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Municipalities listed below have been researched for municipal flags, mainly by searching their websites. Commonly U.S. cities use the city seal on a plain field as the city flag, so we have included information about the city seal where no
other flag is known.
See also:
The website at
www.lacanadaflintridge.com shows the logo - rounded at the top with vertical
sides and a horizontal base. At the bottom of the logo are two white mountain
peaks which form the base of the design, with the words 'CITY OF' written is in
all black block letters, followed by 'LA CAÑADA
FLINTRIDGE' in two rows of large black block letters in an Art Deco font, again
with a tilde. Above the peaks is a light blue sky with white striations,
apparently representing cirrus clouds. In the left foreground is a large brown
tree branch with green leaves.
Ron Lahav, 21 November 2004
The website at www.lovelafayette.org
does not show any civic heraldry, but one of the recent minutes of the City
Council mentions someone having been appointed to the Banner Committee.
Ron Lahav, 21 November 2004
The website at
www.lagunabeachcity.org shows the municipal seal depicted as a gold circular
wafer, such as is used to notarize documents. Both the lettering around the
outer ring and the central image are embossed in gold. The outer ring has the
words 'CITY OF LAGUNA BEACH' embossed in block letters at the top and
'CALIFORNIA' at the bottom. The central image appears to be some sort of
landscape.
Ron Lahav, 21 November 2004
The website at
www.ci.laguna-hills.ca.us shows a very pretty seal. The outer ring is dark
blue edged in gold externally and in white internally. At the top of the outer
circle are the words 'CITY OF LAGUNA HILLS' in gold block letters. The central
image consists of a multicolored landscape with a cowboy wearing a black
sombrero, a light blue shirt, and blue jeans mounted on a brown horse with black
mane and tail. These figures stand on an ocher cliff in the right foreground
overlooking the landscape. Facing them in the center foreground is a blue canal
stretching into the middle distance, with gray rocks in the immediate foreground
and in the left center. There are also some green bushes in the left center, and
a tan mountain in the right background behind the horse and rider. Above all is
a blue sky with what appears to be a brown condor flying from [heraldic] right
to left.
Ron Lahav, 21 November 2004
The website at
www.ci.laguna-niguel.ca.us shows the seal in the standard circular format,
with the outer edge bordered by a blue and gold rope, hawser laid. The outer
ring is deep royal blue,with 'CITY of LAGUNA NIGUEL' in gold block and lower
case letters at the top and the date '1989' similarly written in gold at the
bottom. The central image depicts a landscape in natural colors, featuring a
pale turquoise sky containing a golden sun overall. In narrow golden block
letters at the very bottom of the central image are the words SEA COUNTRY.
Ron Lahav, 27 November 2004
The website at www.ci.la-habra.ca.us
shows the logo as a vertical ovoid outlined in blue, with a white background
field. In the center of the ovoid is what appears to be a hibiscus blossom in
deep red with green stem and leaves and blue stamen and pistil. At the top of
the ovoid are the words CITY OF' in blue block letters, with the words 'LA
HABRA' written in large blue script upper and lower case letters immediately
above the blossom. Beneath the blossom is a label in the form of a scroll with
the cord 'CALIFORNIA' written in block lettering; all the letters of this word
are in blue except for the last letter 'I', which is silver. The date '1925' is
written in blue beneath this label.
Ron Lahav, 27 November 2004
The website at
www.la-habra-heights.org/home.htm shows a very pretty seal. A black outer
circle is edged externally in terra cotta. The words 'CITY OF LA HABRA HEIGHTS'
are written in white block letters using what one source describes as an 'Old
Castilian' font around the top, with the date '1978' similarly written at the
bottom. The background color of the central image is also terra cotta, and it
depicts a galloping horse in white racing over a stretch of ground also in
white, with snow-capped mountains in the background.
Ron Lahav, 27 November 2004
Lake Elsinore, Riverside County, appears to have a flag bearing the city logo
on white with an inscription below the logo. The flag can be seen at
http://www.lake-elsinore.org/images/CollageCityHall.jpg and a vague logo can
be seen at
http://www.lake-elsinore.org/images/mosaicfade.gif.
