Los Gatos Weekly-Times Los Gatos Weekly-Times file photograph James L. Lyndon has many historical ties to the town of Los Gatos. Lyndon family name was part of Los Gatos history John S. Baggerly After the unfortunate James Dunham axed his father-in-law, Col. Richard McGlincey, and brother-in-law to death in 1898, he also shot his wife, mother-in-law, housemaid and a field worker. He spared his infant son. Prepared for the massacre, Dunham rode a neighbor's horse off into the night and was never found. Today McGlincey Lane in Campbell is a reminder of the massacre. The job of apprehending Dunham fell to Sheriff James H. Lyndon, brother of local hotel builder John W. Lyndon. James Lloyd Lyndon inherited his uncle's pistol and precious local photographs, including a rare shot of himself at age 6 with his sheriff and builder uncles in front of the old University Avenue school. He gifted this photo and his uncle's revolver to Bill Wulf, historian of all things Los Gatos. James L. Lyndon was born in 1912 in San Jose, grew up there and was connected with three major hotels: the downtown Vendome, St. Claire and the Montgomery. Going through San Jose grade school and junior high, James L. says he was considered a teacher's pet, which to old timers means he didn't raise hell. James L. was particularly shocked by the kidnapping and murder of his friend Brooke Hart. The two culprits were captured, taken by a mob from a downtown prison and lynched in St. James Park, an event that brought San Jose worldwide notoriety. When Mardi Bennet, a Los Gatos mayor, published her book; Images of Los Gatos, she called on James L. to write a recollection. That he did. Next to a photograph of Hotel Lyndon he wrote: "In 1931, when I was 19, a birthday dinner was given in honor of my Uncle Will Lyndon in the dining room of my grand-uncle's Lyndon Hotel. I was attempting to cut the bone from a ham steak and after several unsuccessful attempts, gave one strong push of the knife which parted the steak. It flew across the table two places away and landed in the salad plate of my aunt, Mrs. Ray Lee. I was so embarrassed I could hardly finish dinner, having to get up and retrieve my steak in a napkin and return to my place at the table." While keeping one foot in Los Gatos, James L. was also busy observing and being part of San Jose history. Early on, he saw the paving of many of San Jose's perimeter streets. After graduating from what is now San Jose State University in 1935 with a degree in biology science, he worked as a fashion model for a men's store. In 1956, James L. started a 23-year career as medical social worker at Valley Medical Center in San Jose. When he stepped down as co-chairman for Valley Medical Center's Museum Committee, plaques and honorary awards--some eight of them--came to James L. from all all over. The one he values most, he says, is a framed award from the Santa Clara County Board of Directors, signed by each member. [ Back to Contents Page | Los Gatos Weekly-Times Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, November 11, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.