Santa Rita, Monterey County, California

Santa Rita
—  Former Unincorporated community  —
Santa Rita Location in California
Coordinates: 36°43′26″N 121°39′22″W / 36.72389°N 121.65611°W / 36.72389; -121.65611Coordinates: 36°43′26″N 121°39′22″W / 36.72389°N 121.65611°W / 36.72389; -121.65611
Country	United States
State	California
County	Monterey County
Elevation[1]	79 ft (24 m)

Santa Rita (formerly, New Republic, Sotoville, and Pinecate)^[2] was an unincorporated community in Monterey County, California.^[1] It was located 3.5 miles (5.6 km) north of Salinas,^[2] at an elevation of 79 feet (24 m).^[1]

Jose Manuel Soto bought the Santa Rita land grant and allocated 1 square mile (2.6 km²) for a town he named New Republic.^[2] The New Republic post office opened in 1870 and changed its name to Santa Rita in 1874, and closed for good in 1907.^[2] The town was also called Pinecate from nearby Pinecate Peak, and Sotoville in honor of Soto.^[2]

Santa Rita was annexed by Salinas in 1975.^[3]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Santa Rita, Monterey County, California
2. ^ ^{a b c d e} Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Quill Driver Books. p. 955. ISBN 9781884995149. 
3. ^ Salinas Public Library History