USA > California > Santa Clara County > History of Santa Clara County, California : including its geography, geology, topography, climatography and description > Part 31
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day when the inhabitants met each other socially and with unconfined joy, for their habits were simple, their natures hospitable and their tempers even; indeed we are assured that San Ysidro in those long-ago days was ahead of all other places in California in its conviviality and liberality.
Until 1843 Gilroy was without any acquisition to its foreign strength. In the month of December in that year came Julius Martin with his wife and three daughters. He is still a resident of the township. We deem it a privilege to have the acquaintance of this worthy pioneer, over whose white head have passed so many changes. Twice ten years ago he was deprived of his sight, but God, as if in recognition of so deep an affliction, has blessed Mr. Martin with that rarer faculty, a clear recollection, whereby he can paint in bright word-pictures the scenes which formerly he so keenly watched and so thoroughly enjoyed. On our visit to Mr. Martin in search of information, it was a pleasure " beyond compare " to watch his face as quick intelligence lighted every feature, as flashing thought almost translated itself upon his eyelids, and happy reminiscence twinkled at the corners of his mouth. He told us his tale in a pure and concise form, and answered our interrogatories without question or hesitancy.
On his arrival in the township, he found it as we have above described, and at once settled in the village of San Ysidro, and occupied himself chiefly in hunting. That Winter, 1843-4, James M. Hudspeth, now of Green Valley, Sonoma county, and his partner, Alexander Copeland, were at work in the redwoods near the present city, but left in the month of June fol- lowing, for Sutter's Fort, therefore they could not be accounted settlers Indeed, save the Martin family, there were no permanent locaters, until the discovery of gold brought so many to the coast. At this period, as may be imagined, there were no industries of any kind; most, if not all, of the stores consumed were procured from the adjacent herds, the few fields, the Pueblo of San José, and the thriving town of Monterey, the medium of commerce being silver, but more often hides and tallow. In 1844, Julius Martin con- structed a small horse-power flour-mill, with a capacity of about twenty bushels per day, the stones used being still to be seen in Old Gilroy; and in the following year, 1844, Thomas O. Larkin, in conjunction with José Maria Sanchez, erected a primitive soap factory at the upper end of the Ortega Rancho, about three miles from San Ysidro. The building, which was a frame edifice, stood on the bank of that sheet of water now known as Soap lake, and was in charge of an Englishman, who drove a thriving business while the establishment lasted. The kettle here used was the old caldron of a whaling vessel,but increased in size by placing long slabs of wood upwards from the edges, with an incline outwards, until the height attained was about eight feet; these were banded together with hoop-iron, and finally built around with adobes, sufficient, space being left underneath for a flue. The neces-
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sary ingredients were thrown into the vessel in their natural state-without a semblance of preparation-while the alkali used was the substance called by the Spainiards teguesquite, which was scraped off the adjoining lands, and employed in this preparation. When solidified, the material was cut into bars, taken to Monterey, and sold to the ships frequenting that port, the sailors on these prizing it highly on account of its being easily manip- ulated with sea-water. In IS48, on the breaking out of the gold fever, this industry died; to-day, there is not a vestige of such an enterprise having been in existence.
A considerable traffic existed at this period between the population to the north and Monterey. From Sonoma, Sutter's Fort, San Jose, and the Mis- sions, all communication with the Capital was maintained along the main road, and San Ysidro was seldom without the weary wayfarer. Through here J. W. Marshall passed when on his way to lay his great discovery before the authorities, and from his own lips did they learn of the find- ing of gold in Sutter's mill-race, at Coloma. On this intelligence, the few settlers went to the mines, and left the little village to take care of itself. The following year, however, saw them back to their old haunts, but no others came to settle in 1849, though W. R. Bane paid a visit to the spot in that year. In 1850, after Julius Martin returned from the mines, he pur- chased twelve hundred and twenty acres from John Gilroy, for which he paid cash, and on it commeneel to build a house, the choice of locality fall- ing on that portion of it which he now occupies, about half a mile from Gil- roy. The old house which still stands within the inelosure of our old pio- neer, is thirty by fifty feet, divided into two rooms, the cooking and domes- tic work being then carried on in temporary sheds, while it was entirely composed of redwood, cut, rived, split and shaved by Mr. Martin himself. This was the first frame building in the township. The first rush of the gold excitement over, we find that stores were opened in Old Gilroy, in turn, by Claudio Dudit, Barbechon, Harrison & Bruen, Allen & Smith, and Barnes & Newcomb, while Isaac Hale conducted a hotel. These establish- ments were, of course, not all opened at once. They are thus collectively spoken of for the simple reason that the dates are unknown.
