Cotati, California
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cotati is a city in Sonoma County, California, United States. Cotati's hexagonal downtown plaza is listed as a California Historical Landmark, one of only two hexagonal town layouts in the United States.[1] The population was 6,471 at the 2000 census.
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[edit] Geography and environment
Cotati is located at (38.328247, -122.706713)GR1. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.9 km² (1.9 mi²), 0.53% of which is water. The city lies entirely in the drainage basin of the Laguna de Santa Rosa. To the west of Cotati are wetland habitat for Sebastopol meadowfoam, Limnanthes vinculans, Pitkin Marsh lily, Lilium pardolinum ssp Pitkinense, Showy Indian clover and several other endangered species.
The soils of the Cotati area are characterized by Quaternary (recent) alluvial materials, explicitly those areas bordering Laguna de Santa Rosa and its tributary Washoe Creek. This material consists largely of stream and valley alluvium as well as artificial fill in certain areas. To the immediate west of Cotati is the Americano Creek watershed, which drains to the Pacific Ocean. Several active faults near Cotati are the Rodgers Creek Fault (five miles east) and the Tolay Fault (two miles west).[2]
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 6,471 people, 2,532 households, and 1,607 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,329.0/km² (3,444.3/mi²). There were 2,585 housing units at an average density of 530.9/km² (1,375.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.56% White, 2.33% African American, 0.90% Native American, 3.60% Asian, 0.23% Pacific Islander, 4.40% from other races, and 4.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.52% of the population.
There were 2,532 households out of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.8% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were non-families. 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.05.
The population was distributed with 25.7% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 35.6% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 7.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males. The median income for a household was $52,808, and the median income for a family was $62,419. Males had a median income of $44,771 versus $35,779 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,206. About 5.3% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.5% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those over age 64.
[edit] History
The Coast Miwok civilization thrived in the Cotati area since at least 2000 BC, with principal villages built near major streams, but typically above the floodplain, ironically illustrating more foresight than modern urban planning planning. In July of 1844, the Mexican government granted Rancho Cotate (encompassing present-day towns of Cotati, Penngrove and Rohnert Park, and originally home of the Coast Miwok native people) to Captain Juan Castenada, a Mexican military commander from Texas,[3] in payment for his military services in the region as a soldier under General Vallejo.[4] The grant took its name from Kotati (Kota'ti), a Coast Miwok village[5] although a legend arose that Rancho Cotate was named after a local Indian named Chief Cotati.
Rancho Cotate consisted of 17,238.6 acres.[4] Captain Castenada moved to San Francisco without developing it; Castaneda failed to fulfill legal requirements and, therefore, lost control of the rancho. The land was eventually sold in 1849 to Dr. Thomas S. Page, a former resident of Valparaiso, Chile; the land holding remained in the Page family for over eighty years. Rancho Cotate was recorded in California state records as follows:
"Cotate #65, Sonoma County, Grant of 4 square leagues made in 1844 by Governor Micheltorena to Juan Casteneda. Confirmed in 1846. Patent for 17,238 acres issued in 1858 to Thos. S. Page. In T5-6N, R7-8W, MDM."
– California Ranchos: Patented Private Land Grants Listed by County, Shumway 1988:107.
Subject to seasonal flooding from the Laguna de Santa Rosa, the land was used to graze cattle and sheep. In October 1870, the Petaluma and Santa Rosa Railroad completed the first railroad from Petaluma to Santa Rosa, and a town formed around the wood and water stop called Page's Station, then Cotati.[4]
Cotati's unique hexagonal plaza and street grid plan was designed during the 1890s by Newton Smyth as an alternative to the traditional grid. Dr. Thomas Page's barn once stood where the plaza is today, and each of the streets surrounding the plaza is named after one of his sons. In 1892 the Page family created the Cotati Land Company to subdivide their ranch into parcels of five to twenty acres.
In 1963, less than a year after the incorporation of the lands north of town to form Rohnert Park, voters unanimously approved incorporation of Cotati as a separate city.[4]
[edit] Government
Cotati is governed by a city council with five members, who rotate through the offices of mayor and vice mayor.
[edit] Education
The city is served by Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District. The main high school serving Cotati is Rancho Cotate High School which is actually located in neighboring Rohnert Park.
[edit] Entertainment
Cotati offers one of the county's vibrant nightlife scenes. A number of nightspots offer live entertainment, including:
- Cotati Yacht Club
- Spancky's Cabaret
- Sweet Lou's
- Tradewinds
- 8-Ball
- Reds Recovery Room
- Friar Tucks
- Buffalo Billiards
[edit] Notes
- ^ History of Cotati > 19th Century
- ^ Environmental Impact Report for the La Plaza Specific Plan, Cotati, California, Earth Metrics Inc., San Mateo Ca. (1990)
- ^ John Torrey, Dail Miller, Andrew Kratter, Paul Awosika et. al., Environmental Impact Report for the West Gravenstein Specific Plan, Report EM7526, city of Cotati (1989)
- ^ a b c d DeClercq, 1977.
- ^ Access Genealogy.
[edit] References
- "Access Genealogy: Indian Tribal records, Miwok Indian Tribe. Retrieved on 2006-08-06. A list of all verified Coastal Miwok villages in the area.
- DeClercq, John H. A History of Rohnert Park "from seed to city" , 1977. Retrieved on 2006-08-06. Includes history of the Cotati-Penngrove region
- Shumway, Burgess, California Ranchos: Patented Private Land Grants Listed by County. Bargo Press, 1988.
[edit] External links
- City of Cotati
- Cotati Chamber of Commerce
- Cotati Jazz & Arts Festival
- Cotati Accordion Festival
- Cotati Philharmonic
- Cotati Municipal Code
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
