54.8 F
Los Gatos

Translate

January 17, 2025

Gridlock and Ghosts: Tales from the serpentine route to the sea

traffic jam - old photograph
—This is the second in a two part series. Last month, I explored what traveling “over the hill” was like in the second half of the 19th century, when stagecoach passengers faced long, bone-rattling, and often dangerous trips along dusty or muddy dirt roads. Change came...

The long and winding road (Discover LOST Gatos)

historical photo of teamsters
—This is the first in a two-part series. Summer is here, accompanied by the usual traffic gridlock, so let’s all take a deep breath while I share the mostly forgotten history of our much maligned Highway 17.  If you think traveling over the hill is an...

What a shoebox full of old papers taught me about my grandparents

composite of old photographs and documents
When I was a child in the 70s, Los Gatos was filled with Italians. I remember seeing the older women walking in town, dragging behind them their wire utility carts filled with groceries down Santa Cruz Avenue. My grandparents, Adam and Albina Contardo, were...

The stone house at 15 University Ave tells its tale

Have you ever wondered about the little stone house at 15 University Avenue? In the middle of downtown, it seems oddly out of place. In fact, it’s the only residence within the boundaries of the Los Gatos Historic Commercial District. The house is a 1906...

Discover LOST Gatos: The Los Gatos Hotel and Soda Works story

Los Gatos Hotel black and white photograph
It seems that hardly a month goes by without the launch of a new restaurant in our historic downtown. The latest addition to the dining scene is Dar Restaurant and Bar, located in the little house that formerly housed 11 College Avenue and Nick’s...

The historic First National bank building

historic bank
The arrival of Breaking Dawn, the newest restaurant on the Los Gatos dining scene, is the perfect occasion for a story about its historic home. The Renaissance Revival building that Breaking Dawn now occupies on W. Main St. was designed and built for The First...

A long lost love story

old photograph
Valentine’s Day is the perfect occasion for a love story But even though Los Gatos was the setting of a legendary romance that once captivated the nation, the story of Charles Erskine Scott Wood and Sara Bard Field has largely been forgotten by our community. C.E.S....

Discover LOST Gatos: The wets and the drys

women seek prohibition
Happy New Year, Los Gatos!  After overindulging during the holidays, many people begin the new year by observing a “Dry January.” The practice of abstaining from alcohol for a month started in the U.K. in 2012 as part of a campaign by Alcohol Concern, a...

The libraries of Los Gatos (Discover LOST Gatos)

los gatos library postcard historic
Los Gatos has had a public library since 1898, with the Carnegie Library opening in 1903 and the current library built in 2012, each providing valuable resources and amenities to the community.

The long-lost Interurban Railroad (Discover LOST Gatos)

Trolley promo
For this week's Discover LOST Gatos installment, contributor Alan Feinberg digs into the history of public transit... For as long as I can remember, people have been wondering when (or if) the VTA might extend light rail service to Los Gatos. Imagine how convenient it...

SOCIAL MEDIA

612FansLike
1,180FollowersFollow
486FollowersFollow