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From the Author
If I had been born and raised here, as so many current residents were, perhaps I wouldn't be as curious about the stories, but I became fascinated to learn that, for example, the restaurant in the grand mansion downtown was a funeral parlor for most of the twentieth century. At Walt Disney Imagineering, we would often invent fictional histories for new old buildings. Here in Los Gatos, I found authentic buildings shaped by interesting personalities, such as the French Chateau on Broadway, built by a local merchant who was enthralled by France during World War I. When a home features a rusting neon sign on the front lawn saying "Florentine Village," you just have to wonder. I wrote Los Gatos Observed to share what I found out.
Like many towns, Los Gatos is struggling to define its own future and limit mindless growth. There is one 40-acre walnut orchard remaining in an area that was almost entirely "planted to fruit" at the last turn of the century. I believe that intelligent planning must begin with an understanding of the past. "Ignorance killed the cat, sir. Curiosity was framed..."
