Gary Goularte wants to make sure that Hollister’s history does
not fade away and, in the process, help raise money for special
education students at San Benito High School
The long-time Hollister resident has spent decades collecting
artifacts from the city’s past
– pictures, high school pennants, yearbooks and more.
Hollister – Gary Goularte wants to make sure that Hollister’s history does not fade away and, in the process, help raise money for special education students at San Benito High School
The long-time Hollister resident has spent decades collecting artifacts from the city’s past – pictures, high school pennants, yearbooks and more.
“It’s like a roots thing,” Goularte said. “This (collection) is an extension of my life and my community. It has the value of a family heirloom.”
His collection includes more than 100 picture postcards, some more than a century old, which he plans on using to create a book that, once published, will be sold as a fundraiser for the special education program at San Benito High School, where Goularte works as transportation supervisor.
“The plan is to make a historical post card book, and all the money will go to special education students,” said Goularte, who graduated from SBHS in 1970.
San Benito High School’s special education department doesn’t have much time or resources to hold fundraisers, said Karen Schroder, who runs the department.
“He (Goularte) has always been a big advocate for the special education department,” she said. “We appreciate his help.”
Goularte started his career as an amateur city historian about 27 years ago. In 1977 he bought an old house, which had piles of old post cards and pictures that many people would have overlooked as junk. But Goularte was intrigued.
“I thought ‘This is neat stuff to collect,'” he said.
Over the years he has expanded his collection, gathering things that were thrown out from old buildings and scanning rummage sales for pieces of Hollister history.
“I didn’t need the stuff. I just wanted too save it so people could have it in the future … so it wouldn’t go into the trash,” he said.
Using his spare time, Goularte began putting together the postcard book about three and a half years ago, and hopes to finish it soon.
“Each year I get closer to finishing it,” he said.
In addition to collecting the postcards and scanning them into his computer, Goularte mines the memory’s of older Hollister residents, many who have lived in the city since the early 20th century and remember when San Benito Street was packed dirt rather than covered in asphalt.
Through interviewing these long-time residents, Goularte is able to identify the buildings and businesses that appear in the postcards, information that will eventually become be part of the book.
Goularte hopes that his enthusiasm for local history is shared by others in the community.
“Fifty years from today, when I’m dead and buried, maybe someone will keep this up and do the next one,” he said.
For more information, or to help call Goularte at (831) 637-6249
Luke Roney covers education and agriculture for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or at lr****@fr***********.com
