A Look Back at 150 Years of Local Journalism
“Clean news and a fair deal to all” GILROY, CAL., FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 14, 2018
October 1868:
GILROY ADVOCATE EDITOR’S COMMENTS ON THE SANTA CLARA VALLEY
Holsclaw Road: From Gold Rush to the Civil War FIRST BLACKSMITH IN GILROY IN 1851 FOUND HIS FORTUNE IN CALIFORNIA By Barry Holtzclaw Managing Editor
This is the story of three brothers who left their 11 siblings and parents at a northwest Missouri homestead in 1849 to head west to California, in search of gold. There is no record of how they got to the Golden State, except that it took them less than a month, probably traveling by stagecoach. The completion of the transcontinental railroad was 20 years in the future. The brothers, Clifton, the oldest at 24, Milton, 22 and James, perhaps 19, did not get rich in the California Gold Rush. But by standards of the day, they became wealthy. In Diamond Springs, “they erected the second house in that place, established a provision depot and made it their headquarters, also engaging in the mining in the Martinez and Weber creeks.” In the first four months of 1851, they were earning $40 to $50 per day each, according to J.P. Munro-Fraser’s 1881 account of the history of Santa Clara County. Milton invested his new fortune in new businesses. His brothers were more restless, “joining the forces sent to meet the Indians.” The brothers would be separated for about two months, during which time Clifton and James would get a foretelling taste of battle and guerillastyle combat, and Milton began a freight-hauling business from Sacramento to Grass Valley, Yuba and Placerville. “In the month of June he lad in a stock of provisions, and proceeding to Shasta City, sold them, but so bold were the natives that he had to stand guard over his mules in the very heart of town. The trio headed south in search of safer settlements, visiting Stockton,
It is not our purpose at present to say much in regard to the claims of the valley of Santa Clara, over other parts of California for a permanent settlement. It is well known, however, conceded by all who have explored this State extensively, that no other part of it will favorably compare with this in point of climate, health, timber, water, fertility of soil and its various and ample productions. Referring to the San Joaquin and Sacramento valleys, they are immensely large, wide and long; their soil is rich and very productive; the water is abundant in wells on the plains, but generally limestone and hard; the timber for fencing and building is generally distant and not very durable, it being pine; the mining operations in the mountains are gradually filling up the channels of the rivers, which wind their serpentine way through those alluvial valleys to the Bay of San Francisco.
RIVERS ARE FILLING WITH SEDIMENT The Sacramento, San Joaquin, Feather and Yuba rivers, especially the latter two, are filling up with sediment to an alarming extent, so much so, that in many places the winter and spring floods fill all the neighboring sloughs with water which remains
through the hot summer days, becoming stagnant, engendering chills, fever and a variety of other diseases, thereby rendering the settlement of those valleys more desirable and profitable to the medical faculty than they are to families. Health and climate are paramount to all other objects. Thousands of persons now living in the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys are anxious to find a country where they can take their families and be free from the constant plague of fever and ague. The time may come when those valleys will become as they were from 1849 to 1856, when sickness there was comparatively unknown, but that time will not arrive until the sloughs and low lands are all drained, and the overflow of those rivers prevented by levies, from inundating the whole country. Enterprise and money will accomplish this, doubtless, some day, and we hope the time is not too far distant. Thousands however, are not willing to remain with their families and abide that time and take the chances. They would leave for some little nook in the mountains, or for Santa Clara valley or some other place tomorrow if they could sell out their lands and go where they could enjoy good health. Where then, on the whole Pacific slop, or under the canopy of heaven, can they find a country more to be desired for health, etc., than this valley? To be sure it is neither very wide or long, but the climate is all that can be desired. There is no stagnant water, no shivering with chills in summer, or burning with fever in winter—no mosquitoes or gnats to annoy man or beast. The finest and most durable redwood
timber in the world to be had at reasonable rates for fencing and building.
RAILROAD WILL CONNECT TO SAN FRANCISCO The Southern Pacific Railroad will soon be finished as far as Gilroy, about 81 miles south of San Francisco. Then from this point to the great metropolis of the Pacific, farmers in all this region of country can take their surplus produce to the Bay City in a few hours and return with little expense, and Gilroy being the great central depot, is destined, Phenixlike, to rise and grow in proportion to the demands of the surrounding country and the enterprise of its children. There is no country offering greater inducements to family immigration, in our humble opinion, than are now being offered in this part of California. Without entering into detail, let is suffice to say that all the cereals, esculent roots and fruits of the vine and tree that grow elsewhere in California, are produced with luxurious abundance in Santa Clara valley. We shall call attention to this subject very frequently, and that, too, without any apprehension of exhausting it. Like pure gold, the more it is rubbed the brighter it will shine, and people in search of pleasant homes will thereby soon find them, and fill up our valley with a thriving population.
