Book excerpt: From its beginnings as a Mexican land grant, Los Gatos has been filled with promise. A beautiful natural setting attracted a fascinating population of innovators, inventors, intellectuals, and artists; those who dreamed and those who cultivated the splendid richness of the soil. A gracious integration of fruit, flowers, and a gentle, delightful climate allowed settlers to thrive and find sure success. Inevitable tragedy and troubles also beset the little settlement at the western edge of the country, especially a series of devastating fires and episodes of raw frontier violence in the 1880s. Yet through all of its history, Los Gatos has prided itself on its strong sense of community, each generation proud of its heritage and of what they accomplished. A gathering of talent graced each decade--hopeful, hardworking people who appreciated the unique combination of an ideal place and abundant opportunity existent in their corner of the "Valley of Hearts Delight."