Hollister, Agricultural center in San Benito County, California, United States.
Hollister is a city in San Benito County on the Central Coast of California, surrounded by farmland and rolling hills. Streets in the center run somewhat offset from each other because the Calaveras Fault passes directly through town, slowly shifting the ground beneath.
The town began in 1868 on the former Mexican land grant Rancho San Justo, when William Welles Hollister established a new settlement here. It was first part of Monterey County until San Benito County was created as a separate entity in 1874.
The town takes its name from rancher William Welles Hollister, who managed large grazing lands here in the mid-19th century. Local gatherings and celebrations reflect the agricultural character that still shapes how residents live and work in the area today.
The town has a Mediterranean climate with warm, dry summers and mild winters, with summer temperatures often around 80°F (27°C). The old Carnegie Library building from 1906 on Fifth Street at number 375 now serves as City Hall and is the main point for administrative matters.
The Calaveras Fault moves here continuously and slowly without triggering large earthquakes, a process scientists call aseismic creep. Curbs and pavement show clearly visible offsets that you can notice when walking through the center of town.
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