‘Confederate Corners’ will be renamed ‘Springtown’

An unmarked intersection at the corner of Hitchcock Road and Highway 68 commonly known as Confederate Corner will be renamed Springtown the Monterey County Board of Supervisors decided on Tuesday. A county-wide survey determined the new name but the Supervisors decided to go with the second runner-up for the corner to better reflect local history. The first place name, Campino Corners, will be used elsewhere in the county to honor local farmworkers.

Key Takeaways:

• The intersection just south of Salinas at Highway 68 and Hitchcock Road carries the name “Confederate Corners” on Google Maps.
• Supervisors decided to rename the intersection “Springtown.” County spokesperson Maia Carroll says the name reflects the history of the location including a school called Springtown that was located there a century ago.
• The most common suggestion was “Campesino Corners,” a suggestion backed by supervisor Luis Alejo, who favored that name as a way to honor the region’s farmworkers. However, Carroll says Supervisors felt “Campesino Corners” did not accurately reflect the complete history of the intersection.

“The name is known to few, and there are no monuments, plaques, signs or otherwise to mark the arrival of a band of southerners who settled the area shortly after the Civil War.”