78-822: The Los Gatos Observer was an online source of news and information for Los Gatos, California and surrounding areas of the South Bay . It was formed by Alastair Dallas in May 2006. The Los Gatos Observer served the 30,000 residents of Los Gatos and approximately 30,000 more in neighboring Monte Sereno , Chemeketa Park , Aldercroft Heights , Redwood Estates , and other so-called "mountain communities." The Observer contained news articles, event calendars, police reports, sports coverage, obituaries and local photographs. Los Gatos, California Los Gatos ( US : / l oʊ s ˈ ɡ ɑː t oʊ s , l ɔː s -/ ; Spanish: [los ˈɣatos] ; Spanish for 'The Cats')
156-714: A warm-summer Mediterranean climate , like much of California. Los Gatos rarely gets a hard frost . Los Gatos gets the slight winter chill that is needed to grow grapes and have vineyards . Types of bananas that ripen within three months grow well during the summer. The record high temperature was 114 °F (46 °C) on June 14, 1961, and the record low temperature was 16 °F (−9 °C) on December 22, 1990. There are an average of 27 days annually with highs of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher and an average of 5 days annually with lows of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower. Rainfall averages 21.2 inches (54 cm) annually and falls on an average of 59 days annually. The wettest year
234-427: A 1 g lateral acceleration earthquake load. Such an acceleration will cause lateral loads on the walls, resulting in shear and bending and inducing tensile stresses. To withstand such loads, the codes typically call for a tensile modulus of rupture strength of at least 50 lbf/in (0.345 newton/mm ) for the finished block. In addition to being an inexpensive material with a small resource cost, adobe can serve as
312-421: A 10-inch wall R 0 =4.1 hr ft °F/Btu. Another source provides the following properties: conductivity=0.30 Btu/(hr ft °F) or 0.52 W/(m K); specific heat capacity=0.24 Btu/(lb °F) or 1 kJ/(kg K) and density=106 lb/ft or 1700 kg/m , giving heat capacity=25.4 Btu/(ft °F) or 1700 kJ/(m K). Using the average value of the thermal conductivity as k = 32 Btu/(hr ft °F) or 0.55 W/(m K), the thermal diffusivity
390-569: A 20-mile (32 km) loop through the Santa Cruz Mountains. From downtown, El Sereno mountain stands to the southwest; El Sombroso stands to the southeast. The El Sereno Open Space Preserve and the Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve open the top and upper flanks of each of these mountains to hiking and cycling. Though the official total area of the town is 11.2 square miles, approximately 100 square miles (260 km ) of
468-846: A chimney can greatly influence the construction of the roof supports, creating an extra need for care in choosing the materials. The builders can make an adobe chimney by stacking simple adobe bricks in a similar fashion as the surrounding walls. In 1927, the Uniform Building Code (UBC) was adopted in the United States. Local ordinances, referencing the UBC added requirements to building with adobe. These included: restriction of building height of adobe structures to 1-story, requirements for adobe mix (compressive and shear strength) and new requirements which stated that every building shall be designed to withstand seismic activity, specifically lateral forces. By
546-454: A factor which has contributed to its longevity as a building material. Thermodynamic material properties have significant variation in the literature. Some experiments suggest that the standard consideration of conductivity is not adequate for this material, as its main thermodynamic property is inertia, and conclude that experimental tests should be performed over a longer period of time than usual - preferably with changing thermal jumps. There
624-469: A female householder with no husband present, and 39.1% were non-families. 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.93. In the town the population was spread out, with 21.2% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 27.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age
702-420: A few hours, the bricks are turned on edge to finish drying. Slow drying in shade reduces cracking. The same mixture, without straw, is used to make mortar and often plaster on interior and exterior walls. Some cultures used lime -based cement for the plaster to protect against rain damage. Depending on the form into which the mixture is pressed, adobe can encompass nearly any shape or size, provided drying
780-454: A full recovery. Rail transport played a large role in Los Gatos's historical development, but the city, as of 2020, has no regular passenger train service of any sort. The South Pacific Coast Railroad , a popular narrow-gauge line from Alameda (and San Francisco via ferry) to Santa Cruz in the late 19th century, stopped in Los Gatos. Southern Pacific took over this line in 1887. Los Gatos
858-404: A generally unacceptable range for residential living. Vasona Park , a county park, and neighboring Oak Meadow Park, which belongs to the town, are located in what is roughly the geographic middle of the town, bordered on the south by Blossom Hill Road, on the east by Highway 17, on the west by University Avenue, and reaching at the north end not quite all the way to Lark Avenue. Located in the parks