In the year 1850, James Houck came to the township, and established himself in a shake shanty, within what are now the city limits of Gilroy and, not long after, Lucien Everett arrived, when a partnership was entered into between himself and Houek. These were followed in 1851 by Law- rence O'Toole, James Fitzgerald, John S. Fitzgerald, and M. T. Holselaw, who states that he not only built the first blacksmith's shop, but sowed the first grain in the district. In 1852, John Eigelberry came to settle; he died in 1880, highly esteemed and respected. In the next year we have the names of Jacob Reither, Thomas Rea, David Holloway, David Wood, David
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Zuck and family, William Fitzgerald, T. R. Thomas, Horace Willson, Alfred Chappell, J. Q. Patton, George Anson, Massey Thomas, P. Fitzgerald, Eli Reynolds, Dempsey Jackson, and others, whose names we have been unable to obtain. In 1854, we have Uriah Wood, W. Z. Angney, deceased, S. M. Ousley, deceased, J. Donelly, Daniel C. Day. In 1855, among the settlers were: Hugh S. Jones, Asa Fergusson, deceased, M. R. Fergusson, Perry Dowdy, and J. H. Ellis ; in 1856, there located, with others, Christian Wentz, S. P. Fine, J. H. Duncan, George Easton, Joseph Rice, Albert Willson, J. Doan ; in 1857, James Dunn, and H. Crews came to the township; in 1858, there arrived W. N. Furlong, J. D. Culp, J. S. Rucker, Rodney Eschenburg, and P. B. Tully; in 1839, Dr. Huber, S. M. Maze, David H. Neel, and Samuel Rea; and in 1860, William Hanna, Peter Donnelly, and Alexander Watson.
The foregoing names are by no means those of all the settlers who located in Gilroy township up to 1860. Such a task is an impossibility, their names are not all now remembered, and their habitations have ceased to be; we trust, that as far as we have gone, recollections may be spurred into remi- niscence and some old friends be lifted from oblivion.
Before closing this portion of the history of Gilroy it should be mentioned that a description of the charming Hot Springs will be found on page 41 of this volume.
We have thus far dwelt upon the settlement of the district as a township. It now becomes our duty to draw the attention of the reader to the leading colonies within it; we will, therefore, sketch briefly the histories, so far as we have been able to gather them of the village of San Ysidro, or Old Gilroy, the city of Gilroy, and the hamlet of San Felipe.
SAN YSIDRO or OLD GILROY .- How long ago this ancient town was founded there are no means of accurately stating. In olden days, that is when the Spaniards first came to California, they lived in villages, or rather, clusters of houses on their ranchos, and the little congregation of dwellings received the name of the grant. Here the Ortega family, to whom was given the San Ysidro tract, fixed their abode, and by that name was the village called, until the arrival of American settlers, when it became generally known as Gilroy, and, afterwards, as the new town sprang up, the prefix "old" was given to it, but the official name is still San Ysidro. It is charm- ingly situated about two miles from the city of Gilroy. The first foreigners, other than the Spanish, to settle within its precincts were those pioneers already mentioned, and after the discovery of gold and the location of the district, stores were opened in turn by Claudio Dudit, Barbechon, Harrison & Bruen, Allen & Smith, and Barnes & Newcomb, while there was a hotel conducted by Isaac Hale. A post-office was also established here at a very
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early date, but at what precise period we cannot glean. It was afterwards moved to the new town. The general appearance of the quiet little village is clean and comfortable. Pleasant homes with pretty grounds and fruitful orchards line either side of the main road, while there are one or two edifices of more pretentious design than the others, notable among these being the partienlarly fine dwelling of Horace Willson. This gentleman came to the State in the year 1853 and settled in Gilroy township. He is a bricklayer by trade, and to him is the credit due of having put to use the admirable clay of the district in brick-making during 1854. In 1859 he erected his magnificent mansion in the center of the village, around which he has constructed well-appointed farm buildings, laid out a beautiful garden and planted a fine orchard. Contiguous to the village is a neat and well- attended school-house, while in the next lot to it is the building of the Gilroy Cheese Factory Association, now disused.
