Gonzales, California


Gonzales is a city in Monterey County, California, United States. Gonzales is located southeast of Salinas, at an elevation of 135 feet. The population was 8,187 at the 2010 census, up from 7,525 at the 2000 census. Gonzales is a member of the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments.

History

Gonzales was founded by Dr. Mariano Gonzalez and his brother, Alfredo Gonzales on land that was originally Rancho Rincon de La Puente del Monte. The Rancho was given to their father, Teodoro Gonzalez in 1836 while he was serving as Alcalde of Monterey.
The brothers laid out the 50-block town on approximately 15,000 acres in 1874 in a grid of east to west and north to south streets. In 1872, they granted a 100-foot right-of-way through town to Southern Pacific Railroad, which subsequently built a depot for freight and passengers. The dominant commerce at the time was grain raising and cattle ranching. The Gonzalez brothers are also credited with constructing one of the first irrigation systems in the Salinas Valley. They built a dam and head gate on the nearby Salinas River and miles of canals throughout the area.
In the early 1900s, Gonzales became a predominantly Swiss dairy community when John B. Meyenberg brought his original milk processing procedures to the region. His Alpine Milk Company, later known as the Meyenberg Milk Products Company, opened its first plant in Gonzales in 1906. At one time, there were 7,000 cows within five miles of town being milked.
Prior to being nicknamed the "Wine Capital of Monterey County," Gonzales was known as "The Heart of the Salad Bowl". Before that it was nicknamed "Little Switzerland".
Dairy farming gave way to orchards and row crops in the 1920s and prospered due to the rich soil and advancements in irrigation, machinery and transportation facilities. These improvements to agriculture technology turned the Salinas Valley into the nation's premier agricultural center. Today, there is only one dairy farm left near town.
The first school house was built in 1874. The first church, the Gonzales Baptist Church, was built in 1884 and still holds weekly worship services today.
St. Theodore Catholic Church, named for Teodoro Gonzales, was built in 1883.
The town was officially incorporated January 10, 1947.

Geography

Gonzales is located at.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, of which, of it is land and of it is water.

Demographics

2010

At the 2010 census Gonzales had a population of 8,187. The population density was 4,178.5 people per square mile. The racial makeup of Gonzales was 3,464 White, 81 African American, 124 Native American, 190 Asian, 14 Pacific Islander, 3,958 from other races, 356 from two or more races and 7,276 Hispanic or Latino of any race.
The census reported that 8,181 people lived in households, 6 lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized.
There were 1,906 households, 1,252 had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,256 were opposite-sex married couples living together, 309 had a female householder with no husband present, 139 had a male householder with no wife present. There were 120 unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 11 same-sex married couples or partnerships. 155 households were one person and 66 had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 4.29. There were 1,704 families ; the average family size was 4.45.
The age distribution was 2,856 people under the age of 18, 957 people aged 18 to 24, 2,355 people aged 25 to 44, 1,529 people aged 45 to 64, and 490 people who were 65 or older. The median age was 27.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.4 males.
There were 1,989 housing units at an average density of 1,015.2 per square mile, of the occupied units 1,019 were owner-occupied and 887 were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 2.1%. 4,186 people lived in owner-occupied housing units and 3,995 people lived in rental housing units.

2000

At the 2000 census there were 7,525 people in 1,695 households, including 1,501 families, in the city. The population density was 5,429.4 people per square mile. There were 1,724 housing units at an average density of 1,243.9 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 34.78% White, 0.80% Black or African American, 1.41% Native American, 2.05% Asian, 0.17% Pacific Islander, 55.99% from other races, and 4.81% from two or more races. 86.03% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Of the 1,695 households 61.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.0% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 11.4% were non-families. 9.3% of households were one person and 4.0% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 4.42 and the average family size was 4.61.
The age distribution was 37.8% under the age of 18, 13.1% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 12.7% from 45 to 64, and 5.7% 65 or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.3 males.
The median household income was $41,582 and the median family income was $41,773. Males had a median income of $31,743 versus $27,115 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,438. About 15.0% of families and 20.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.6% of those under age 18 and 11.5% of those age 65 or over.

Media

Local radio stations include KHIP-FM - 104.3 and KKMC-AM - 880. Television service for the community comes from the Monterey-Salinas-Santa Cruz designated market area. Local newspapers include the Salinas Californian, the Monterey County Herald and the Gonzales Tribune, first published in 1890, and at one time the paper with the largest circulation in Monterey County.

Wine-growing area

Gonzales is an important wine cultivation area. Wineries located in Gonzales include Constellation Brands, Robert Talbott, Pisoni Vineyards, Boekenoogen Winery McIntyre Vineyards, Mer Soleil and Salinas Valley Vineyards.

Water tower

The white golf ball-shaped tank of the water tower at Gonzales is supported by three tubular green legs and reaches about high.

Climate

This region experiences warm and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Gonzales has a hot-summer mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csa" on climate maps. Summer daytime temperatures average around, but nights are cool year-round.

Economy

Largest employers

According to the City of Gonzales, the largest employers in the city are:
#Employer# of Employees
1Taylor Farms600
2Gonzales Unified School District283
3Growers Express200
4Jackpot Harvesting187
5Constellation Brands100
6Silva Farms100
7Green Valley Farm Supply75
8Gonzales Packing Company66
9Ramsay Highlander55

People from Gonzales

Gonzales is the birthplace of Thomas Tavernetti, a key figure in the establishment of the University of California, Davis. He is honored at U.C. Davis with the Tavernetti Bell that is rung on football game days.
Gonzales is also the birthplace of John Blume, the “Father of Earthquake Engineering.”
Gonzales became home to John B. Meyenberg and the Western states' first condensary. Meyenberg was the first person to perfect a successful process for the concentration of milk without the addition of sugar. His patent for evaporated milk was secured a few years before his arrival in Gonzales in 1904.

Schools

San Jose de Tateposco, Jalisco, Mexico