About Amesti CDP, California
Amesti is a census-designated place (CDP) in Santa Cruz County, California, United States. The population was 3,122 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Salinas metropolitan area.
Amesti was founded in 1834 as a rancho. It was named after Jose Amesti, who was granted the rancho in 1834. In 1848, the Mexican government ceded California to the United States, and the rancho became part of the US. In 1852, Amesti was sold to John B. Elliott, and in 1856 it was sold again, this time to Henry Cowell.
Cowell developed the rancho into a successful farming operation, and in 1868 he built a flour mill on the property. The mill helped to make Amesti a thriving community, and by the early 1900s it had a post office, a general store, and a schoolhouse.
The town began to decline in the mid-1900s, however, as the flour mill closed and many residents left for other areas. Today, Amesti is a quiet community with a population of just over 3,000. While it is no longer the bustling town it once was, it still retains its small-town charm.