GILROY .- This city, solidly and substantially built, is charmingly situated amidst a wealth of beauty and woodland, vales and mountains, upon whose sloping hollows and slanting dells the sunlight and shadow dance in the richest changefulness of ever-varying form and color. The lofty peaks of the Santa Ana, Pacheco and Los Barberos stand out harmoniously against the azure sky, the light mists and fleecy clouds hang hovering twixt heaven and earth, and the rolling, billow-like hills, fringed with a purple foam of redwoods, evergreen oaks and pines, create a captivating landscape well worthy the fame of the Santa Clara vale-the garden valley of the Pacific coast.
When the earlier settlers arrived this portion of the district was known as Pleasant Valley, a most appropriate mame, but later, on houses being con- structed and the nucleus of a town formed, it received the appellation of Gilroy, in honor of that ancient pioneer who first settled in its vicinity.
In the year 1850 a man named James Houek, a native of the State of Ohio, erected a small road-side inn and stable on the direct route from the north to Monterey. This structure, composed of split redwood brought from the adjacent hills, still stands opposite the residence of Mr. Lewis, in an inclosure to the north of the street which bears his name, and is now used by that gentleman as a place for servants. This was the initial building in the city of Gilroy. The second fabric was a little cabin erected near a large and umbrageous oak, that stood on what is now Lewis street, near Monterey street, and faced the east. Here a small trading-post was estab- lished by Lucien Everett, who afterwards took Houck into partnership. The next to follow was John Eigelberry who built that dwelling now occu- pied by W. R. Bane at the corner of Fourth and Eigelberry streets, while, in the Winter of 1853-4, David Holloway constructed that long building with
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a veranda which stands back from Monterey street, and lies between Lewis street and Martin's lane. When built it was intended for a private resi- dence, but in 1854 it was converted into the first hotel in the town. Here David Holloway opened a shop and carried on the blacksmith's trade. The next building was a saddler's shop, put up by Eli Reynolds in the latter part of 1853, which stood between Second and Fourth streets. It is now the dwelling of Mrs. Mitchell, but so little of its original design remains that its ancient form is unrecognizable. At this period the postmaster was James Houck-he could neither read nor write-who had an old cigar box outside of his door into which letters were dropped, while the stage between San José and Monterey stopped at his place to change horses. We should mention that prior to the establishment of the post-office here, it had been located in San Ysidro, and before that, mail-matter was transferred from San Jose once a week by a man named Bicknell, who usually converted his several capa- cious pockets into postal-bags. The second postmaster was Lucien Everett, who died in the year 1857, while his partner, after remaining in the city for several years, sold his interest and returned to Ohio.
In 1852 a man named Bain taught school for one season in a settler's hut which stood in the eastern portion of the town near the residence now occu- pied by Senator J. C. Zuck; in the following year, however, a new school- house was built, by subscription of the few settlers, on the ground where the present handsome school building now stands, between Second and Fourth streets; and was opened by a Mr. Jackson, the Trustees being W. R. Bane and Dempsey Jackson.
The first Protestant preaching was held in the Summer of the year 1852, at the residence of W. R. Bane, by Rev. Mr. Anthony, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, when the weather was so hot the male portion of the con- gregation attended without coats. The next officiating clergyman to visit the little town was a circuit preacher of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, named J. T. Cox, who organized a congregation in 1853, and held services in the school-house. In the year 1854, a Sabbath-school was matured, and during the following year a church was built at a cost of one thousand dollars, and was succeeded in 1871 by the present handsome edifice, erected at an outlay of four thousand dollars.
Thus we can afford to leave the first start of the little town to pursue the even tenor of its quiet way. The thoroughfare known as Monterey street, is to all intents the old trail between the Missions to the north and those to the south, and Monterey. In former times it made a detour about Seventh street and found its way to San Ysidro, but on account of floods in Winter, the post-office was removed from that village, established in Gilroy, and the road or main traveled trail, pushed straight ahead until it joined the ancient track some distance beyond, by which, the crossing of the Las
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Llagas creek was avoided and travel made safer and more comfortable. The town itself grew slowly, but it was not until it became evident that the railroad would tap the resources of the district that it took any actual spring into existence-let us mark the period.