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#1732869306976936-466: A greater expanse is covered when placing the bricks onto the roof. Following each individual brick should be a layer of adobe mortar, recommended to be at least 25 mm (1 in) thick to make certain there is ample strength between the brick's edges and also to provide a relative moisture barrier during rain. Roof design evolved around 1850 in the American Southwest. Three inches of adobe mud
1014-583: A horizontal bearing plate for the roof beams and to redistribute lateral earthquake loads to shear walls more able to carry the forces. To protect the interior and exterior adobe walls, finishes such as mud plaster, whitewash or stucco can be applied. These protect the adobe wall from water damage, but need to be reapplied periodically. Alternatively, the walls can be finished with other nontraditional plasters that provide longer protection. Bricks made with stabilized adobe generally do not need protection of plasters. The traditional adobe roof has been constructed using
1092-467: A household was $ 198,117, with family households having a median income of $ 240,688 and non-family households $ 113,207. The per capita income was $ 120,561. Out of the 32,700 people with a determined poverty status, 3.9% were below the poverty line . Further, 2.0% of minors and 6.4% of seniors were below the poverty line. In the survey, residents self-identified with various ethnic ancestries. People of German descent made up 11.1% of
1170-447: A male householder with no partner present, and 21.5% had a female householder with no partner present. The median household size was 2.54 and the median family size was 3.05. The age distribution was 22.9% under 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 20.8% from 25 to 44, 31.0% from 45 to 64, and 20.1% who were 65 or older. The median age was 45.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.8 males. The median income for
1248-624: A mix of not more than 1 ⁄ 3 clay, not less than 1 ⁄ 2 sand, and never more than 1 ⁄ 3 silt. During the Great Depression , designer and builder Hugh W. Comstock used cheaper materials and made a specialized adobe brick called "Bitudobe." His first adobe house was built in 1936. In 1948, he published the book Post-Adobe; Simplified Adobe Construction Combining A Rugged Timber Frame And Modern Stabilized Adobe, which described his method of construction, including how to make "Bitudobe." In 1938, he served as an adviser to
1326-410: A mixture of soil/clay, water, sand and organic materials. The mixture was then formed and pressed into wood forms, producing rows of dried earth bricks that would then be laid across a support structure of wood and plastered into place with more adobe. Depending on the materials available, a roof may be assembled using wood or metal beams to create a framework to begin layering adobe bricks. Depending on
1404-415: A popular size measured 8 by 4 by 12 inches (20 cm × 10 cm × 30 cm) weighing about 25 pounds (11 kg); in other contexts the size is 10 by 4 by 14 inches (25 cm × 10 cm × 36 cm) weighing about 35 pounds (16 kg). The maximum sizes can reach up to 100 pounds (45 kg); above this weight it becomes difficult to move the pieces, and it is preferred to ram
1482-458: A population of 29,413. The population density was 2,635.7 inhabitants per square mile (1,017.6/km ). The racial makeup of Los Gatos was 24,060 (81.8%) White , 269 (0.9%) African American , 86 (0.3%) Native American , 3,203 (10.9%) Asian , 52 (0.2%) Pacific Islander , 462 (1.6%) from other races , and 1,281 (4.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2,120 persons (7.2%). The Census reported that 29,063 people (98.8% of
1560-403: A significant heat reservoir due to the thermal properties inherent in the massive walls typical in adobe construction. In climates typified by hot days and cool nights, the high thermal mass of adobe mediates the high and low temperatures of the day, moderating the temperature of the living space. The massive walls require a large and relatively long input of heat from the sun ( radiation ) and from
1638-456: A variety of outdoor activities such as mountain biking, road cycling, trail running, kayaking, hiking. The Los Gatos Creek Trail is nearby and Vasona Lake Park is located in the center of the town. Los Gatos has five official sister cities : Adobe Adobe ( / ə ˈ d oʊ b i / ə- DOH -bee ; Spanish pronunciation: [aˈðoβe] ) is a building material made from earth and organic materials. Adobe
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#17328693069761716-471: Is Spanish for mudbrick . In some English-speaking regions of Spanish heritage, such as the Southwestern United States , the term is used to refer to any kind of earthen construction, or various architectural styles like Pueblo Revival or Territorial Revival . Most adobe buildings are similar in appearance to cob and rammed earth buildings. Adobe is among the earliest building materials, and
