de la Torre.; and the land between the other two, granted by Governor Juan Alvarado to Simeon Castro (Juan Bautista Castro's father) in 1837. Lake Merritt and the sloughs were popular for fishing and hunting. The area around Castroville was crisscrossed by a network of
sloughs A slough ( or ) is a wetland, usually a swamp or shallow lake, often a Backwater (river), backwater to a larger body of water. Water tends to be Water stagnation, stagnant or may flow slowly on a seasonal basis. In North America, "slough" may re ...
and swamps. In the 1840s, mapmaker Duflot de Mofras wrote, "A few leagues before reaching the
Pajaro River The Pajaro River (''pájaro'' is ''bird'' in Spanish language, Spanish) is a U.S. river in the Central Coast (California), Central Coast region of California, forming part of the border between San Benito County, California, San Benito and Sant ...
, an area measuring a few hundred meters where the ground trembles under the horses feet, although the earth is hard and covered by turf, is encountered. The land is probably formed by a solid crust superimposed on a vast miry base."Monterey County's North Coast and Coastal Valleys, by Margaret Clovis


Castroville from 1850

The town site was divided into blocks, with an alley running through each block. A lottery was established, and 100 lots were given away to any person who would clear land and build homes. In 1870 Manuel R. Merritt, editor of the ''Castroville Argus'', announced, "We will give alternate lots, on any part of the town site we still own… to any person who will build as practicable, a good comfortable dwelling house on his lot." Juan Bautista Castro ran for county supervisor for the district. Castro, Merritt, Geil and others traveled to the oldest settlement of Sotoville in Salinas, where the Indians and Paisanos lived. They packed their belongings. Castro packed the tortilla cast iron pans, personal items and moved the people to Juan Pomber's hotel for ninety days. They were registered and became ready to vote. They were not able to read in English, so the ballots were translated for them. Juan Bautista Castro won the office of supervisor of his district. Juan Pomber became roadmaster of the district. The county supplied money and low-income housing was built on the donated lots. In 1875, Castroville had 900 residents. There were two hotels, five stores, stables, three saloons, a flour mill, two blacksmith shops, a newspaper, a post office, a telegraph office, a drugstore, a tailor shop, a shoemaker, two churches, a school house, a tin shop, and a brewery. The Southern Pacific Railroad began extending its line south from Gilroy. Juan Bautista Castro had ambitions of Castroville becoming the new station freight depot. Castroville's asking price for the land was high. Salinas offered the land for free, and was selected over Castroville. Castroville was still considered an important stop, serving as the "point of juncture of the road from
Monterey Monterey ( ; ) is a city situated on the southern edge of Monterey Bay, on the Central Coast of California. Located in Monterey County, the city occupies a land area of and recorded a population of 30,218 in the 2020 census. The city was fou ...
, and from Soledad to San Francisco." The first roundhouse was built in Castroville.


''Castroville Argus'' newspaper

The ''Castroville Argus'' was established on July 17, 1869. The publishers were Juan Bautista Castro and Joseph R. Merritt. The editors were Manuel R. Merritt (nephew of Juan Bautista Castro) and S.F. Geil. The office was in the Hicks Building (hardware store, later turned into school house, La Scuola) on the corner of Merritt and Poole Streets. It was a weekly paper and a new edition was available every Saturday. Joseph Merritt was born April 19, 1851. He was publisher for the ''Monterey Democrat'' and the ''Castroville Argus''. In 1882, he was editor of the ''San Jose Mercury''. In 1884, he was on the editorial staff of the ''San Jose Daily Herald''. He married Annie Phillips in 1872. He died at the age of 36. Manuel R. Merritt was born June 8, 1855. He was the editor of the ''Castroville Argus'', ''Castroville Gazette'', and the ''Monterey County Herald''. In 1878 he was in the mercantile business, elected supervisor of Monterey County from the First District. Four times he was a delegate to the Democratic State Convention. He served as Secretary and as chairman for the Democratic County Committee. He became Postmaster and Justice of the Peace. Real estate and insurance business. He died at the age of 48 from an accidental gunshot wound.


