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Discover LOST Gatos: The railroad era pt. 1
Of all the events in Los Gatos’ history, none had a more lasting impact than the arrival of the railroad. In this two part series, we’ll explore how the “iron horse” became the driving force behind the transformation of our town from an obscure...
Discover LOST Gatos: Remembering the railroad era pt. 2
Part 1 of this series told the story of aspiring railroad barons James “Slippery Jim” Fair and Alfred “Hog” Davis, who founded the South Pacific Coast Railroad (SPCRR) in 1876 to create an extensive rail network throughout the Bay Area and beyond. After the...
Discover LOST Gatos: Lost stories of local schools
As a new school year begins, let’s take a look at what a typical school day was like in our community years ago. You’ll be astonished by how much has changed!
In 1863, a one-room schoolhouse was built to accommodate 25 or more students from...
The strange saga of Holy City
While many of us recognize the name Holy City, the fascinating story of the former mountain community and the eccentric character who founded it has largely been forgotten.
Holy City was built over a period of several years beginning in 1919 by a charismatic cult...
A long lost love story
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....
The historic First National bank building
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...
The Los Gatos ‘Ming Quong’ campus (Discover LOST Gatos)
It was a chilly morning in January, 1953 when 11-year-old Elena Lim arrived in Los Gatos. Her widowed father decided that he was unable to care for her so he surrendered her to the missionaries at Ming Quong.
Elena was unkempt, malnourished and had been...
Discover LOST Gatos: Happy Birthday, Los Gatos!
On Aug. 10, 1887—135 years ago today—a newly created Board of Trustees voted to officially incorporate the Town of Los Gatos. Let’s mark the occasion with a quiz about our beloved town’s history.
1. Who was awarded a land grant for El Rancho Rinconada de...
Town creating calendar recognizing Native American Heritage Month
During its regularly scheduled meeting, Dec. 6, Mayor Rob Rennie asked Town Manager Laurel Prevetti for an update on the process to officially acknowledge Los Gatos’ earliest residents.
But her response—while delighting some First Nations advocates—left one group in particular feeling a little left out.
“We...
Discover LOST Gatos: How the ‘Almond Grove Historic District’ emerged from a scary chapter in our history
Strolling through the Almond Grove neighborhood is a real treat this time of year, when you can see carefully restored Victorian homes adorned with elaborate Halloween decorations. Yet these charming tree-lined streets once faced something even more menacing than ghosts and goblins. Progress.
During the...


















