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| Welcome To Gilroy! The arrival of the French prune in the 1890s led to acres of hay and grain being turned into orchards. Apples, apricots, cherries, peaches, pears, plums, and all kinds of nut crops were grown along with prunes. During the 1920s and '30s Gilroy became known as the Prune Capitol of California. At the turn-of-the-century, Italians and other southern-Europeans came to Gilroy and brought row crop farming. Tomatoes, peppers, onions, and garlic were grown and canned or dehydrated in Gilroy.
With the arrival of Japanese farmers about World War I, garlic was grown for the commercial market in large quantities. The Gilroy Garlic Festival was started in 1979 and has an annual attendance of over 130,000. The festival has given more than $2 million back to the community and has earned Gilroy the title of Garlic Capitol of the World.
The Italians also greatly enlarged the wine industry in south county which had been productive on a small scale since the time of the ranchos. The seed industry, which is still a big business in Gilroy, started in 1911. Goldsmith Seeds is just one of many present-day descendants. Historic Buildings Around the turn of the century, Gilroy received several modern public buildings. The I.O.O.F. Children's Home for California was built in Gilroy in 1897. It was replaced by the present building in 1921. 1906 saw the completion of Gilroy's "Old City Hall". This unusual building has been through two major earthquakes and numerous floods, but it continues to stand as the one landmark that says "you're in Gilroy!". Gilroy's first public library building was completed in 1910. This classic Carnegie building now houses the city's historical museum.Source: Gilroy History
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