Chinatown

"In 1860 the Chinese contractors had established a presence here in Castroville. They were instrumental in clearing the slough, wetlands, and marshes especially in the northern section of the Rancho Bolsa Nueva y Moro Cojo. The land was ready to grow crops. In 1878 Manteufel moved the Chinese businesses that were on Merritt Street to the corner of McDougall and Speegle Street. In 1883 a fire destroyed the entire Chinatown. Chinatown was rebuilt and once again filled the sections of McDougall between Sanchez St. and Speegle St." "The new gold rush, applying to agriculture was termed, "Sugar Beet Rush." With additional farms and more people, local businesses were successful. The Monterey County Assessor listed fifteen Chinese companies farming sugar beets in the area of Castroville. The sugar beets farms continued to multiply and grow towards Salinas. The Chinese population in Castroville continue to grow as well. In 1891 Sam Kee and Jim Lee purchased a lot in Castroville. The "Quong Chung Company" purchased another lot. "This was the first time any Chinese had purchased property in the Monterey Bay Area."''Chinese Gold'', by Sandy Lydon pages 310–315 In 1893 Salinas's Chinatown was destroyed. Many Chinese contractors and business owners moved to Castroville. When Watsonville's Chinatown burned down, the contractors also moved to Castroville. The
California Alien Land Law of 1913 The California Alien Land Law of 1913 (also known as the Webb–Haney Act) prohibited "aliens ineligible for citizenship" from owning agricultural land or possessing long-term leases over it, but permitted leases lasting up to three years. It affe ...
was passed. It prohibited aliens ineligible for citizenship from owning agricultural land or possessing long-term leases over it. It affected the Chinese, Indian, Japanese, and Korean immigrant farmers in California. The new law was meant to discourage immigration. It created an inhospitable environment among contractors working here in the Monterey Bay Area. Letters from the editorial section had cartoons of anti-Chinese sentiment. A small group of business owners proposed an economic boycott of all businesses that employed Chinese directly or indirectly. Castroville's farmers/landowners would not be intimidated. They would not be pressured to act un-American. The Chinese contractors made many contributions to the area, especially in the agriculture, railroad, and fishing industry. Without the Chinese contractors the agricultural industry would be in ruin. The Chinese contractors began to leave the Monterey Bay Area. Some moved to San Francisco's Chinatown."


First artichoke

It was the Spanish settlers who brought the
artichoke The artichoke (''Cynara cardunculus'' var. ''scolymus''),Rottenberg, A., and D. Zohary, 1996: "The wild ancestry of the cultivated artichoke." Genet. Res. Crop Evol. 43, 53–58. also known by the other names: French artichoke, globe artichoke, ...
to California. Some artichoke plants were in the gardens of European immigrants. California's first artichoke fields grew south of San Francisco, near the town of
Half Moon Bay Half Moon Bay is a coastal city in San Mateo County, California, San Mateo County, California, United States, approximately south of San Francisco. Its population was 11,795 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Immediately north of Half Mo ...
, in the early 1920s. In 1922, Andrew Molera planted the first artichoke shoots in Castroville. Angelo Del Chiaro, Egidio Maracci, Daniel Pieri, and Amerigo Del Chiaro subsequently leased of land and grew artichokes. In 1923, there were nine artichoke growers. Within four years, there were over 50 growers and of artichokes growing in Castroville and the Monterey Bay area. In 1924 Daniel Pieri, Amerigo Del Chiaro, Angelo Del Chiaro, Alfred Tottino, and James Bellone formed the California Artichoke and Vegetable Growers Corporation. In 1995, they renamed the company "Ocean Mist Farms". '' Giant Artichoke'', a large statue of an artichoke, was erected near a restaurant of the same name in 1963. It is the largest artichoke statue in the world.


First Artichoke Queen

Castroville's first Artichoke Queen was Sally DeSante Hebert (1941–2004) crowned in 1961. She was born in Carmel and grew up in Castroville. She moved to Salinas, graduated from Salinas High School, and Hartnell College. She worked for Monterey County in the Planning Department, and was involved in the Junior League, Buena Vista Garden Club, American Cancer Society, and other civic-minded organizations.


