Daniel Murphy is credited with having planted the earliest orchard in the Morgan Hill area. In 1900 orchards completely dominated South County agriculture. By the 1920s, the City was known for its agriculture including prunes, apricots, peaches, pears, apples, walnuts, almonds and grapes. The region boasted prosperous vineyards until Prohibition demanded that production temporarily cease. Around the 1950s, Morgan Hill experienced an economic transformation from an agricultural center to a suburban residential community. Growth began to accelerate rapidly in the 1970s as Silicon Valley developed and workers were attracted to Morgan Hill’s small-town atmosphere, sense of community and reasonable housing prices. On November 3, 1973 the Morgan Hill Civic Center and library were proudly dedicated to the community of 7,000. By 1980 the population increased to approximately 18,000 residents. In 2008 over 40,000 citizens called Morgan Hill their home.