1794-609: Is an incorporated town in Santa Clara County, California , United States. The population is 33,529 according to the 2020 census . It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area just southwest of San Jose in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains . Los Gatos is part of Silicon Valley , with several high technology companies maintaining a presence there. Netflix , the streaming service and content creator,
1872-424: Is an effective R-value for a north facing 10-in wall of R0=10 hr ft °F/Btu, which corresponds to thermal conductivity k=10 in x 1 ft/12 in /R0=0.33 Btu/(hr ft °F) or 0.57 W/(m K) in agreement with the thermal conductivity reported from another source. To determine the total R-value of a wall, scale R 0 by the thickness of the wall in inches. The thermal resistance of adobe is also stated as an R-value for
1950-505: Is bisected by State Route 17 , which runs through the town from south to north. State Route 85 roughly marks the northern boundary of the town, although a few pockets of homes to its North are included. Highway 9 (Los Gatos-Saratoga Road) from the coast terminates at Highway 17. Downtown Los Gatos, the area on and around Santa Cruz Avenue and Main Street, is located in the southwest quadrant of town. A left exit on northbound Highway 17 becomes
2028-476: Is calculated to be 0.013 ft /h or 3.3x10 m /s. Poured and puddled adobe (puddled clay, piled earth), today called cob , is made by placing soft adobe in layers, rather than by making individual dried bricks or using a form. "Puddle" is a general term for a clay or clay and sand-based material worked into a dense, plastic state. These are the oldest methods of building with adobe in the Americas until holes in
2106-436: Is even and the mixture includes reinforcement for larger bricks. Reinforcement can include manure, straw, cement, rebar , or wooden posts. Straw, cement, or manure added to a standard adobe mixture can produce a stronger, more crack-resistant brick. A test is done on the soil content first. To do so, a sample of the soil is mixed into a clear container with some water, creating an almost completely saturated liquid. The container
2184-449: Is headquartered in Los Gatos and has developed a large presence in the area. Los Gatos is Spanish for "The Cats". The name derives from the 1839 Alta California land grant that encompassed the area, which was called La Rinconada de Los Gatos ("The Corner of the Cats"), where the cats refers to the cougars (mountain lions) and bobcats that are indigenous to the foothills in which
2262-554: Is in the 15th Senate District , represented by Democrat Dave Cortese , and in the 28th Assembly District , represented by Democrat Gail Pellerin . In the United States House of Representatives , Los Gatos is in California's 16th congressional district , represented by Democrat Anna Eshoo . Los Gatos was in the 18th district until January 3, 2023, when the new district boundaries commenced . The seal of
2340-663: Is now located in Monte Sereno ); Justin Goodsell, a renowned quantum mechanics spectroscopy scientist, was born in this town, and a prominent Beat hero Neal Cassady lived there in the 1950s. Along with much of the Santa Clara Valley , Los Gatos became a suburban community for San Jose beginning in the 1950s, and the town was mostly built out by the 1980s. Downtown Los Gatos has retained and restored many of its Victorian -era homes and commercial buildings. Notable buildings include
2418-523: Is shaken vigorously for one minute. It is then allowed to settle for a day until the soil has settled into layers. Heavier particles settle out first, sand above, silt above that, and very fine clay and organic matter will stay in suspension for days. After the water has cleared, percentages of the various particles can be determined. Fifty to 60 percent sand and 35 to 40 percent clay will yield strong bricks. The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service at New Mexico State University recommends
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2496-608: Is stabilized with either emulsified asphalt or Portland cement up to 10% by weight. No more than half the clay content should be expansive clays , with the remainder non-expansive illite or kaolinite. Too much expansive clay results in uneven drying through the brick, resulting in cracking, while too much kaolinite will make a weak brick. Typically the soils of the Southwest United States, where such construction has been widely used, are an adequate composition. Adobe walls are load bearing, i.e. they carry their own weight into
2574-551: Is the popular William "Billy" Jones Wildcat Railroad. In Vasona Park is the trail to Prune Ridge. Los Gatos Creek begins in the Santa Cruz Mountains south of the town and runs through the town parallel to Highway 17 all the way through neighboring Campbell and San Jose to the Guadalupe River , which flows into San Francisco Bay. A walking, jogging, and biking trail called the Los Gatos Creek Trail runs alongside much of
