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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: The wets and the drys
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...
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...
Our newest open space preserve has a rich and varied past
Untouched for millennia, the hills above Los Gatos underwent a rapid transformation in the mid-19th century. Timber had become the new gold for fortune seekers, and loggers were attracted to the area by the seemingly endless groves of massive redwoods.
Sawmills popped up along the...
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 ‘Wild’ case of a woman placed at-risk due to sketchy Santa Clara County paperwork
The office of Harry Ryan was the place Jack London penned his seminal novel “the Call of the Wild,” about a dog that’s taken from the Santa Clara Valley to the Klondike, where he befriends wolves and leads a sled team.
Ryan, who met London...
Standing Tall: The town has seen many phases
*The following article first appeared in print as part of this feature on housing development in Los Gatos.
From sporting the name of “Forbes Mill,” to earning the distinction of top destination for retirees in California a few years ago, to serving as a hotbed...
Discover LOST Gatos: Remembering the Pageants of summer
Summer has arrived, and there’s no shortage of live music for us to enjoy here in Los Gatos, from regularly scheduled Jazz on the Plazz and Music in the Park concerts to special events like the multi-cultural Drums in the Park celebration.
Our tradition of...
What a shoebox full of old papers taught me about my grandparents
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...
Town’s efforts to acknowledge earliest residents fraught with challenges
Earlier this year while tweaking the history section of the Draft General Plan, Los Gatos planning commissioners suggested zooming-out from the previous version, which only told the story of settler expansion, to also share the history of the original inhabitants.
What may have seemed, to...

















