George W. Gridley, a pioneer sheep raiser, founded the town of Gridley, California.
He made his way west around 1850, driving a herd of sheep and cattle across the plains
from Illinois. He lost his herd on that excursion, but found the area that would become
Gridley to be an attractive one. He soon established a 960 acre ranch and brought his wife, Helen to California where they would have a family of ten children. With the advent of the railroad the town proper of Gridley was established in 1870. The City was incorporated in 1905.
