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San Benito County, CaliforniaSan Benito County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education
Etymology - Origin of County NameNamed after San Benito Valley. In his expedition in 1772, Crespi named a small river in honor of San Benidicto (Saint Benedict), the patron saint of the married, and it is from the contraction of this name that the county took its name.
Demographics:County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts HistorySan Benito County was formed from parts of Monterey County in 1874. The rapid settlement of the extensive and fertile San Benito valley and the valleys tributary
thereto, which were separated from the rest of Monterey county by the Gabilan range of mountains,
developed interests which centered in the new communities, and out of which grew, very naturally, a
desire by the people to manage for themselves their own local affairs. The first attempt to divide
Monterey county, by having San Benito set oft by itself as a separate political division, was made in
the legislature of 1869 --'70; but the opposition interposed by the resident portion of the present old
county caused the movement to fail at this time. Nevertheless, it continued to gain strength from many
and legitimate causes. The contest became a very heated one for the time being, swallowing up all other
issues. The people living east of the Gabilan insisted that they were entitled to a division, and they
were almost unanimously determined to have it. The election of a representative in the legislature
turned on this one issue. The question was division or no division, Republicans and Democrats forgetting
their party affiliations. But though the "new-county" people were still in the minority, they did not
give up the fight. They returned again to the charge in the next election, and won by a small majority.
The contest was carried to the Assembly and then to the Senate, in each of which houses the divisionists
won, and then to the governor, who after some hesitation signed the bill, and thus, finally, in March
1874, the act creating the new county became a law. By this act the governor was authorized and directed
to appoint five commissioners who were charged with the organization of the new county. The names of the
commissioners appointed were: T. S. Hawkins, Jesse Whitton, Mark Pomeroy, John Breen and H. M. Hayes.
This commission met at the town of Hollister, February 18, 1874, and organized by electing John Breen as
president, and H. M. Hayes as secretary. The new county was subdivided into four townships, viz.:
Hollister, San Juan, San Benito and Paicines. and three supervisorial districts, numbered one, two and
three. District number one, comprised Hollister township; number two, San Juan township; and number
three, San Benito and Paicines townships. The new officers were to be appointed by the governor or
filled by special election. James F. Breen, who had resigned the judgeship of Monterey county was
appointed by the governor to the same position in San Benito county, while the commissioners, under
provisions of the organic act, ordered a special election on the 26th day of March, 1874, whereat the
required county officers were to be chosen, and the county seat was to be permanently located by popular
vote. GeographyAccording to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,391 square miles (3,602 kmē),
of which, 1,389 square miles (3,598 kmē) of it is land and 2 square miles (4 kmē) of it (0.12%) is
water. Neighboring Counties:
Cities and Towns:
County Resources: |
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