Gilroy’s Cowboy Era

Gilroy’s Cowboy Era. . From the days of the vaquero, ranching and horsemanship have been an important part of Gilroy life., The Gymkhana (1929-1956) was the highlight of the cowboy period. The rodeo featured well-known stars such as Casey Tibbs and his horse Warpaint., Inset Images: , The main Gymkhana events were a downtown parade and rodeo which included calf roping and riding broncos. , Rodeo Star, Casey Tibbs and his horse, Warpaint, advertised Halls’ Western Wear store on the corner of 6th and Monterey. , This mural, dating back to the 1920s, can still be seen in the bar at the Milias Restaurant, which was a Saturday night meeting place for cowboys after a hard week of riding and roping., The cowboy focus continued through the Bonanza Day Parade during the 60’s and 70’s., Inset Images: , The Bonanza Day Parade was one of the most spectacular in the county with beautiful floats and full drill teams. , Ben Lewis was on of Henry Miller’s ranch foremen., Gilroy’s cowboy heritage is reflected in its rich history and lives on today in the cattle ranches in the eastern hills., Inset Images: , Alfred (Curley) Tomey, cowboy artist and blacksmith, designed handcrafted bits, bridles and belt buckles. , Alfred Tomey made most of the branding irons for ranches in and around Gilroy including those of the Kickman Ranch and George Milias’ Ranch. , Andrew (Joe) Rodriguez was the lead vaquero for Cattle King Henry Miller, who was one of the largest landowners in the country during the early years. His holdings were so vast that he could drive his cattle from California to Oregon without ever leaving his property.