Editing Atwater, California (section)

==History==
The railroad reached Atwater in the 1870s, and a town grew around it.<ref name=CGN /> The first post office opened in 1880.<ref name=CGN /> Atwater incorporated in 1922.<ref name=CGN /> The name honors Marshall D. Atwater, a wheat farmer whose land was used by the railroad for its station.<ref name=CGN />

North of the town is the site of [[Castle Air Force Base]], the former World War II [[Merced Army Airfield auxiliary fields|Merced Army Airfield]].<ref>[http://www.militarymuseum.org/CastleAFB.html militarymuseum.org Merced Army Air Field, Castle Field]</ref> Castle was selected for closure under the [[1991 Base Realignment and Closure Commission]] and the base closed September 30, 1995. The site is now a public airport.

On May 15, 2020, Atwater declared itself a business "sanctuary city" during the coronavirus pandemic.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Lauten-Scrivner|first=Abbie|date=May 15, 2020|title=Atwater is now a business 'sanctuary city' during coronavirus pandemic. What does it mean?|work=Merced Sun-Star|url=https://www.mercedsunstar.com/news/coronavirus/article242772536.html|access-date=May 16, 2020}}</ref>