Marilyn Monroe, Honorary Artichoke Queen

Stanley Seedman, owner of Carlyle's Jewelers in Salinas, California, made arrangements for a model named Doreen Nash to model for a big promotional sale in Salinas in February 1948. Doreen Nash was not able to attend; her replacement was
Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe ( ; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 August 4, 1962) was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "Blonde stereotype#Blonde bombshell, blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex ...
. Monroe spent a week in the Monterey Bay area, visiting and promoting her career. She replaced Doreen Nash at Carlyle's Jewelry and signed autographs. Monroe was asked to draw the lucky ticket for a $250 diamond ring in the Vogue Theater. During her stay, Marilyn Monroe visited several men's civic clubs including the Kiwanis Club. During the Kiwanis Club meeting, representatives from CalChoke (the California Artichoke Association) presented her with a sash as "California Artichoke Queen". She posed with Edward Modena, Randy Barsotti, and Enrico Bellone, each holding artichokes. The photographs of Marilyn wearing the sash and holding artichokes were used in advertisements and passed throughout the produce industry.


Local government

The Castroville
Water District A water district is a Special-purpose district, special district given the task of supplying water and sewer needs to a community. This term is commonly used in the United States. See also * Irrigation district * Drinking water supply and sanit ...
was founded in 1952 to replace private wells. The Castroville Community Service Area (providing storm sewer, sanitation sewers, street maintenance and recreational services) was created in 1962. The two entities merged in 2008. At the time of the merger, the Castroville CSA included North Monterey County High School and Moro Cojo, a subdivision in Prunedale which receives separate water service.


Geography

Castroville is located in northern Monterey County at coordinates 36°45′57″N 121°45′29″W. It is northwest of Salinas, the Monterey
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
; northeast of Monterey; and southeast of Santa Cruz. Prunedale, along
U.S. Route 101 U.S. Route 101, or U.S. Highway 101 (US 101), is a major north–south highway that traverses the states of California, Oregon, and Washington on the West Coast of the United States. It is part of the United States Numbered Highway Syst ...
, is to the east. Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, established in 1983, is north of Castroville, while Moro Cojo Slough State Marine Reserve, established in 2007 is directly south of Elkhorn Slough, about north of Castroville. Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1974, is southwest of Castroville, where the Salinas River empties into
Monterey Bay Monterey Bay is a bay of the Pacific Ocean located on the coast of the U.S. state of California, south of the San Francisco Bay Area. San Francisco itself is further north along the coast, by about 75 miles (120 km), accessible via California S ...
. According to the
U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...
, the Castroville CDP has an area of , all of it land. Tembladero Slough forms the southwest edge of the community.


Climate

Based on
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
, Castroville has a cool-summer
Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...
(Csb) and several
microclimates A microclimate (or micro-climate) is a local set of atmospheric conditions that differ from those in the surrounding areas, often slightly but sometimes substantially. The term may refer to areas as small as a few square meters or smaller (for ...
, resulting in mild
winter Winter is the coldest and darkest season of the year in temperate and polar climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Dif ...
s and cool
summer Summer or summertime is the hottest and brightest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, daylight hours are the longest and darkness hours are the shortest, with day ...
s. The warmest month is September with an average high of 63.1 F and an average low of 56.0 F. The coolest month is January with an average high of 58.6 F and an average low of 42.6 F. There is no official wet season or dry season.
Precipitation In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls from clouds due to gravitational pull. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, rain and snow mixed ("sleet" in Commonwe ...
is dispersed throughout the year with most of it coming from various types of
fog Fog is a visible aerosol consisting of tiny water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. Reprint from Fog can be considered a type of low-lying cloud usually resembling stratus and is heavily influenc ...
. One variation of is
San Francisco fog Fog is a common weather phenomenon in the San Francisco Bay Area and the entire coastline of California extending south to the northwest coast of the Baja California Peninsula. The frequency of fog and low-lying stratus clouds is due to a co ...
(also known as advection fog) which mainly occurs along the Central Coast, from San Francisco to Santa Barbara.


