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1953 Map of Los Gatos

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Los Gatos
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1973
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1973

About this map

Los Gatos and the northern slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains appear here in a period of rapid mid-century expansion. The map details the transition from the concentrated town center and historic Rancho Rinconada de Los Gatos lands toward the rising suburban developments of Monte Sereno and San Jose. The landscape is a complex mix of orchards, institutions like the Novitiate, and legacy resource extraction, including Limestone Quarries and the storied Guadalupe Mines and Senator Mine on Capitancillos Ridge.

Infrastructure shifts are evident at Lexington Reservoir, where the Lexington Dam and Spillway altered the local geography near the former Lexington School. Further south, mountain settlements such as Holy City, Redwood Estates, and Aldercroft Heights are shown tucked into the steep canyons. High peaks like Mt Umunhum and Mt Thayer tower over the Sierra Azul, while the Wrights (Site) marks the location of a former rail stop along Los Gatos Creek.