| Cotati |
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| City of Cotati | Chamber of Commerce | School District | Demographics | |
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At the time of its
incorporation as a city on July 16, 1963, Cotati already had a rich
historical heritage. Since before the birth of Christ, the fertile
valley had been home of Coastal Miwoks, a clan of Native Americans
who lived well on the nuts, grains and tubers, berries, fish and
game that abounded in this temperate climate. The Indian name of
their village, Kota’ti, produced the legend of Chief Cotati, whose
visage is featured in the city’s logo.
During the 30's and 40's, agriculture continued as the most important influence in the Cotati Valley, and the town changed more slowly. In the 40's and 50's, small family farms were having a hard time surviving, and some of Cotati's agricultural lands began to develop as residential and commercial areas. Opening of the 101 freeway in the mid-1950's made it feasible for San Francisco workers to commute to homes in Cotati. The town had developed by fits and starts since the turn of the century, and by the end of the '50's had become a closeknit community that clung fiercely to its claim of being "the Hub of Sonoma County." The year 1968 saw the birth of the counter culture's influence on Cotati. The Inn of the Beginning came alive and brought nationally and internationally recognized musicians to Sonoma County. The major forms of music played were rhythm and blues, rock and roll, country and western, and folk. For the past two decades Sonoma County has been growing at a rapid pace, welcoming vast numbers of new residents to the area. Many of these transplants have moved to the area in an effort to escape the crowded city life of the larger Bay Area cities to the south such as San Francisco and San Jose. Cotati today is comprised of approximately 6700 residents, over four times the population at the time of its incorporation in 1963. Both new and long-time Cotati businesses have made significant efforts to maintain and reinforce the city's distinct way of life. And when the sun sets the music doesn't stop. Cotati offers one of the county's most vibrant nightlife scenes. Numerous nightspots offer live entertainment including the recently reopened Inn of the Beginning |
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Joanne Lumsden