2652-428: Is used throughout the world. Adobe architecture has been dated to before 5,100 BCE. Adobe bricks are rectangular prisms small enough that they can quickly air dry individually without cracking. They can be subsequently assembled, with the application of adobe mud to bond the individual bricks into a structure. There is no standard size, with substantial variations over the years and in different regions. In some areas
2730-470: Is useful in binding the brick together and allowing the brick to dry evenly, thereby preventing cracking due to uneven shrinkage rates through the brick. Dung offers the same advantage. The most desirable soil texture for producing the mud of adobe is 15% clay, 10–30% silt, and 55–75% fine sand. Another source quotes 15–25% clay and the remainder sand and coarser particles up to cobbles 50 to 250 mm (2 to 10 in), with no deleterious effect. Modern adobe
2808-479: The 1976 Guatemala earthquake , the 2003 Bam earthquake , and the 2010 Chile earthquake . Buildings made of sun-dried earth are common throughout the world (Middle East, Western Asia, North Africa, West Africa, South America, Southwestern North America, Southwestern and Eastern Europe.). Adobe had been in use by indigenous peoples of the Americas in the Southwestern United States, Mesoamerica , and
2886-747: The Andes for several thousand years. Puebloan peoples built their adobe structures with handsful or basketsful of adobe, until the Spanish introduced them to making bricks. Adobe bricks were used in Spain from the Late Bronze and Iron Ages (eighth century BCE onwards). Its wide use can be attributed to its simplicity of design and manufacture, and economics. The word adobe / ə ˈ d oʊ b iː / has existed for around 4,000 years with relatively little change in either pronunciation or meaning. The word can be traced from
2964-607: The Forbes Mill annex, dating to 1880 and formerly housing a history museum; Los Gatos High School, which dates from the 1920s; and the Old Town Shopping Center, formerly the University Avenue School (the school was established in 1882; the current buildings date to 1923). The Lyndon Hotel was another location of significance in the town from its establishment in the 1890s until it was razed in 1963.The building
3042-595: The Middle Egyptian ( c. 2000 BC ) word ḏbt "mud brick" (with vowels unwritten). Middle Egyptian evolved into Late Egyptian and finally to Coptic ( c. 600 BC ), where it appeared as ⲧⲱⲃⲉ tōbə . This was adopted into Arabic as الطوب aṭ-ṭawbu or aṭ-ṭūbu , with the definite article al- attached to the root tuba . This was assimilated into the Old Spanish language as adobe [aˈdobe] , probably via Mozarabic . English borrowed
3120-806: The Bay Area. In 2017, the school district attracted attention for a dress code that targeted specific groups disproportionately. The Los Gatos Public Library is operated by the Town of Los Gatos and is not part of the Santa Clara County Library system. The library is located at 100 Villa Ave, Los Gatos, CA in the town Civic Center. Any California resident with proper identification and verification of their mailing address may have borrowing privileges. The New Museum (NUMU), formerly called Museums of Los Gatos, offers exhibitions and programs on Los Gatos and San Francisco Bay Area art and history. Los Gatos offers
3198-723: The Moody Gulch drillers, R.C. McPherson, found oil in a well along San Jose Road (now Los Gatos Boulevard) in the Santa Clara Valley flatlands, about 1.9 miles (3 km) northeast of the Los Gatos Post Office. Although commercial production was never established, small amounts of oil were produced for use as fuel, lubricant, and road tar by local residents. Los Gatos is located at 37°14′10″N 121°57′42″W / 37.23611°N 121.96167°W / 37.23611; -121.96167 (37.236044, −121.961768). Los Gatos
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3276-507: The Santa Cruz Mountains in the vicinity of Moody Gulch, about 4 miles (6.5 km) south of the Los Gatos Post Office. An intense search for oil ensued, resulting in the drilling of many wells and establishment of the Moody Gulch oil field. The Moody Gulch oil field, however, never met expectations, and it was abandoned sometime around 1938 after producing a total of about 98,000 barrels (15,600 m ) of oil and 44 million cu ft (1.2 million m ) of gas. In 1891, one of
3354-709: The Winchester Transit Center, the 49 via Los Gatos Boulevard and the 48 via Winchester. For railroad transportation the nearby city of Santa Clara has the closest train station served by Caltrain , and nearby in the city of Campbell provides access to VTA light rail via the Winchester , Downtown Campbell , and Hamilton stations. For air travel, the closest international airports are San Jose International Airport (SJC), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), and Oakland International Airport (OAK). All these airports are used for air travel by people across
3432-510: The architects Franklin & Kump Associates, who built the Carmel High School , which used his Post-adobe system. The ground supporting an adobe structure should be compressed, as the weight of adobe wall is significant and foundation settling may cause cracking of the wall. Footing depth is to be below the ground frost level. The footing and stem wall are commonly 24 and 14 inches thick, respectively. Modern construction codes call for
