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18747 Clarkdale Avenue
562-865-6262
History
The village of Artesia formally became a community when the Artesia School District was established on May 3, 1875. The first school was located at the corner of 183rd St. and Alburtis Ave. The school house was a rustic timbered two-story building with a classroom on each floor. On the first day of school, 44 students enrolled. Artesia got its name from the many naturally flowing Artesian wells in the area. This rural countryside with its rich soil and abundant water supply was ideal for farming. Artesians grew grapes, sugar beets, other vegetables and fruits. They raise poultry and were dairy farmers. Nurseries grew ferns and flowers. In the 1920's and 1930's, Dutch and Portuguese experts in the dairy industry developed Artesia into one of the most important dairy districts in Southern California. After World War II, the land became valuable to developers who wanted to build homes. To meet this pressure, the City of Dairy Valley was incorporated in 1956. Dairy Valley later became the city of Cerritos. The demand for land became so great that the dairymen sold their dairies and moved their operations to the east in Chino and to Central California.
The City of Artesia was incorporated on May 29, 1959. The City motto is "Service Builds Tomorrow's Progress." The chrysanthemum is the city flower. The Artesia Historical Society was established in 1993 with a mission to promote public interest in the rich heritage of the city and to preserve and protect the archives and historic sites of the city. The Historical Society is to be an educational resource, collecting and displaying historical documents and photographs that reflect the life and times of Artesia. In 2002, in partnership with the City of Artesia, the Artesia Historical Society saved the historic 1929 Spanish Style Frampton/Dantema home which was moved to a former park site. This home was restored and has become the Artesia Historical Museum which is now open to the public. The museum is located at 1865 Alburtis Avenue.