Gilroy Means Business

Gilroy Means Business. . Gilroy’s strategic location contributed to great economic growth beginning in the 1850s., Inset Images: , In 1870 James Culp was a tobacco grower and owned a cigar factory. Over one million cigars were rolled and shipped monthly all over the world. Adam May’s tobacco store did a lively business in downtown Gilroy., The Robinson Hardware store brought more success for the owner, Amos Robinson, than he had in his search for gold in the fields. They specialized in well drilling, sheet metal, dairy and hardware supplies., The Gilroy Brewery was established in 1868 by German immigrant, Adam Riehl, and his partner, Jacob Reither. This was a favorite gathering place., Whitehurst and Hodges purchased lumber holdings in the redwoods west of Gilroy in the 1870s. Oxen pulled the heavy logs, from where there were felled, to the sawmill., Inset Images: , From the 1930s to the 1950s, BeGe company made hydraulic pumps for the Caterpillar Corporation. Their heavy equipment was sold worldwide., A local bank was started in 1871 by founder, Thomas Rea, and later became Bank of Italy and finally, Bank of America. It was the main lending institution and played an integral part of Gilroy’s successful growth., City folks from San Francisco and surrounding areas were conveyed to the Gilroy Hot Springs Resort via livery stage and later motorized vehicles., Our first newspaper, the Gilroy Advocate, began in 1868 followed by the Gilroy Gazette and the Gilroy Dispatch, which serves is today., The railroad came to Gilroy in 1869, enabling farmers to get their products out to the market., Sunsweet Growers, established in 1917, was a co-op of local growers for the purpose of drying and marketing their products., F&P Cannery (Filice and Perrelli) was another important mainstay of the community as they employed many residents to process local fruits and vegetables., In the late 1930s Gentry was founded as a dehydration plant. Before World War II the U.S. Government provided funding to build a larger plant and gave contracts whereby Gentry would furnish dried fruits and vegetables to the Army. Later a second dehydrating company, Gilroy Foods, was founded by local investors and ultimately, Gentry merged with Gilroy Foods., Monterey Road, circa 1920s