Editing Castroville, California (section)

=== Castroville from 1850 ===
The town site was divided into {{convert|50|by|130|ft|m|adj=on|1}} 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."{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

Juan Bautista Castro ran for county supervisor for the district. Castro, Merritt, Geil and others traveled to the oldest settlement of Sotoville in [[Salinas, California|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.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

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.<ref name="clovis" />

The Southern Pacific Railroad began extending its line south from [[Gilroy, California|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, California|Monterey]], and from [[Soledad, California|Soledad]] to San Francisco." The first roundhouse was built in Castroville.<ref>''Tell Me More Ancestor Stories, Grandma! A History of Early California Families''. pp. 60–61. By Diana J. Dennett, 1997,  {{ISBN|9781877809798}}</ref>