150 Years of Service A SPECIAL COMMEMORATIVE SECTION This special section of the Gilroy Dispatch celebrates one of the longest-running continuous publications in California—and one of the longest-running continuous businesses in Gilroy. First as the weekly Gilroy Advocate, then the daily Evening Dispatch and Gilroy Dispatch, and as the weekly Gilroy Dispatch, this newspaper’s mission has been remarkably consistent: to serve the the people in this community. From the 1,600 citizens in 1868 to the 57,000 citizens in 2018, through dramatic changes in the lifestyles and daily lives of Gilroyans, this newspaper has consistently been a faithful witness to history. On these pages, we randomly selected stories and photos from these 150 years to give you a small sense of our long traditions and continuing commitments. Our thanks go out to the Gilroy Historical Society and the Gilroy Public Library, as well as to Rich Chavarria of Garlic City Auction for locating valuable historical resources. The section was designed by Kara Brown and Kathy Manlapaz, and written and edited by Barry Holtzclaw, Jaqueline McCool and Bryce Stoepfel, with Dan Pulcrano, editor and publisher. Nathan Mixter was the photo curator and editor. Advertising support and leadership was provided by Associate Publisher Jeannette Close, with Kersty Daniels, Judy Bell, Carrie Bonato, Kelly Bean, Scott Harvey and Eileen Katis. Carla McGee managed printing, circulation and distribution. Special thanks to our advertisers and readers, many of whom have been supporters of this newspaper for decades. We will be posting more images in gilroydispatch.com. Microfilm copies of this newspaper’s 150-year legacy are available for inspection at the Gilroy Public Library and the Wichita Historical Society Museum.
Sept. 14, 1925
GILROY EVENING DISPATCH EDITOR’S NOTE
June 2, 1877
GREETING FROM NEW PUBLISHER Every citizen is naturally interested in the character of the newspaper that represents the interests of the locality in which they live. We can not but appreciate the exhibition of an intelligent concern for the life and welfare of an organ which it is supposed should contain a record of current events and also properly mirror before the world pictures of the moral, social and business life of this city and adjoining villages. In assuming the editorial and business management of the Advocate we desire to secure and retain the liberal patronage of all the people of this end of the Santa Clara Valley. When we become more familiar with the people and with the productions and institutions of Gilroy and the attractive country surrounding it, we trust our efforts will in the
➝ Holsclaw Road, 2B
Sept. 14, 2018
FIRST ISSUE OF DAILY NEWSPAPER Fred W. Blake Editor, 1877-1920
judgement of all deserve a remunerative patronage. We wish it understood that the Advocate under our management will be the people’s paper: the medium through which the views of the community will be freely expressed. It will be open to all parties to men of whatever status or persuasion, religious or political. It will, like the sun, “shine for all” without partiality; but must be remembered that this freedom will be under a moral, prudent and respectful censorship. We desire to encourage fair argument in controversies, and shall discountenance the use of heated or abusive language in all communications. We hope to make the paper a welcome visitor in every home. Should it become so it will prove remunerative to the publisher—not otherwise.
With this, the initial issue of the Gilroy Evening Dispatch, published by John N. Hall and Thomas Losey, formerly of Corning, Tahoma County, we wish to thank the business men and citizens of Gilroy and vicinity for the generous reception which we have received. We are opening a daily newspaper in this field with the aim of constantly boosting and helping to build Gilroy. From a point of service, we intend to issue a metropolitan daily paper. It will contain United Press telegraph news, which will supply you with the world news quicker than any other medium. Comics and news features are the finest obtainable. General local news and sports will be capably handled. For the advertiser we have secured the Meyer Both cut service, which is the best in its field, with a capable man in charge of this department.
1868-1898: Gilroy Advocate chronicles Frontier Days NEW WEEKLY NEWSPAPER SPANS LAST 30 YEARS OF 19TH CENTURY The weekly four-page newspaper, the Gilroy Advocate, published every Saturday, would in two decades double in size, as its home community population would remain a steady 1,600. The print shop, and later retail store would supplement
revenue from advertising. The value of Gilroy as a transportation hub next to its agricultural land would see its emergence as a center of tobacco growing in the West. Livestock grazed on giant ranches covering thousands of acres, and first blacksmith shops, then machine shops served the planting and harvesting operations. The Civil War had little impact on Gilroy so the political turmoil of Reconstruction, even the
growth of the corrupt cities, and the Robber Barons of industry also had little effect on this agricultural hub. The town grew in wealth and sophistication more than population, and the weekly Advocate reflected that.
The Santa Clara Valley Oct. 3, 1868—It is not our purpose at present
to say much in regard to the claims of the valley of Santa Clara, over other parts of California for a permanent settlement. It is well known, however, conceded by all who have explored this State extensively, that no other part of it will favorably compare with this in point of climate, health, timber, water, fertility of soil and its various and ample productions. …People in search
of pleasant homes will thereby soon find them, and fill up our valley with a thriving population.
Remember, voters Oct. 3, 1868—Remember, voters, that in circulating campaign documents to assist in the election of Grant, freely distribute as such Brick Pomeroy’s La Cross
Democrat and the State Capital Trifler, that the people may see how vile a thing is the Democracy of our days, and how the organs of the party deal in falsehoods.
Hotels and Restaurants Oct. 10, 1868—The Exchange Stage Hotel, ➝ Frontier Days, 2B