City of Artesia—Artesia has had three different names. The first name was “Miller” named after a railroad employee. The second name was “Stegman” named after the first postmistress, Sallie Chisum Robert Stegman.  Sallie dropped “Stegman” from her name after her divorce, and after artesian wells were discovered around the area the town was renamed “Artesia” in 1903 and was officially incorporated in 1905.

Until the early 1920s, Artesia was an agricultural oasis until the artesian wells began to dwindle.  In 1924 another kind of well was discovered when the Illinois #3 oil well came in. 

Artesia’s population today is approximately 12,000.

 

RETURN TO COUNTY PROFILES MAIN PAGE