Nestled in the heart of a dramatic natural amphitheater formed by the Santa Cruz Mountains, Los Gatos serves as the gateway from the Santa Clara Valley to the Pacific Ocean. This happy accident of location allowed historic Los Gatos to witness a colorful parade of swashbuckling explorers, Franciscan padres, and hearty American pioneers, many of whom came to harvest virgin redwood forests from the mountains and grow fruit in exceptionally fertile soil. Los Gatos grew up around the 1850s flour mill established by Scotsman James Alexander Forbes. In 1878 the railroad arrived and was a powerful influence for more than 80 years. Named for the mountain lions that still inhabit the area, Los Gatos has reflected the expansive richness of the California Dream for 150 years.
Amazon Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review:
An amazing collection of photos and town history
Review Date: 2005-01-04
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful
Peggy Conaway's fascinating collection of historical photographs of our little town reveals what makes Los Gatos unique and the rich California history that it shares with many other communities; it should be interesting to any student of California settlement history. I thoroughly enjoyed the photographs, many (most?) of which have never before been published. This book project uncovered many photographs that had been unknown, and shares several from the late newspaperman John Baggerly's personal collection. I have researched Los Gatos history and it was delightful to finally see some characters that I had only known by name. One photograph of the new freeway (built in the 1950s) conveys better than words the optimistic sense of "progress" the citizens must have felt even as the freeway bypassed the business district, bulldozed the town's park, replaced the grand Main Street bridge, and entombed the natural creek in concrete. I highly recommend this book!