Dov Gutterman, 19 October 2002
The website at www.lake-elsinore.org
shows a very basic logo consisting of four curved white lines and three
similarly curved blue lines, suggesting the surface of a lake, with two stylized
white sailboats at the upper right of the logo.
Ron Lahav, 27 November 2004
The website at
www.city-lakeforest.com shows another striking seal: a horizontal ellipse
with a white outer oval edged black both externally and internally, the words
'CITY OF LAKE FOREST' written externally therein in black block letters and two
black dots at either end of the outer ellipse. At the bottom of the outer
ellipse the date 'DECEMBER 20, 1991' is similarly written. The central image
depicts a deep blue lake in the lower right foreground, abutting onto a green
shore at the lower left. On the shore are three trees of different heights
placed at staggered intervals; the trunks of the trees are brown, while their
crowns are a pale blue green. Overlooking the lake is a mountain divided
irregularly into brown and beige portions, with a blue sky overall. The tops of
the trees divide the sky into two irregular portions.
Ron Lahav, 27 November 2004
The website at www.lakewoodcity.org
shows a very basic and simple logo. On a light green background a suburban
cityscape of buildings, shrubbery, etc., is suggested in yellow outline. At the
top of this cityscape is a stylized solar disc, also outlined in yellow, with a
solid yellow flag on a yellow staff rising from one of the buildings and
protruding into the lower left portion of the solar disc.
Ron Lahav, 27 November 2004
The website at www.cityoflamesa.com
shows the municipal logo with a curved top, two vertical sides, and a horizontal
base. The upper portion of the logo has a white background color, divided
sinuously from the green lower portion. In the upper portion there is a yellow
sun with dark gray shading along the bottom, and to the right of this are two
green palm trees of differing heights arising from the green lower portion.
Along the curved top portion of the logo the words 'CITY OF LA MESA' are written
in blue block letters. The bottom of the logo is green, and this in turn is
divided into two irregular portions by a curving white line, above which is
written the city motto in white upper and lower case letters, 'Jewel of the
Hills'. The URL address
http://www.cityoflamesa.com/news/FlagDayParade.htm contains a
description of this event, which is apparently an annual occasion.
Ron Lahav, 27 November 2004
According to
http://www.reelectruthsterling.com/pages/bio2.html and
http://www.cityoflamesa.com/Government/CityCouncil_RuthSterling.htm La Mesa
does seem to have a city flag, designed or proposed by Councilwomen Ruth
Sterling. unfortunately, neither site has an image of that flag.
Ned Smith, 28 November 2004
The website at
http://www.cityoflamirada.org shows a logo that exists in many varieties,
and I shall describe three which I have found. The basic design and pattern
remains the same, but the colors are very different. What I assume to be the
basic version is to be found when one clicks the 'Community News' button on the
Home Page of the web site. The central image has a yellow background color, with
blue serrated edges. In the center is what seems to be a condor (or else an
eagle as drawn by someone who had only heard of one from hearsay), as seen from
above. The condor is in blue outline with its head facing to the right. Beneath
the tail feathers is the date '1960' (and in a most inappropriate place too, I
must say!). At the top of the circle but outside it are the words 'CITY OF LA
MIRADA' in thick blue block letters, and at the bottom of the circle are the
words 'STATE OF CALIFORNIA' in smaller and thinner blue block letters. This logo
also exists in the form of a blue and white line drawing with the outside
letters and the condor in white, and the same with the colors and image reversed
and in blue.
