More historic than 23% of U.S. towns · #403 of 847 in California. What drives it
Most of Artesia was built recently: 6% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1966. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1896 on, and the census since 1950.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1882.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Artesia’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Artesia is more historic than 23% of U.S. towns, #403 of 847 in California. Its age holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Artesia’s overall grade.
Few California towns list much on the Register (a typical California town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Artesia’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (31% of California towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C− to C. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.2 points). Two sources give 1875.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Artesia’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The village of Artesia was formally established following the creation of the Artesia School District on May 3, 1875. The first schoolhouse, a two-story building with a classroom on each floor, was built on the corner of 183rd and Alburtis Street; 44 students were enrolled upon its opening. The original schoolhouse was originally moved and converted to a store when Pioneer School was built in 1910. Its bell was given to Artesia Christian Church with the condition that it must never be taken out of Artesia. The city was named for the many natural flowing artesian wells in the area, which made the village ideal for farming and agriculture. Grape growing became a popular industry—by 1885, Artesia began selling grapes to wineries in Downey and Anaheim. Artesia Cemetery was designated as a public cemetery in 1928. Before the city's incorporation, the Artesia Chamber of Commerce was the main …
Passages that mention Artesia, cut from the printed page as they were published.
An illustrated history of Los Angeles County, California1889Read the page →
Read the text
soil. He afterward moved to Page County, Iowa, and there farmed about nine years. Tlien lie moved to Los Angeles County, and bouglit a farm just south of Artesia, which he afterward Sold, and bought fifty acres north of Artesia. Tor some time previous to this Mr. Gillespie had been in declining health, and on August 11, 1885, he died, leaving a large circle of friends
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
An illustrated history of Los Angeles County, California. Containing a history of Los Angeles County from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospective future ... and biographical mention of many of it1889Read the page →
Read the text
soil. He afterward moved to Page County, Iowa, and there farmed about nine years. Then lie moved to Los Angeles County, aud bought a farm juBt south of Artesia, which he afterward sold, and bought fifty acres north of Artesia. For some time previous to this Mr. Gillespie had been in declining health, and on August 11, 1885, he died, having a large circle of friends
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
Artesia, 1875 to 1996
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
In 1875, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Artesia’s post office opened in 1882, and the census of 1950 counted 3,223 people here.
How does Artesia rank for history?
Artesia is more historic than 23% of U.S. towns, #403 of 847 in California. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Artesia?
6% of Artesia’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.2 points), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1966.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (14), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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