3510-521: The city was 71.7% White, 17.2% Asian, 2.6% some other race, 1.2% Black or African American, and 0.1% Native American or Alaskan Native, with 7.3% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 8.2% of the population. Of the 12,855 households, 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.9% had seniors 65 years or older living with them, 61.1% were married couples living together, 4.8% were couples cohabitating, 12.6% had
3588-416: The city's 2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the city are: As of the 2022 American Community Survey estimates, there were 33,093 people and 12,855 households. The population density was 2,864.2 inhabitants per square mile (1,105.9/km ). There were 13,765 housing units at an average density of 1,191.4 units per square mile (460.0 units/km ). The racial makeup of
3666-435: The city, the extension was cut short to Winchester due to the high cost of the extension, minimal expected ridership gains, and the difficulty of sharing rail right-of-way to Vasona Junction with Union Pacific freight trains. Between 1891 and 1929, about 20 oil wells were drilled in and around Los Gatos, starting a minor oil-drilling boom. About 1861, small amounts of oil were discovered in streams, springs, and water wells in
3744-596: The creek from Lexington Dam through Vasona Park and Campbell to Meridian Avenue in San Jose . In Los Gatos, the trail passes the 1854 Forbes Mill . According to the United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 11.2 square miles (29 km ). 11.1 square miles (29 km ) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km ) of it, comprising 0.71%, is water. Los Gatos is surrounded by several mountain bike trails. Cyclists can leave from downtown on
3822-412: The foundation rather than by another structure, hence the adobe must have sufficient compressive strength. In the United States, most building codes call for a minimum compressive strength of 300 lbf/in (2.07 newton/mm ) for the adobe block. Adobe construction should be designed so as to avoid lateral structural loads that would cause bending loads. The building codes require the building sustain
3900-401: The ground were used as forms, and later wooden forms used to make individual bricks were introduced by the Spanish. Bricks made from adobe are usually made by pressing the mud mixture into an open timber frame. In North America, the brick is typically about 25 by 36 cm (10 by 14 in) in size. The mixture is molded into the frame, which is removed after initial setting. After drying for
3978-475: The logging industry in the Santa Cruz Mountains until the end of the 19th century. Despite being nearby to logging communities, Los Gatos itself only served as a stopping point for those heading into the mountains. With the creation of the Los Gatos Turnpike road, the town was placed in a strategic position on the journey between San Jose and Santa Cruz, and it became an attractive location to live in. Soon,
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#17328693069764056-436: The mid-1850s with the building of a flour-milling operation, Forbes Mill , by James Alexander Forbes along Los Gatos Creek, then called Jones's Creek. The mill's two-story stone storage annex still stands. The settlement that was established in the 1860s was originally named for the mill, but the name was changed to Los Gatos after the Spanish land grant. The town was incorporated in 1887 and remained an important town for
4134-465: The mud in situ , resulting in a different typology known as rammed earth . In dry climates, adobe structures are extremely durable, and account for some of the oldest existing buildings in the world. Adobe buildings offer significant advantages due to their greater thermal mass , but they are known to be particularly susceptible to earthquake damage if they are not reinforced. Cases where adobe structures were widely damaged during earthquakes include
4212-519: The population of the town, followed by English at 10.7%, Irish at 8.0%, Italian at 7.0%, French at 3.0%, American at 2.5%, Ukrainian at 2.3%, Swedish at 2.1%, Russian at 2.1%, Scottish at 2.0%, Polish at 1.6%, Portuguese at 1.4%, Greek at 1.4%, Arab at 1.3%, Norwegian at 1.2%, Dutch at 1.0%, Hungarian at 0.9%, Danish at 0.8%, Welsh at 0.7%, Sub-Saharan African at 0.6%, Scotch-Irish at 0.6%, and Czech at 0.6%. The 2010 United States Census reported that Los Gatos had
4290-529: The population were below the poverty line , including 4.4% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over. The town is governed by five elected council members with the position of mayor rotating between council members each year. Half the council is elected to a four-year term every two years. There are no term limits for the Town Council. In the California State Legislature , Los Gatos
