GILROY HISTORICAL MUSEUM

GILROY, CA

Máyyan 'Ooyákma - Coyote Ridge Wildflowers This Santa Clara Valley open space preserve south of San Jose, CA opened in 2023 and has 5 miles of trails. I saw lots of wildflowers during my hike. — Máyyan 'Ooyákma - Coyote Ridge Wildflowers Credit: ricknor

The Gilroy Historical Museum is located in Gilroy, California, a city located in Santa Clara County, in the southern section of the San Francisco Bay Area. The museum is dedicated to preserving and celebrating the history of Gilroy and the surrounding region. It features a collection of artifacts and photographs, as well as interactive exhibits and programs.

The museum is set in the historic 1885 Gilroy Depot building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building is an example of the Italianate style of Victorian-era architecture. The museum’s main gallery includes a timeline of the city’s history, from its founding in 1868 to the present day. Exhibits include artifacts from the community’s logging, ranching and farming history, as well as items related to Gilroy’s Spanish colonial heritage.

The museum also houses a collection of vintage clothing and accessories, including examples of the styles popular in the late 1800s through the mid-1900s. There is also a display of vintage radios and other electronics. The museum also offers rotating exhibits featuring local artists and photographers, as well as traveling exhibits from other institutions.

The museum hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including lectures, classes and workshops. It also offers a variety of educational programs for all ages, including school field trips and summer day camps. The museum is open to the public Wednesday through Sunday, and is free of charge.

GILROY HISTORICAL MUSEUM is a Historical Societies, Historic Preservation in GILROY CA. US MID #8400600440

The museum is classed as HSC (Historical Societies, Historic Preservation). It comes under American Alliance of Museums (AAM) region: Western (Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington).

Castroville / Japanese Schoolhouse internment – to detention (# 0016) Description of of being rounded up and forced to leave for the detention center.

See the <u><a href="https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=63714" rel="noreferrer nofollow">schoolhouse marker</a></u> for detail of the text.

<i>Use the “Castroville Japanese Schoolhouse” tag to connect the pictures.</i>

Castroville / Japanese Schoolhouse internment cycle (# 0028) A fascinating, and very under-utilized, historical site in Castroville, which is on the way to Monterey, CA. I fortunately discovered it, and a number of other places related to Japanese and Chinese history in California, just by searching through <u><a href="https://www.hmdb.org" rel="noreferrer nofollow">The Historical Marker Database</a></u>.

Japanese laborers had been migrating to this area since the late 1800’s as tenant farmers (the primary crop remains artichokes). By the 1930’s there were enough Japanese families that they wanted a schoolhouse to preserve history and also to provide a community for their children that was safe from the local hostility. The “Japanese Schoolhouse,” founded in 1936, was short-lived since in 1942 all Japanese were ordered to be interred, due to the war with Japan.

Historical Marker <u>”<a href="https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=63772" rel="noreferrer nofollow">For the Sake of the Children</a>”</u> provides a good description of the history of the area. Note that the schoolhouse is sometimes referred to as the Castroville Japanese Language School. Use the <i>Castroville Japanese Schoolhouse</i> tag to connect the pictures.

Castroville / Japanese Schoolhouse – monument (# 0030) As the <u><a href="http://www.mchsmuseum.com/Japanese.html" rel="noreferrer nofollow">Monterey County</a></u> site and the <u><a href="https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=63714" rel="noreferrer nofollow">HMDB timeline</a></u> describe the schoolhouse and the Castroville community, the town has historically been home to migrants who work in the surrounding fields, and those migrants have regularly had a concern that their children remember their heritage and use their heritage for protection, thus the “ For the Sake of the Children” motto.

Unfortunately, the site is not well-marked on either of the major highways passing it, and there are no signs in the town leading to it. Thus, much like I’ve experienced in other recent efforts to understand historic discrimination and hostility to Asian populations, there seems to be a concerted effort to keep that past invisible.

<i>Use the “Castroville Japanese Schoolhouse” tag to connect the pictures.</i>

Storm and Rainbow over South San Jose Taken from the top of Bernal Rd in Santa Teresa Park

Manzanita trunk Older bark on manzanitas erodes or peels away to reveal the bare woody trunk or branches. This specimen has dropped limbs and branches yet still produces abundant leaves and blossoms.
Seen at Rancho Canada del Oro Open Space Preserve

New Almaden Bell Tower Located in the Hacienda entrance to Almaden Quicksilver County Park

Spread The Word It was a very familiar story. The ice plant community was living happily on the hillside. Had been for centuries. The weeds came along with what they believed was a better way of life and forcibly spread the weed message. The weeds also introduced disease nearly decimating the ice plants.

Aptos, California 2012

Contact GILROY HISTORICAL MUSEUM

telephone: 4088460446

GILROY HISTORICAL MUSEUM
195 5TH ST
GILROY
CA
95020

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GILROY HISTORICAL MUSEUM Information

MID #	8400600440
Name	GILROY HISTORICAL MUSEUM
Alternate Name
Classification	Historical Societies, Historic Preservation, , Western
Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN)
NTEECC
Tax period of the latest return filed (YYYYMM)
INCOME	0
REVENUE	0
LAT/LONG	37.007949, -121.571641
CODES	FIPS State Code: 06 FIPS County Code: 085 US Census Tract: 512603 US Census Block: 2002