Ron Lahav, 2 December 2004
The website at
http://www.cityoflancaster.org shows a standard circular seal consisting of
two concentric circles. The outer circle is white, with with old gold edging
both internally and externally. The words 'CITY OF LANCASTER, CALIFORNIA' are
written at the top of the circle in large old gold block lettering using an Old
West font, while 'INCORPORATED NOV. 22, 1971' are written in smaller lettering
but in the same colors and font at the bottom. The central image is multicolored
and quartered by thin black lines. The upper left quadrant shows a golden sun in
a blue sky, with a jet aircraft describing a sweeping ascending curve from left
to right. The upper right quadrant depicts a desert landscape in proper colors,
again with a blue sky overall. The lower left quadrant depicts a leaping
mountain goat silhouetted in black against an ocher sky, while the lower right
quadrant features several tan boulders. At the very bottom of the central image
are three orange California poppies with green leaves; the poppy is also used as
the city logo. I find the use of the poppy rather than the red rose to be
somewhat unusual for a city named Lancaster, even though it claims to be named
by someone who originally came from Lancaster, Pennsylvania; after all, that
city uses the red rose as its symbol as well.
Ron Lahav, 2 December 2004
The website at
http://www.cityoflapalma.org/pdf_docs/filmingapp.pdf#search='city%20la%20palma%20california'
shows a B&W line drawing of the municipal seal can be found at the top of the
on-line application for a filming permit issued by the City Council. The seal
consists of a circular format with a narrow outer ring, which has the words
'CITY OF LA PALMA' in block lettering at the top and 'CALIFORNIA' similarly
written at the bottom. The central image consists of a clenched fist grasping an
illuminated torch rising from a flat plane. To the right of the torch is a palm
tree, while to the left there are three very small images, one atop the other.
The topmost seems to be a structure of some kind, the middle a grove of three
trees planted in a horizontal line, and the bottom yet another structure. There
also seems to be some sort of inscription written in miniscule type beneath the
torch. The central image seems to be divided per fess about two-thirds of the
way down from the top.
Ron Lahav, 2 December 2004
The website at http://www.lapuente.org
shows the seal consists of a very large circle, with an outer ring in slate gray
and having golden serrations along its outer edge. The words 'CITY OF' are
written in white block letters, with a white dot both before and after the word
'CITY'. Running across the center of the seal from right to left and bisecting
it, crossing the entire width of the seal itself, is a large curved ribbon in
olive green with gold fimbriation top and bottom. This ribbon contains the words
'La Puente' written in large upper and lower case white script lettering. The
lower portion of the outer circle contains the city motto, 'WHERE THE PAST MEETS
THE FUTURE,' written in small white block lettering. The background color of the
central image is white, and on it are three California poppies in golden yellow,
with cerise centers and violet brown edges and with green leaves. One of the
poppies is above the green ribbon and faces forwards, while the two remaining
poppies are beneath the ribbon and are angled somewhat to the right and left,
respectively.
Ron Lahav, 2 December 2004
http://www.ci.larkspur.ca.us
indicates there is no actual civic heraldry, but the image on the police badge
for the Larkspur Police Department suggests that the department is shared with
the neighboring city of Corte Madera, and perhaps the seal is also shared with
them.
Ron Lahav, 2 December 2004
http://www.lathropgov.org shows the
seal of this small community is very large and quite complex as well as being
rather original. It consists of black designs and lettering upon a burnished
gold background, and is in the form of three concentric circles, while the
central image is quartered. Both the quartering and the outline of the innermost
circle are in the form of parallel lines (in the case of the quartering) and
double lines (with respect to the innermost circle). This inner circle depicts
an outline map of the state of California, with the location of Lathrop
indicated by a black five-pointed star. The central image, as noted previously,
is quartered; the upper left quarter features a sun rising between twin peaks,
with nine stylized rays of different lengths extending even into the upper right
quadrant. At the foot of these twin peaks is a checkerboard pattern of
agricultural land. The upper right depicts a stylized family group consisting of
two adults and a child, with a horizontal tree line in the far distance. The
lower left quadrant pictures a steam railway locomotive, of the type common in
the US during the period 1890-1920, traveling on two curved tracks. Finally, the
lower right quadrant shows what appears to be a prison building, with a high
watch tower or smokestack.
