Timeline of Mountain View, California facts for kids

Mountain View, California, is a lively city with a fascinating past. Today, it's known worldwide as a center for technology and new ideas. But its story began long before computers and the internet. This timeline will explore the important moments that shaped Mountain View, from its first inhabitants to its role in the modern world.

Early Days: Before the 1900s

Native American Heritage and Early Settlements

• The Ohlone tribe lived in this area for thousands of years. The Tamyen group is especially connected to the Mountain View region.
• 1777 - Mission Santa Clara de Asís was founded. The land that is now Mountain View became pasture for sheep and cattle raised by the Mission Indians.
• 1842 - Mexico granted 8,800 acres of land to Francisco Estrada and his wife, Inez Castro. This land is now part of Mountain View and Sunnyvale.
• 1844 - Mexico granted 1,700 acres of land, known as Rancho Posolmi, to a local Native American named Lupe Ynigo. This area is now Moffett Field.
• 1845 - The Rancho Pastoria de las Borregas land grant was given to Mariano Castro.

Growing into a Town: Schools and Services

• 1852 - Stagecoach service began between San Francisco and San Jose. A stop was created near what is now Grant Road and El Camino Real. A small community started to grow around this stop.
• 1858 - The first public school opened on El Camino Real. It taught students from kindergarten to 8th grade.
• 1858 - The settlement was officially named "Mountain View." A local store owner and postmaster, Jacob Shumway, is credited with the name.
• 1858 - A public school district was established to serve the growing community.
• 1867 - The beautiful Rengstorff House was built. Today, you can still see it in Shoreline Park.
• 1888 - The Mountain View Register newspaper began publishing local news.
• 1893 - Professors from Stanford University studied the Castro Indian Mound. This helped them learn more about the customs of the local Native American people.

The 20th Century: A Century of Growth and Innovation

Becoming an Official City: Early 1900s

• 1900 - The Bank of Mountain View opened for business.
• 1902 - November 7: Mountain View officially became an incorporated city.
• 1902 - November 7: Mountain View High School opened its doors on El Camino Real.
• 1902 - Around this time, electric streetlights, telephone service, and a city water system began operating.
• 1905 - The Mountain View Public Library was established, offering books and resources to residents.
• 1905 - The Mariano Castro family donated land for Saint Joseph Parish.
• 1906 - April 18: The city felt the effects of the major 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
• 1909 - A new Town Hall building was constructed.
• 1924 - The local high school was renamed Mountain View Union High School. It moved to a larger campus on Castro Street, serving nearby communities too.
• 1928 - The original Saint Joseph Catholic Church was damaged by a fire.
• 1929 - Saint Joseph Catholic Church was rebuilt and reopened.
• 1930 - The Mountain View Theater opened, providing entertainment for the community.

World Events and Local Changes: Mid-20th Century

• 1933 - The U.S. Naval Air Station, known as Moffet Field, was established. This brought many new people and activities to the area.
• 1934 - The Historic Adobe Building was constructed.
• 1934 - The Mountain View Buddhist Temple became active in the community.
• 1940 - The city became home to the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. This organization later became the NASA Ames Research Center. This was a big step for the city's aerospace and electronics industries.
• 1950 - The city's population grew to 6,563 people.
• 1954 - The Mountain View Historical Association was formed to preserve the city's past.
• 1955 - February 24: Steve Jobs, a future technology pioneer, was born.
• 1956 - Beckman Instruments' Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory began operating. This was a very early and important step in the creation of Silicon Valley.
• 1957 - Construction started on the San Antonio Shopping Center.
• 1959 - The Jobs family, including young Steve, moved to the Monta Loma neighborhood.
• 1960 - The population of Mountain View reached 30,889.

The Rise of Technology: Silicon Valley Begins

• 1966 - Mayfield Mall opened at the corner of Central Expressway and San Antonio Road.
• 1967 - The Jobs family moved from Mountain View to nearby Cupertino.
• 1968 - Intel Corporation and Monolithic Memories, two very important technology companies, started their businesses.
• 1972 - Judith Moss made history as Mountain View's first female councilmember.
• 1975 - The Old Mill Shopping Mall opened for shoppers.
• 1981 - Mountain View Union High School closed and was later relocated and renamed.
• 1982 - The Grid Compass laptop computer was introduced. This was an early example of portable computing.
• 1983 - The Meadowlands garbage facility was closed. This was done to help restore the natural wetlands in the area.
• 1983 - Mayfield Mall closed its doors.
• 1985 - Actel Corporation, another technology company, began its operations.
• 1986 - The former Mayfield Mall location was converted into offices for Hewlett Packard. This showed the growing importance of tech companies.
• 1987 - The Downtown Mountain View Station opened, improving transportation for residents.
• 1989 - The Old Mill Shopping Mall closed.
• 1989 - Stanford University returned historical artifacts and items from the Castro Shell Mound to the descendants of the Ohlone people. This honored their heritage and history.
• 1991 - The Rengstorff House was fully restored to its original beauty.
• 1993 - The Peninsula Times-Tribune newspaper closed.
• 1993 - The Voice of Mountain View newspaper began publication, keeping residents informed.
• 1993 - Anna Eshoo became the U.S. representative for California's 14th congressional district.
• 1995 - The Crossings, a new housing community, was built where the Old Mill Shopping Mall once stood.
• 1996 - The Computer Museum moved part of its collection from Boston to Mountain View. It was stored in a former Moffett Field building.
• 1997 - The city's official website went online, making information more accessible.
• 1999 - The Computer Museum moved the rest of its collection to Mountain View. It was renamed The Computer Museum History Center.
• 1999 - Google Inc., a company that would change the world, started its business in Mountain View.

The 21st Century: A New Millennium

Leadership and Community Milestones

• 2000 - Rosemary Stasek became mayor of Mountain View.
• 2001 - Mario Ambra became mayor.
• 2002 - The Computer History Museum officially opened at 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd.
• 2002 - Sally Lieber became mayor.
• 2002 - In April, Mario Ambra resigned from the City Council.
• 2003 - Mike Kasperzak became mayor.
• 2004 - Matt Pear became mayor.
• 2005 - Matt Neely became mayor.
• 2007 - Laura Macias became the city's second Mexican-American woman to serve as mayor.
• 2008 - Tom Means became mayor.
• 2009 - Margaret Abe-Koga became Mountain View's first female Asian-American mayor.
• 2010 - The city's population grew to 74,066 people.
• 2010 - Ronit Bryant became mayor.
• 2011 - Jac Siegel became mayor.
• 2011 - The Computer History Museum reopened after a major two-year renovation.
• 2012 - Mike Kasperzak became mayor again.
• 2013 - John Inks became mayor.

Continuing Innovation and Development

• 2013 - Google leased the former Mayfield Mall location, expanding its presence in the city.
• 2014 - Chris Clark became mayor.
• 2015 - John McAlister became mayor.
• 2016 - Patricia "Pat" Showalter became mayor.
• 2016 - Rent control measures were approved in the city.
• 2017 - Ken Rosenberg became mayor.
• 2018 - Lenny Siegel became mayor.
• 2019 - Lisa Matichak became mayor.
• 2020 - Margaret Abe-Koga became mayor again.
• 2021 - Ellen Kamei became mayor.
• 2022 - Lucas Ramirez became mayor.
• 2023 - Alison Hicks became mayor.

See also

• History of Santa Clara County, California
• Timeline of the San Francisco Bay Area
• History of Google, headquartered in city
• Timelines of other cities in the Northern California area of California: Fresno, Oakland, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose