Local author Elizabeth Barratt’s
”
magnum opus,
”
a 208-page biography documenting the life and times of her
great-grandfather, Gilroy pioneer and former mayor Dr. Heverland R.
Chesbro, has hit the stands and is now available in print.
Local author Elizabeth Barratt’s “magnum opus,” a 208-page biography documenting the life and times of her great-grandfather, Gilroy pioneer and former mayor Dr. Heverland R. Chesbro, has hit the stands and is now available in print.
To celebrate the occasion, Barratt will be on hand from 10 a.m. to noon, Oct. 1 for an open house and book signing at the Gilroy Historical Museum at 195 Fifth St. She’ll present the story behind her book at 1 p.m., followed by an author signing and light refreshments. Signed copies will be available for $20; a portion of which will be dedicated to the Museum Endowment Fund.
It’s taken Barratt 15 years to record the stories and accomplishments surrounding Chesbro, who had a medical office on the west side of Monterey Street between Fifth and Sixth streets in the early 1900s.
Born in a sod house on the Iowa prairie in 1859, Chesbro later arrived in Gilroy after graduating from medical school in 1881. He was elected to City Council and served three terms as Gilroy’s mayor. According to Barratt, one of her great-grandfather’s major contributions to public affairs includes the promotion of state road improvements, which resulted in the completion of Hecker Pass Highway.Â
In 1907, he became the second man to own an automobile in Gilroy. His efforts on behalf of Santa Clara County water conservation were later assumed by his son, Dr. Elmer J. Chesbro, after whom Chesbro Dam is named. Heverland died in 1947.
“I’m just in seventh heaven. I’ve heard about my great-grandfather all my life. He died when I was 4,” said Barratt.
The author, who lives on Church Street, said she spent hundreds of hours at the Gilroy Museum taking down notes on a legal pad, then going home and transcribing everything into her computer.
Barratt’s book draws from family letters, journals entries, personal accounts and newspaper articles. It’s filled with a fascinating cache of nostalgia from Garlic Capital yesteryear, including old snapshots of homes still recognizable today on Eigleberry Street, eloquent quotes describing picturesque Gilroy landscapes, recipes for “flamingo relish” and “ice box sugar cookies,” homeopathic remedies for ailments such as hair loss or blackheads, historic family photos and personal reflections on the life of Barratt’s grandfather, Elmer.
For more information, call the Gilroy Historical Museum at (408) 846-0446.
When I think of Gilroy I remember a spring day, long ago … sitting in a field of wild flowers near where Gavilan College is now. We talked of many things: Would we ever get married, leave Gilroy, see other places, have a family … what would become of us? We called the place Johnny Jump-Up Hill, and we knew a place where Maidenhair Fern grew, there was a small stream near Christmas Hill. I remember sleeping in the spring sunshine on that hill. I am glad I could see Gilroy in those days.
– From “A County Doctor in the Valley of Heart’s Delight, the life and times of Pioneer Gilroy Physician and Mayor Heverland R. Chesbro, MD,” by Elizabeth Barratt