Ron Lahav, 2 December 2004
Ms Nancy Rustigian, the City Clerk of Lathrop, California, has informed me
that Lathrop does not have a city flag at present, and that the municipal seal
was adopted as a result of a local contest. The records as to who designed the
seal have vanished over the intervening 15 years, however.
Ron Lahav, 17 December 2004
The city seal of La Verne can be found not on the home page of its municipal web site, but rather at
http://www.ci.la-verne.ca.us/message.shtml. It consists of
the standard circular
format, with a brown outer edge and a white outer ring containing
the words 'CITY OF' at the top and 'SINCE 1906' at the bottom. A
blue ribbon folded into three parts, with each end attached to the
outer ring, stretches across the entire diameter of the circle.
Above and beneath this ribbon, at each flank of the outer circle,
are four five-pointed black stars. The ribbon itself contains the
words 'LA VERNE' in large black block letters. The central image is
framed by two olive-green laurel wreaths joined at the bottom and top. The central image
itself is very busy; it is divided into two broad halves. The upper
part consists of a blue sky over an orange grove and agricultural
land, indicated in various shades of green with minute orange dots.
To the right of this agricultural scene appears to be some sort of
Masonic emblem: on a gold background there are two clasped male
hands. There also seems to be an academic cap in black just beneath
the agricultural land and above the blue ribbon, reflecting the fact
that the city is home to a small private university. Beneath the
ribbon is a blue sky with the gold disk of a rising sun just visible
over some green hills. Silhouetted against the hills is a black
airplane, while at the bottom there appears to be a railroad train
in black and white.
Ron Lahav, 15 December 2004
As shown at
http://www.ci.lemon-grove.ca.us the logo consists of the name of the city
written in large stylized script letters, lemon yellow in color and edged in
black, with the words 'BEST CLIMATE ON EARTH' written in black block letters on
the extended tongue of the letter 'L'.
Ron Lahav, 15 December 2004
The page at
http://www.ci.lemon-grove.ca.us/clg/directory/Default.asp appears to display
a photo of the city seal - or possibly a previous logo? It has the same stylized
script letters, but adds a lemon and the tower better seen at
http://www.ci.lemon-grove.ca.us/clg/profile/Default.asp to it.
Rob Raeside, 20 December 2004
At http://www.lemoore.com is the site of
a major US Naval Air Station, this is nonetheless not reflected in this city's
heraldry. The logo consists of a golden solar disc with black borders
superimposed on three ultramarine stripes of unequal size, one broad stripe at
the bottom and two narrower ones above it - the actual stripes are delineated in
black. The bottom of the disk extends onto a stylized image in black of
agricultural land, the whole resting on a deep blue background.
Ron Lahav, 15 December 2004
http://www.ci.lincoln.ca.us shows
the logo consists of a stylized blossom outlined in blue, with a square
geometrical shape incorporated into this outline. In the center of the blossoms
are three concentric circles of orange and white, a large innermost circle and a
narrower outer circle in orange and a narrow intermediate circle in white
between the two.
Ron Lahav, 15 December 2004
At http://www.lindsay.ca.us the Home
Page of the city carries no municipal heraldry as such, only the name of the
city in black Art Nouveau letters with gray shading. The actual city seal can be
found at
http://www.lindsay.ca.us/citygov/dev/planning/index.cfm. The circular seal
is gray throughout, ranging from silver- ray to the left to deep charcoal gray
at the right. The outer ring has the words 'CITY OF LINDSAY' in black block
letters at the top, two black five-pointed stars at each side, and the word
'CALIFORNIA' similarly written at the bottom. The central image consists of
three oblique triangles, two at the top and one at the bottom, but the overall
coloring of the seal makes the items depicted in two of these triangles
difficult for me to decipher. The upper left is clear enough, four oranges on a
branch proper, but the upper right looks like a green leaf of some kind, and the
bottom triangle looks like a yellow atom symbol above a dark object. Lindsay is
in Tulare County.