4368-644: The population) lived in households, 92 (0.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 258 (0.9%) were institutionalized. There were 12,355 households, out of which 3,775 (30.6%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 6,417 (51.9%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 949 (7.7%) had a female householder with no husband present, 435 (3.5%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 551 (4.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships , and 84 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships . 3,695 households (29.9%) were made up of individuals, and 1,464 (11.8%) had someone living alone who
4446-407: The population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 9,162 people (31.1%) lived in rental housing units. As of the census of 2000, there were 28,592 people, 11,988 households, and 7,300 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,030.8/km (2,670/sq mi). There were 12,367 housing units at an average density of 445.8 units/km (1,155 units/sq mi). The ethnic makeup of
4524-516: The south end of South Santa Cruz Avenue, leading into downtown. The area around Los Gatos Boulevard, east of Highway 17, is much more typically suburban than downtown, with medium-sized shopping centers clustered at major intersections of the multilane boulevard. Although the town has generally a quiet setting, its principal noise generators are State Route 17 and Los Gatos Boulevard. Sound levels within one hundred and fifty feet of Los Gatos Boulevard exceed 60 db CNEL (Community Noise Equivalent Level),
4602-465: The surrounding Los Gatos Mountains (within the Santa Cruz Mountains range) has a Los Gatos address and uses the 95033 ZIP code (primarily) for U.S. Postal Service mail delivery (among other purposes). The principal cemetery is the Los Gatos Memorial Park , dating from 1889. Los Gatos experiences nearly the same temperatures as San Jose, just slightly warmer and with more rain. Los Gatos has
4680-406: The surrounding air ( convection ) before they warm through to the interior. After the sun sets and the temperature drops, the warm wall will continue to transfer heat to the interior for several hours due to the time-lag effect. Thus, a well-planned adobe wall of the appropriate thickness is very effective at controlling inside temperature through the wide daily fluctuations typical of desert climates,
4758-562: The thickness of the adobe bricks, the framework has been preformed using a steel framing and a layering of a metal fencing or wiring over the framework to allow an even load as masses of adobe are spread across the metal fencing like cob and allowed to air dry accordingly. This method was demonstrated with an adobe blend heavily impregnated with cement to allow even drying and prevent cracking. The more traditional flat adobe roofs are functional only in dry climates that are not exposed to snow loads. The heaviest wooden beams, called vigas , lie atop
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#17328693069764836-518: The town became a thriving agricultural town with apricots , grapes and prunes being grown in the area. By the 1920s, the Los Gatos area had a local reputation as an arts colony, attracting painters, musicians, writers, actors and their bohemian associates as residents over the years. The violinist Yehudi Menuhin lived there as a boy; the actresses Joan Fontaine and Olivia de Havilland (sisters) were graduates of Los Gatos High School ; John Steinbeck wrote The Grapes of Wrath there (the location
4914-445: The town contains an image of the pair of cat sculptures by sculptor Robert Paine that he made for the estate of Charles Erskine Scott Wood and Sara Bard Field . The town of Los Gatos is served by the VTA , (Valley Transportation Authority) which also serves the majority of the county of Santa Clara , including San Jose. The two Los Gatos Community Buses run from Santa Cruz and Main to
4992-472: The town is located. The pronunciation is often anglicized to / l ɔː s ˈ ɡ æ t ə s / lawss- GAT -əs , although one also hears pronunciations truer to the original Spanish, / l oʊ s ˈ ɡ ɑː t oʊ s / lohss- GAH -tohss . The first inhabitants of the area that is now Los Gatos were the Ohlone Native Americans. At the time the first settlers arrived in the area, it
5070-406: The town was 86.68% Caucasian , 0.79% African American , 0.30% Native American , 7.60% Asian , 0.07% Pacific Islander , 1.28% from other races , and 3.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.21% of the population. There were 11,988 households, out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were married couples living together, 7.2% had
5148-446: The town was booming. In 1852 only one adobe home existed in the area; by 1868 Los Gatos held the Mill, a blacksmith shop, a stage depot, a lumber yard, a temporary schoolhouse, a hotel, a post office, and several houses. The town began to rapidly gain prominence after the town of Lexington lost its importance with the fall of the timber industry in the area. In the early 20th century,
