Soledad's origins started with Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, founded by the Spanish in 1791, under the leadership of Fermín de Lasuén. Landmarks include Salinas Valley State Prison, Correctional Training Facility and Arroyo Seco.
Soledad, California gifts and souvenirs: 23 designs made from Soledad's own map, landmarks and history, from $16 to $95. Printed to order and shipped free in the USA.
| Popular | Price |
|---|---|
| Soledad Hometown Ornament | $23 |
| Soledad Vintage Travel Poster | from $40 |
| Soledad Varsity Crewneck | from $57 |
| Soledad Est. Tee | from $33 |
| Soledad Town Line Mug | from $26 |
| Soledad Market Tote | $37 |
Ceramic keepsake, gold ribbon, in 3 styles
Its landmark photo in a classic travel-poster layout
A local landmark photo as a gallery print
Map of local landmarks, washable fabric
Heavy-blend fleece, street map printed on the back
Red heavy-blend crewneck, knit-stitch town print
Soft Bella+Canvas jersey
Kids' Bella+Canvas jersey, youth sizes
Bella+Canvas toddler jersey
Bella+Canvas baby bodysuit
Glossy ceramic, dishwasher safe
Weatherproof, for the front walk
24″×16″, printed coir-look fibers, rubber back
12″×12″ printed wood, ready to hang
Soft-touch, zip cover
A local landmark photo with the town name, 18″×18″
Sturdy all-over-print tote
Glossy top, cork back
Soft fleece, 50″×60″
20 oz, double-wall stainless
The town's earliest Sanborn fire-insurance map, drawn building by building and hand-coloured, from the Library of Congress
From the Library of Congress collections: a historic survey drawing or photograph of the town
From the Library of Congress collections: a historic survey drawing or photograph of the town
The Chalon tribe of the Ohlone nation of indigenous Californians have inhabited the area around Soledad for thousands of years. The Paraíso Hot Springs, west of Soledad, had long been used by the Chalon.
Soledad's history as a settlement began in 1791, when the Spanish founded Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, under the leadership of Padre Fermín de Lasuén. Alongside the Spanish and the Chalon, the Esselen and Yokuts people eventually came to reside in Soledad as well. However, unlike many other missions in California, Soledad did not initially develop into a town outside of the mission.
Noted artist Esteban Munrás came to the area in the 1820s, along with his wife Catalina Munrás. He was granted Rancho San Vicente in 1835 by Governor José Castro, although he and his family resided in Monterey until his death in 1850. On his deathbed, Munrás told his dying wishes to his wife Catalina: that she should not sell Rancho San Vicente, but instead hold on to it and develop a town there when the right time came.
Catalina Munrás began to subdivide the rancho and develop a town in the 1860s, and donated land for the construction of a school, a church, and a cemetery. She later granted the right-of-way to the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1872, which established a station in Soledad, allowing the town to emerge as an agricultural center.
Los Coches Adobe, built in the 1840s, became a popular stopover for people traveling on Southern Pacific trains between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
The Soledad post office opened in 1869. The Township of Soledad was created on February 6, 1876, by the Board of Supervisors of Monterey County, upgrading the settlement to an official town. In 1921, Soledad incorporated as a city.
In 1898 Fort Romie was founded just west of Soledad, but is today part of the community of Soledad. In the early 1900s, the Paraíso Hot Springs became a popular resort for travelers on Southern Pacific trains.
Soledad is used as a backdrop in John Steinbeck's 1937 novel Of Mice and Men, a novella about the friendship of two men who find work on a farm in the Salinas Valley.
Adapted (trimmed) from the Wikipedia article Soledad, California, revision 1379178775 by its contributors, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
We share a part of every Soledad sale with local partners, and we'd love to print from your collection. Old photographs, maps and postcards make the best keepsakes.
Partner with usA favorite landmark, your street, a school or team, an anniversary gift, a different product. Tell us and we'll get back to you by email.
1 free coloring page of Soledad, each traced from a photo of a local landmark. Print them at home, at school or for story hour.
Soledad's population was 24,925 in the 2020 U.S. Census, down from 25,738 in 2010.
A view of Soledad