Ron Lahav, 15 December 2004
It is likely that the upper right is an olive branch. Lindsay stylizes itself
as the olive capitol, at least of California, possibly of the US.
Michael P. Smuda, 20 December 2004
From http://www.lodi.gov, the municipal
seal reflects Lodi's position as the center of the California wine growing
region. Using a standard circular format there are both an outer ring and a
central image. The outer ring is grape colored, with the words 'CITY OF LODI' in
white block letters at the top and 'CALIFORNIA' similarly written at the bottom.
The background color of the central image is white, and features a cluster of
grapes on a vine, all in proper colors. The vine leaves themselves are in a sort
of turquoise green, while the stem and grapes are naturally enough grape
colored.
Ron Lahav, 7 January 2005
The city seal, although in the standard circular format, is very complex (
http://www.loma-linda.ca.us ). The
basic color is white throughout, with blue fimbriation along the external border
of the outer ring and with the internal border in olive. The upper part of this
outer ring contains the words 'CITY OF LOMA LINDA CALIFORNIA' in dark blue sans
serif block letters, with two small dark blue five-pointed stars at the
beginning and end of the phrase. At the bottom of the outer ring the words
'INCORPORATED 1970 are written in much smaller dark blue lettering. The central
image itself is quite unusual in that in consists of a map of the world
according to the Mercator projection in olive, with a caduceus entwined around
an illuminated torch superimposed on the center of the map. This reflects Loma
Linda's position as the home of Loma Linda University, one of the few US
institutions of higher education devoted entirely to the health sciences; the
university is administered by the Seventh Day Adventist Church, and is
responsible for training medical missionaries who serve in most parts of the
world. In fact, until the advent of modern development assistance by NGOs, these
medical missionaries (whose training was and is of a very high caliber) provided
the only medical assistance many communities in the LDCs ever received. Beneath
the map there is a curved line of lettering, also in olive, but so small that I
am unable to decipher it.
Ron Lahav, 7 January 2005
A small illustration of the city seal can be found on one of the inside pages
of the web site.
It is shown in white outline on a blue background, but the size is such that I
am unable to determine many of its details. Within the standard circular format
the upper ring has the words 'CITY OF LOMITA' in block lettering at the top, and
the word 'CALIFORNIA' similarly written at the bottom. The central image is
divided per pale, with the left-hand half further divided per fess. Within the
right-hand portion are three palm trees on a knoll or mound, but I am unable to
distinguish the features of both the upper and lower halves of the left-hand
section.
Ron Lahav, 7 January 2005
http://www.cityoflompoc.com shows
neither a municipal seal nor a city flag.
Ron Lahav, 7 January 2005
At http://www.loomis.ca.gov is a very
small seal. It is in green and white outline form on a green background. The
format is circular with a very narrow outer ring, but I am unable either to read
the words and date written at the top and bottom of this outer ring, nor to make
out clearly any of the details within the central image.
Ron Lahav, 13 January 2005
Posted temporarily at http://home.t-online.de/home/520068460732-0001/63292.jpg
(no longer accessible) is an image from which we can determine that the words in
the ring say TOWN OF LOOMIS at the top, and CALIFORNIA at the bottom. They are
separated by a some sort of motifs, but I can't see them well enough to
describe. The central image has a tree in the foreground, in front of a
landscape- probably an agricultural landscape, but it is not clear enough for me
to be sure- with some hills at the horizon. All in natural colors.
Ned Smith, 16 January 2005
The town conducted a contest for the purpose of requesting public assistance
in the design of the seal. The theme for the official seal needed to include
part of the Town's heritage, to reflect some or any of the following: foothill
terrain, transcontinental railroad that runs through Loomis, gateway to the
Sierras, fruit orchards, packing/shipping fruit sheds, livestock ranching,
grapevine yards, gold mining, rural lifestyle, several streams that run through
Loomis and fishing, etc. Cory Kutsenkow was the winner for depicting the spirit
and heritage of Loomis in her design of the official seal. It was adopted May
28, 1985, Ordinance 29.