5226-434: The use of reinforcing steel in the footing and stem wall. Adobe bricks are laid by course. Adobe walls usually never rise above two stories as they are load bearing and adobe has low structural strength. When creating window and door openings, a lintel is placed on top of the opening to support the bricks above. Atop the last courses of brick, bond beams made of heavy wood beams or modern reinforced concrete are laid to provide
5304-418: The wall. Across the vigas lie smaller members called latillas and upon those brush is then laid. Finally, the adobe layer is applied. To construct a flat adobe roof, beams of wood were laid to span the building, the ends of which were attached to the tops of the walls. Once the vigas, latillas and brush are laid, adobe bricks are placed. An adobe roof is often laid with bricks slightly larger in width to ensure
5382-553: The word from Spanish in the early 18th century, still referring to mudbrick construction. In more modern English usage, the term adobe has come to include a style of architecture popular in the desert climates of North America, especially in New Mexico , regardless of the construction method. An adobe brick is a composite material made of earth mixed with water and an organic material such as straw or dung . The soil composition typically contains sand , silt and clay . Straw
5460-681: Was 1909 with 51.77 inches and the driest year was 2007 with 9.47 inches (241 mm). The most rainfall in one month was 26.56 inches in December 1955 and the most rainfall in 24 hours was 8.48 inches on December 23, 1955. Although snow sometimes falls in the nearby Santa Cruz Mountains, it is very rare in Los Gatos. The most snow on record was 2.0 inches in February 1976. Los Gatos averages 330 sunny days per year. The following companies are headquartered in Los Gatos: According to
5538-414: Was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males. According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the town was $ 126,568, and the median income for a family was $ 152,940. Males had a median income of $ 89,420 versus $ 57,596 for females. The per capita income for the town was $ 56,094. About 3.1% of families and 4.3% of
5616-419: Was 45.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.0 males. There were 13,050 housing units at an average density of 1,169.4 units per square mile (451.5 units/km ), of which 7,778 (63.0%) were owner-occupied, and 4,577 (37.0%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.0%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.5%. 19,901 people (67.7% of
5694-417: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35. There were 7,801 families (63.1% of all households); the average family size was 2.96. The population was spread out, with 6,567 people (22.3%) under the age of 18, 1,442 people (4.9%) aged 18 to 24, 6,722 people (22.9%) aged 25 to 44, 9,417 people (32.0%) aged 45 to 64, and 5,265 people (17.9%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age
5772-513: Was also a streetcar-type rail line called the Peninsular Railway with service to Saratoga and San Jose that started about 1905 and ended about 1933. San Francisco commuter trains continued into downtown until 1959, and Vasona Junction until 1964. The site of the old railroad station is now occupied by Town Plaza and the post office. While VTA had originally planned to extend their Green Line to Vasona Junction and bring back passenger rail to
5850-556: Was also near the Southern Pacific resort town of Holy City , along the rail line in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The last Southern Pacific passenger train to Santa Cruz left Los Gatos on February 26, 1940. In town, the rail line used to run along the shore of Vasona Reservoir to the present-day location of the Post Office, following the path of what is now a continuous string of parking lots between Santa Cruz Ave. and University Ave. There
5928-445: Was applied on top of the latillas, then 18 inches of dry adobe dirt applied to the roof. The dirt was contoured into a low slope to a downspout aka a 'canal'. When moisture was applied to the roof the clay particles expanded to create a waterproof membrane. Once a year it was necessary to pull the weeds from the roof and re-slope the dirt as needed. Depending on the materials, adobe roofs can be inherently fire-proof. The construction of
6006-519: Was estimated that approximately 5,000 indigenous people were living in the Valley , and noted that the relationship between the settlers and natives was very good. The first settlers to enter the Valley proper were two soldiers that had strayed from their missionary group on November 2, 1769. By 1777, there were between 1,500 and 2,000 Native Americans living in the mission compound. The town's founding dates to
6084-413: Was located on the site of a previous hotel. One that had changed hands numerous times over the previous years. But primarily under the ownership of one of the most esteemed Los Gatos business owners at the time. John Weldon Lyndon. A number of brick buildings in downtown Los Gatos were destroyed or seriously damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake , though the district was quickly rebuilt and has made
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