Settlers from many countries brought traditions and skills to Gilroy, contributing to its growth and vitality. German immigrant Adam Riehl founded Gilroy Brewery and was one of the city’s early mayors. Irish settlers were among the earliest arrivals and founded St. Mary’s Catholic Church in 1865. Frenchman Louis Pellier introduced fruit tree cuttings that led to abundant prune growing in the region. Large-scale grape planting began in 1897, and by the 1930s Italian Americans owned all the small wineries in the region. By 1870, three quarters of California’s agricultural workforce was Chinese; in the Gilroy area they worked with tobacco production and also played a significant part in building the railroads. Spanish-born Sig Sanchez, known as a gentleman, rancher, and public servant, entered public service in 1953 and served for a total of 55 years, including 10 years on the Gilroy City Council with five years as mayor, 16 years on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, and 30 years on the Board of the Santa Clara Valley Water District. Lupe Sanchez was an advocate for education and social justice, and her family provided land for the Santa Clara County Housing Development Corp. to build Gilroy’s first low-income housing project; she was active in many civic organizations and was named to the Gilroy Hall of Fame in 1991. Dionisio “Chino” Vasquez helped the United Farm Workers movement and also helped develop Gilroy’s first affordable housing project. Portuguese families were known for dairy farming and community celebrations, and immigrants from the Azores continued the annual Festa do Espirito Santo tradition. Filipinos worked in agriculture, caregiving, and service industries, and Japanese immigrants were the first to grow large quantities of peppers, strawberries, tomatoes, and garlic in the area.