Natividad | |
|---|---|
 Gilroy to Salinas via San Juan road map, 1916 | |
  Natividad Location in California  Natividad Natividad (the United States) | |
| Coordinates: 36°43′58″N 121°35′48″W / 36.73278°N 121.59667°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Monterey County |
| Elevation | 164 ft (50 m) |
Natividad (Spanish for "Nativity") is an unincorporated community and ghost town in Monterey County, California.[1] It is located 5 miles (8 km) northeast of Salinas,[2] at an elevation of 164 feet (50 m).[1]
Natividad was named for the Rancho La Natividad Mexican land grant which included the community. It was the site of a significant battle of the Mexican-American War in 1846.[3] A post office operated at Natividad from 1855 to 1908.[2] Natividad was a bustling station for stage coaches in the 1850s until traffic was re-routed through Salinas.[2] The town declined after the completion of the Southern Pacific Railroad through Salinas in 1872, and its last remaining building, a saloon, was demolished in 1964.[4]
The Battle of Natividad of the Mexican-American War was fought just north of the townsite. A historical marker commemorates the battleground.[5]
- ^ a b c U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Natividad, California
- ^ a b c Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Clovis, Calif.: Word Dancer Press. p. 929. ISBN 1-884995-14-4.
- ^ Gudde, Erwin Gustav (1998). California Place Names. University of California Press. p. 256. ISBN 978-0-520-21316-6.
- ^ "Natividad Historical Marker". HMDB.org. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
- ^ "Battle of Natividad Historical Marker". HMDB.org. Retrieved October 22, 2023.