1769Military
The first settlers to enter the Valley proper were two soldiers that had strayed from their missionary group on November 2, 1769.
1777History
By 1777, there were between 1,500 and 2,000 Native Americans living in the mission compound.
1852Education
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 offic...
1854Economy
In Los Gatos, the trail passes the 1854 Forbes Mill.
1861Economy
About 1861, small
amounts of oil were discovered in streams, springs, and water
wells in the Santa Cruz Mountains in the vicinity of Moody
Gulch, about 4 miles (6.5 km) south of...
1887Government
The town was incorporated in 1887 and remained an important town for the logging industry in the Santa Cruz Mountains until the end of the 19th century.
1889History
The principal cemetery is the Los Gatos Memorial Park, dating from 1889.
1891Culture
=== Oil boom ===
Between 1891 and 1929, about 20 oil wells were drilled in and around Los Gatos, starting a minor oil-drilling boom.
1905Culture
There 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.
1909History
The wettest year was 1909 with 51.77 inches and the driest year was 2007 with 9.47 inches (241 mm).
1938Economy
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 m3) of oil
and 44 m...
1940History
The last Southern Pacific passenger train to Santa Cruz left Los Gatos on February 26, 1940.
1955History
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.
1959History
San Francisco commuter trains continued into downtown until 1959, and Vasona Junction until 1964.
1961History
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.
1963Architecture
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 was located on the site of a previo...
1976History
The most snow on record was 2.0 inches in February 1976.
1989Disaster
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 a ...
2000History
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 28,592 people, 11,988 households, and 7,300 families residing in the town.
2006History
It was formed by Alastair Dallas in May 2006.
2007History
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.
2017Education
Fisher Middle School controversy =====
In 2017, the school district attracted attention for a dress code that targeted specific groups disproportionately.
2020Infrastructure
=== Rail transportation ===
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.
2023History
Los Gatos was in the 18th district until January 3, 2023, when the new district boundaries commenced.