We incorporated in December 17, 1984. We do not have our own flag yet.
Crickett Strock, town clerk, 19 January 2005
At
http://www.ci.los-alamitos.ca.us there is a webpage
dealing with the symbols of the City of Los Alamitos. No mention of a flag, but
they do describe the city seal (which includes 3 flag images): "The City seal of
Los Alamitos represents the many factors of its past. The official seal of the
City of Los Alamitos was accepted in October 1960, and was designed by William
Daniels. The lovely seal consists of a wide, circling band with the words "City
of Los Alamitos" interposed on a flat outline of the State of California. In the
center of the band is a Cottonwood Tree, for which the City is named. Across the
tree trunk are the three flags (Spanish, Mexican, and American) which have flown
over the City. ..."
The image of the seal is at
http://www.ci.los-alamitos.ca.us/
Ned Smith, 14 January 2005
The Los Alamitos municipal seal is superimposed on a golden yellow map of
California. It consists of a standard circular format of two concentric circles
with a white background. The outer ring has the words 'CITY of LOS ALAMITOS' in
a mixture of upper and lower case lettering, both in blue. At the bottom of the
central image within the inner circle is the word 'Incorporated' in dark red
lower case lettering, while at the bottom of the outer ring is the word and date
'March 1 1880' similarly written. The central image itself consists of a
cottonwood tree proper; imposed on the center of the tree is the S&S, while to
the right and beneath it is a Spanish flag, and to the left and also beneath it
is the Mexican Tricolor. Beneath the seal as a whole is a light blue ribbon,
with the words 'Founded in 1784 by Spanish Grant' in white lower case lettering.
Details regarding the design of the seal can be found in the text accompanying
the seal. The reason why I think that the Spanish flag depicted on the Los
Alamitos seal is anachronistic is that the flag appears to be contemporary,
rather than that which would have been recognized as Spanish in 1784, when the
original land grant was issued. For this reason, in the above description of the
seal, I referred to 'a' Spanish flag but 'the' Mexican Tricolor.
Ron Lahav, 15 January 2005
http://www.ci.los-altos.ca.us
shows the city seal is quite simple, and consists of a white outer ring with the
words 'CITY OF LOS ALTOS' written at the top in black block letters; this is
then followed by a small black five-pointed star, which is in turn followed by
the word 'CALIFORNIA' similarly written. At the bottom of the outer ring is what
appears to be the municipal slogan, but the black block letters are too small
for me to make out the text. The central image is multicolored and depicts a
landscape in natural or proper colors.
Ron Lahav, 13 January 2005
I think it may be the incorporation date- "Incorporated December 1 1952" -
rather than a slogan. The minutes of the city council reveal Los Altos does have
a flag, but unfortunately no description or image is included
http://www.ci.los-altos.ca.us/uploads/2975/02-04-09.pdf :
"Recognition of Former Mayor Roger Eng (1981-82 and 1986-87)
Mayor La Poll noted that, throughout 2002, the City Council would be honoring
former Los Altos mayors for their contributions to the City. The recognition is
one of a number of activities leading up to the 50thanniversary of the City's
incorporation on December 1, 1952. This night, the Council paid tribute to
former Mayor Roger Eng, who served two terms as Mayor in 1981-82 and
1986-87...... He was responsible for the creation of the first City flag, City
Medallions, and City pins, which he had made during a personal exploratory
sister city trip to Taiwan. The silk City flag in the Council Chambers was his
gift to the City."
Ned Smith, 14 January 2005
At http://www.losaltoshills.ca.gov
is the town logo in ochre and chocolate. Above the central image and beneath it
are the words 'LOS ALTOS HILLS' and 'CALIFORNIA' respectively in tall black
block letters. The words are separated at the bottom and top by thin ochre
horizontal lines. The central image itself depicts a stylized mountain range in
ochre and chocolate, with an irregularly curved white line separating the two
parts. Beneath the hills is a stylized townscape in the form of a horizontal row
of buildings and trees in chocolate.
