Gilroy got its start in 1850 as a stage stop along the San Jose to Monterey Road. By the time the village was incorporated as the Town of Gilroy in 1867, it was the third largest community in the county with a brewery, a flouring mill, and a distillery. The railroad arrived in Gilroy in 1869 and made the community the hub of the south Santa Clara Valley.
The Gilroy Region Was First Known as "Pleasant Valley", I guess aptly named due to the discovery in 1865 of the Gilroy Hot Springs which developed into one of the leading health resorts on the West Coast. Today many are drawn here by the local Gilroy Garlic Festival held each July.
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