Demographics


2020

The 2020 United States census reported that Castroville had a population of 7,515. The population density was . The racial makeup of Castroville was 17.9%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.7%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 3.8% Native American, 2.3% Asian, 0.1%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 57.6% from other races, and 17.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 91.4% of the population. The census reported that 99.6% of the population lived in households, 0.4% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized. There were 1,681 households, out of which 60.1% included children under the age of 18, 55.6% were married-couple households, 10.2% were
cohabiting Cohabitation is an arrangement where people who are not legally married live together as a couple. They are often involved in a romantic or sexually intimate relationship on a long-term or permanent basis. Such arrangements have become incr ...
couple households, 22.4% had a female householder with no partner present, and 11.7% had a male householder with no partner present. 8.9% of households were one person, and 2.6% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 4.45. There were 1,459
families Family (from ) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictability, structure, and safety as ...
(86.8% of all households). The age distribution was 33.7% under the age of 18, 11.2% aged 18 to 24, 28.5% aged 25 to 44, 18.7% aged 45 to 64, and 7.9% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 28.2years. For every 100 females, there were 100.9 males. There were 1,732 housing units at an average density of , of which 1,681 (97.1%) were occupied. Of these, 38.6% were owner-occupied, and 61.4% were occupied by renters. In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $90,486, and the
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
was $20,260. About 13.4% of families and 14.6% of the population were below the poverty line.


2010

The 2010 United States Census reported that Castroville had a population of 6,481. The population density was . The racial makeup of Castroville was 5,841
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race (90.1%), 2,807 (43.3%)
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 96 (1.5%)
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 96 (1.5%) Native American, 169 (2.6%) Asian, 9 (0.1%)
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 2,955 (45.6%) from other races, and 349 (5.4%) from two or more races. The Census reported that 6,467 people (99.8% of the population) lived in households, 14 (0.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized. There were 1,470 households, out of which 931 (63.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 866 (58.9%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 273 (18.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 161 (11.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 140 (9.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 11 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 124 households (8.4%) were made up of individuals, and 39 (2.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.40. There were 1,300
families Family (from ) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictability, structure, and safety as ...
(88.4% of all households); the average family size was 4.44. The population was spread out, with 2,169 people (33.5%) under the age of 18, 888 people (13.7%) aged 18 to 24, 1,876 people (28.9%) aged 25 to 44, 1,132 people (17.5%) aged 45 to 64, and 416 people (6.4%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.2 males. There were 1,539 housing units at an average density of , of which 601 (40.9%) were owner-occupied, and 869 (59.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.4%; the rental vacancy rate was 2.0%. 2,626 people (40.5% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 3,841 people (59.3%) lived in rental housing units.


Transportation


Highway access

California Highways 1,
156 Year 156 ( CLVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Silvanus and Augurinus (or, less frequently, year 909 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 156 for thi ...
, and
183 Year 183 ( CLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known in Rome as the Year of the Consulship of Aurelius and Victorinus (or, less frequently, year 936 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination ...
intersect in Castroville. Highway 156 connects to the 101. Highway 1 provides access from Monterey and Santa Cruz. Highway 183 connects Castroville to Salinas. Merritt Street serves as Castroville's main street. Most of Castroville's commerce is located in the industrial park on Blackie Road. Many public roads, low-income housing projects, and other publicly owned facilities have been funded by the Castroville Redevelopment Agency that was established by then-Monterey County Supervisor Marc Del Piero in the mid-1980s.


Rail

A
train station A train station, railroad station, or railway station is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight, or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track, and a station building providing suc ...
may be planned to be built in Castroville as part of the Salinas Commuter Rail Extension Project, which would extend
Caltrain Caltrain (reporting mark JPBX) is a commuter rail line in California, serving the San Francisco Peninsula and Santa Clara Valley (Silicon Valley). The southern terminus is in San Jose, California, San Jose at the Tamien station with weekday r ...
service southward from Gilroy to Salinas. In the long term,
Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
's
Capitol Corridor The ''Capitol Corridor'' is a passenger train route in Northern California operated by Amtrak between San Jose, California, San Jose, in the Bay Area, and Auburn, California, Auburn, in the Sacramento Valley. The route is named after the two ...
trains may be extended to Salinas as well.


Notable people

* Jamie Iredell, writer


See also

*
Castroville Artichoke Festival The Artichoke Festival (formally known as the Castroville Artichoke Festival) was a food festival held annually from 1959 until 2025 in Monterey, California, Monterey, a town in Monterey County of the U.S. State of California. The city of Castrov ...
* List of tourist attractions in Monterey County, California


References


External links


Andy Ausonio Library

The Artichoke Festival

Friends of the Andy Ausonio Library



"The Little Building That Could: A New Beginning for the Castroville Japanese School"
''NikkeiWest''. {{authority control Census-designated places in California Census-designated places in Monterey County, California Salinas Valley Unincorporated communities in Monterey County, California Populated places established in 1863 1863 establishments in California Unincorporated communities in California