In the latter part of the year 1867, or early in 1868, there came to reside in Gilroy, Freeman S. Rogers, a dentist, having the fixed belief that in the course of time, the then village would develope into a center of considerable importance. He therefore established himself in a little house on Monterey, between Third and Fourth streets, with a view to the practice of his profes- sion. Here came to him James C. Zuek, who rented one-half of the build- ing and opened the first lawyer's office in the town. Thus both these gentle- men commenced the duties of their several professions in Gilroy. In the course of conversation they settled to start in the real estate business, and in compliance with the legend "to say is to do," the firm of Zuek & Rogers became an accomplished fact. Their first venture was the purchase of five acres in the north-western portion of the town, which they divided off into lots and sold to eager purchasers at once. With such an inducement further operations were entered into. Twenty acres were acquired from John Eigelberry on the west side of Monterey street, about the middle of the town, and parceled out, which, too, found a ready sale. At this juncture W. L. Hoover was admitted into partnership and the firm became Zuck, Rogers & Hoover. They now purchased a thirty-acre tract from L. F. Bell, on the east side of Monterey street, which also being laid out into lots, were early purchased, as were also other small parcels situated in different parts of the town ; more extended transactions ensued, until it may be safely asserted, that nearly the entire town site has been manipulated by these enterprising gentlemen. Dr. Rogers has now retired from the real estate business, but is still a worthy citizen of the little city which he has done so much to bring into prominence. Mr. Hoover is dead, and the only member of that firm of energetic men who gave so great an impetus to the progress of Gilroy, now remaining in the business, is J. C. Zuck, the able Senator from Santa Clara county. Senator Zuck has since been appointed United States Consul at Tientsing, North China.
The town site was surveyed in the early part of 1868 by Doctor Huber, who named the streets and otherwise laid out the city.
On February 6, 1868, a petition, signed by J. F. Johnson, George F. Clark, R. M. Jersey, H. Crews, H. B. Harris, Ed. E. Wheaton, Thomas C. Caldwell, J. M. Brooks, N. Gardner, Jacob Meyer, William Lancaster, C. H. Trombly, Frank Oldham, James Stevens, H. Gardner, Walter Page, John W. Eardley, C. H. Pomeroy, Robert Trewin, George Holloway, Peter Kelly, S. L. Morrison, T. H. Curdts, F. S. Rogers, R. Catherwood, H. W. Briggs, Robert Gelien, Jacob H. Hayes, William Hanna, Henry Holloway, Joseph
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Dimmick, Levi Boswell, Charley Bush, J. A. Canshaw, J. M. Keith, Rudolph Lassius, Noah Burton, George Redford, George Roop, H. D. Coon, D. Hun- biman, J. F. McComber, C. W. York, J. M. Browne, W. Holloway, Alonzo Howard, William Skidmore, P. Eastridge, J. B. Money, E. King, N. Platt, Isaac Dyer, Hugh Martin, T. S. Oldham, J. J. Braman, S. Stewart, H. C. Moore, A. W. Hubbard, W. J. Baillone, A Lewis, Cyprius Johnson, E. Bellya, John Bicht, D. Huber, J. W. Clifton, H. Culp, F. W. Lamb, A. W. Hilde- brand, Owen Miles, J. L. Buchard, John Angel, A. P. Baillage, Albert Warthen, Henry Williams, A. H. Kennedy, John Eigelberry, J. H. Harris, and O. P. Wyatt, was presented to the Board of Supervisors of Santa Clara county, praying that the town of Gilroy be incorporated within the follow- ing limits, to wit: "Beginning at a point situated south twenty degrees, east forty-six chains from the center of Monterey street, where the south side of Bodfish street intersects the same, said point of beginning being in the center of Monterey street; thence running westerly and at right angles to said Monterey street, forty chains; thence northerly, and parallel to said Monterey street, and in a straight line, one hundred and ten chains ; thence easterly, and at right angles to the last-mentioned line, eighty chains; thence southerly, and at right angles to said last-mentioned line, one hundred and ten chains; and westerly, at right angles, to the place of beginning." The prayer was granted February 18, 1868, under provisions of the Act of the Legislature entitled " An Act for the Incorporation of Towns."