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It had to happen. The Town of Los Gatos, meaning The Cats, has long been a haven for dogs. Stroll down Main Street, University Avenue or North Santa Cruz Avenue and you'll see water bowls left out for pooches. Or you'll discover places to tether canines near the shops. Dog lovers almost seem to have a magnetic attraction to this corner of Silicon Valley. The irony is not lost on the locals.How did Los Gatos get its cat logo? |
May. 30, 2007
Categorized in: LG Lifestyle
The town of Los Gatos was orignally named after the Spanish land grant, "El Rancho de la Rinconada de los Gatos", the Cat's Corner Ranch. But how did the town get Leo and Leona, the ubiquitous cats, as its logo?
Residing today where they were originally placed in 1922, the cats sit proudly at the entrance to 17525 Santa Cruz Highway, just a stone's throw south of town en route over the Santa Cruz Mountains. They sit guard at the gate of Poet's Canyon.Poet's Canyon is aptly named for a fascinating married couple, Charles Erskin Scott Wood (a poet, PhD, lawyer, Civil War Vet and West Point Grad) and Sara Bard Field (poet and suffragist), who built their home back in this 34 acre nook in the hills. They commissioned a sculptor named Robert Paine to make these 8' tall cement cats at the gateway to their home.
All three of these people are interesting in their own right, and diverse in their talents and abilities.
To see the cat sculptures today, take South Santa Cruz Avenue out of town and onto highway 17 (going toward Santa Cruz). They will be on your right hand side just before you reach the old roadhouse tavern, The Cats (which will be the subject of another blog entry on another day).
Bring your camera. Enjoy!
