SAN YSIDRO or OLD GILROY
(section of the history of
Gilroy Township)
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 adobe, and by that name was
the village called, until the arrival of American settlers, when it
became generally knwown as Gilroy, and , afterward, as the new town
sprung up, the prefix of "old" was given to it, but the offical name is
still San Ysidro. It is charmingly situated about two miles from
the city of Gilroy. The first foreigners, other than the Spanish,
to settle within its precints were those pioneers already mentioned,
(transcribers note:see Gilroy Township history which
includes the names of these early settlers), and after the
discovery of
gold and the location of the district, stores were opened in turn by
Cluadio Dudit, Barbechon, Harrison & Bruen, Allen & Smith, and
Barnes & Newcomb, while there was a hotel conducated by Isaac
Hale. A post-office was also established here at a very early
date, but at what precise period we cannot glean. It was
afterwards moved to the new townn. The general appearance o 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 or more pretentious design than the
others, notable among those being the particulary fine dwelling of
Horace Wilson. 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 1853. 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 shoool-house, while in the next lot to is the
building of the Gilroy Cheese House, now disused.
History of Santa Clara County, California :
San Francisco: Alley, Bowen & Co., 1881, 878
pgs.
page 278-279,.transcribed by cdf
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