-Approved April 19, 1856, and the dictum went forth that hereafter the place should be known as the "Town of Gilroy, and that the inhabitants shall be and remain a Body Politie and Corporate." Saturday, March 7, 1868, was designated as the day on which an election should be held by the qualified electors within the limits above described, to choose five Trustees, a Treas- urer, an Assessor, and a Marshal, who should hold office in accordance with the second section of said Act. The Judges of Election on the occasion were David Huber, J. W. Clifton, and D. S. Whitney, while the following gentle- inen composed the first municipal officers of the town of Gilroy: Trustees, John C. Looser, William Hanna, Frank Oldham, Jacob Einstein, Jacob Reither ; Treasurer, H. Wangenheim; Assessor, James Angel; Marshal, A. W. Hub- bard. The bonds of these several officers were fixed on March 16th, while an Ordinance determining the penalty on persons found drunk in the streets, was passed. On the 23d, the gentleman who was elected Assessor failed to qualify, therefore H. D. Coon was appointed in his stead, the resignation of the Town Clerk being at the same time handed in and accepted, J. M. Keith being chosen his successor, who, on April 16th, was directed to receive the following fees: For service while attending each meeting of the Board of Trustees, one dollar, and for writing and copying at the rate of twenty- five cents per folio. On April 14th, an ordinance was passed defining the
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dimensions of sidewalks to be as follows: Sidewalks on Monterey street, fourteen feet wide; those on all thoroughfares parallel to it, ten feet; the sidewalks on streets running east and west, to be eight feet in width; while, at the same session, the following streets were ordered to be opened: Eigelberry street, from Farman to Martha street; Levy street, from Monte- rey to Eigelberry street ; Farman street, from M to E streets; Martha street, from Monterey street to where it intersects the county road. Ordinance No. 7. likewise passed on this date, made the following changes in the names of streets: Sargent, to be First street ; Martha, to be Second street ; Looser, to be Third street; Bolfish, to be Fourth street; Levy, to be Fifth street; Far- man, to be Sixth street; and Furlong, to be Seventh street. The poll-tax collectable from each male inhabitant over twenty-one years of age residing within the incorporated limits was fixed at one dollar; and the Clerk instructed to notify residents wishing to improve or fence in their property " to observe that Monterey street is eighty-six feet wide, and all other streets parallel to it are seventy-five feet wide. All cross-streets are sixty-six feet wide. The blocks are three hundred feet deep and five hundred and fifty feet long."
The time having now arrived for the first regular annual election for town officers, such was held May 4, 1868 with the following result, the term of vocation being one year: Trustees, F. Oldham, President, J. C. Lcoser, William Hanna, J. Einstein, Jacob Reither; Recorder, A. Warthen; Treas- urer, Henry Wangenheim; Assessor, H. D. Coon; Marshal, Thomas F. MeGreavy ; Clerk, J. M. Keith; Attorney, P. B. Tully. May 11th an iron rod five feet deep into the ground, planted where the center of Monterey street intersects the south line of Fourth street, was established as the initial point from which future surveys and corrections should be made; June 26th, a levy of one-half of one per cent. was directed to be raised on the assessable property of the town for the fiscal year ending April 30, 1869 . July 6th, it was determined to construct a town prison, sixteen by twenty feet, on a lot obtained from John Eigelberry; on the same date the resigna- tion of Trustee J. C. Looser was accepted; July 8th, Thomas F. MeGreavy was removed from the office of Marshal and Cyprus Johnson appointed in his stead; July 13th, D. Huber was chosen a Trustee in place of J. C. Looser ; and on the 27th of the same month a committee was appointed to take measures for the protection of the town from fire. On the 9th of November exclusive right to lay pipes and supply the town of Gilroy with gas was granted to George H. Peck, Alexander J. Spencer, Francis E. Spencer, John M. Keith and Pleasant B. Tully, provided that not more than ten dollars, gold coin, per one thousand cubic feet should be charged; November 30th, a petition was received from Arzelia Lewis praying that that portion of the town designated as Lewis' Addition be accepted by the Board of Trustees,
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and the streets and alleys, so far as they are on her land, be declared open and dedicated to public use, was granted, save so much as related to Lewis street, which was rejected on account of its not being laid out so as to cor- respond with Fourth street; December 7th, on the petition of Zuck, Rogers and others the following streets were declared open; Hanna street to the slough, south of Seventh street; Sixth street, from Church to Hanna street; Seventh street, from Church to Hanna street; Rosanna street, from the line of Zuck & Co's. division fence with Angel & Co. to the slough, south of Sev- enth street; and Church street, from Sixth to the slough south of Seventh street ; December 14th, Lewis street from Monterey, to the alley at the back of Forrest street, was declared open in accordance with the petition of Arzelia Lewis; and, on December 29th, a pest-house was ordered to be constructed at the expense of the county.
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