Ron Lahav, 13 January 2005
At
http://www.losbanos.org/web/index.html the logo is in the form of a label or
nameplate in cream fimbriated red. At the very top of this label is an ellipse
depicting a sunrise over a local landscape, in various shades of orange and
violet. Across the center of the label are the outlines of two mountains in
sepia, and at the base of the label is a green mound from which a five-leaved
plant in pale green is sprouting. In the exact center of the label and
superimposed over the sepia mountains are the words 'CITY OF LOS BANOS' in red,
white, and blue block letters, written in an Old West font. Superimposed over
the green mound at the bottom is the word and date 'INCORPORATED 1907' written
in large outline block letters, and with the upper portions of the letters
and numbers white and the bottom portions gold.
Ron Lahav, 13 January 2005
At http://www.town.los-gatos.ca.us
the seal is in the standard circular format, with an outer ring in old gold. At
the top of this outer ring, in compressed bold- face black block letters, are
the words 'TOWN OF', while similarly written at the bottom are the words 'LOS
GATOS.' Flanking either side of the central image are two California mountain
lions seated gardant; they are outlined in black but appear to be albinos as
they are both white except for their features, limbs, etc. Presumably these are
the 'gatos' of the town name. The central image itself features a golden sun
rising into a pale orange sky, with narrow golden rays emanating from it. The
sun is rising from behind a line of trees, while running from the immediate
foreground to the trees is agricultural land. Both the line of trees and the
plowed ground are in contrasting shades of green.
Ron Lahav, 13 January 2005
Actually the plowed ground is more of a light golden brown, the sky is white,
but pierced by numerous golden rays from the sun, and the plants look more like
shrubs or maybe grape vines than trees. Also note that here too an incorporation
date is included- I think 1883- See the larger image at
http://www.got.net/~davidbu/los_gatos/gifs/town_ct.gif . Further, I doubt
those are meant to be mountain lions- the town's name was given for the local
wildcats. See
http://www.los-gatos.org/main/history.html . Several other websites say the
cats on the seal are modeled after two sculptures in town, but fail to say what
species of cat those sculptures were meant to represent.
Ned Smith, 14 January 2005
The two large felines on the current seal do represent the name of our town,
which means 'the cats' in Spanish. The mountain range between Los Gatos and
Santa Cruz (on the Pacific Coast) has always been prime mountain lion country.
Sightings of the big cats still occur, and are increasing as humans crowd into
what was once wildlands. Bobcats also live in our area, but there is little
doubt that town's symbol incorporates the image of the larger cat, Felis
concolor, the mountain lion.
The town has apparently had several iterations of mountain lions and oak trees
on its seals through the years, in fact since the town was incorporated in 1887.
In 1839 the Mexican land grant of more than 6000 acres to Sebastian Peralta and
José Hernandez was El Rancho Rinconada de Los Gatos, and so references to the
big cats go back at least that far. .. . The town has never, to the best of my
knowledge, had its own flag. The current logo design, with two cats, a vineyard,
the mountains, and the sun, was first used in the 1960s. I find no record of it
ever have been officially adopted; I have been told that the town has no
official seal as such.
The cats on the seal are probably modeled on those which guard the entrance to
'The Cats' estate just south of town, the home of Colonel Charles Erskine Scott
Wood and his wife, the poet Sara Bard Field. The large cement cats were sculpted
in 1922 by Robert Trent Paine. They still stand today. . . .
Peggy Conaway, 11 March 2005
The website at http://www.lynwood.ca.us
shows a standard circular seal in gold superimposed upon a light blue octagon
which frames it. The outer ring of the seal contains the words 'CITY OF LYNWOOD'
in light blue block letters at the top of the outer ring, with 'CALIFORNIA'
similarly written at the bottom. The central image of the seal itself consists
of a number of disparate objects scattered across it, but the entire graphic is
too small for me to distinguish what these objects might actually be.
Ron Lahav, 25 January 2005
Continued: California Municipal Symbols M-O
