MV ’ s Multicultural Historic Sites
Mountain View ’ s history is shaped by many different cultures ; From the native Ohlone peoples who have lived here for millennia , to the Mexican-era Castro family who gave their name to Mountain View ’ s main street , to the people from around the globe who shaped the bountiful agricultural landscape of the Valley of Heart ’ s Delight and the technological innovations of the Silicon Valley . On this page , we share some of the content prepared for the display board the MVHA debuted at the Mountain View Multicultural Festival .
Lupe Yñigo
Members of the Castro family at Villa Francisca
RANCHO POSOLMI SITE
Location : Present-Day Moffett Field
In 1839 , Lupe Yñigo , an Ohlone Indian , obtained his liberty from Mission Santa Clara and returned to the place of his birth , known as Posolmi , on the present-day site of Moffett Field . Five years later , Yñigo was formally granted the Rancho Posolmi by the Mexican government , making him one of the few local Native Americans to be granted a rancho . Yñigo lived on his rancho until his death in 1864 , at the age of 83 . The Bayshore / NASA VTA light rail station features artwork by Ohlone artist Linda Yamane that incorporates the portrait of Yñigo ( left ) and commemorates the local Ohlone peoples ’ continuous connection to this land .
VILLA FRANCISCA SITE
Location : Present-day Rengstorff Park
When California was part of Mexico , much of what is now Mountain View was encompassed by the Castro family ’ s vast 8,800 acre “ Rancho Pastoria de las Borregas ” ( ranch of the ewe lambs ’ pasture ). From 1911 to 1960 , the Castros ’ home , Villa Francisca , stood where the picnic area of Rengstorff Park is now located .
The Weilheimer General Store c . 1870
WEILHEIMER STORE
Location : 124 Castro Street
From the start , entrepreneurial immigrants have helped turn Mtn . View into a thriving center of commerce . One of the oldest buildings still standing in the city is the Weilheimer General Store at 124 Castro Street , built in 1870 by German-Jewish immigrant brothers , Seligman and Samuel Weilheimer . This was the Weilheimers ’ second store in Mtn . View ; the fi rst opened in the mid-1850s in the original town of Mtn . View centered around a stagecoach stop on El Camino Real at Grant Road .
The Yuen Lung Store
1981 Obon Festival
1980-81 MVHS Black Student Union
CHINATOWN SITE
Location : Villa and View Streets
In 1879 , Chinese immigrant Yuen Lung opened a store at the northwest corner of Villa and View streets . In the decades that followed , other immigrants from China and Japan established businesses in the area , which came to be known as Mtn . View ’ s Chinatown . The historic Chinatown was destroyed by fi re in 1946 , but waves of immigration from China in the later half of the twentieth century brought new Chinese-owned businesses , shops , and restaurants to Downtown Mtn . View .
MTN . VIEW BUDDHIST TEMPLE
Location : 575 N . Shoreline Boulevard
Mtn . View ’ s fi rst Buddhist temple was established by the local Japanese immigrant community in the 1930s on the corner of Dana and View streets . The internment of Japanese residents during World War II disrupted all activities in the local Japanese Buddhist community . When they returned in 1945 , community leaders began to raise funds to build a new permanent place of worship . Land was purchased on Stierlin Road in 1954 and in 1957 the fi rst buildings in the Buddhist Temple complex were completed . Every year , the temple grounds are opened to the public for the popular midsummer Obon Festival , an annual community event honoring those who have passed away through dance , music , exhibits , crafts , and food that celebrate Japanese and Japanese American culture .
MTN . VIEW HIGH SCHOOL SITE
Location : 650 Castro Street
The Mtn . View High School campus on Castro Street was a place where the diverse population of Mtn . View came together as “ MV Eagles .” By the 1960s , the school was known for its ethnic and racial diversity at a time when surrounding schools were predominantly White . By the 1970s the school had well-established clubs that celebrated Mtn . View ’ s cultural diversity including a Black Student Union , Chicano Student Union , and Filipino Youth Organization . The school ’ s closure in 1981 deeply impacted the community , but helped racially integrate the other high schools in the Mtn . View-Los Altos Union High School District .
Left : “ Festa ” at SFV halll in 1953 , Right : IFES members in 1937
IFES & SFV HALLS
Location : 432 Stierlin Rd . ( IFES ) & 361 Villa St . ( SFV )
Portuguese halls can be found throughout California , built to host annual “ festas ” ( festivals ) held in honor of the Holy Ghost ( Holy Spirit ). Mtn . View is one of the few cities to boast two Portuguese halls : the Sociedade da Festa Velha ( SFV ) on Villa Street and the Irmandade da Festa do Espirito Santo ( IFES ) on Stierlin Road . Both halls trace the origins to a Holy Ghost “ festa ” held on a Portuguese dairy on Charleston Road in 1926 . The tradition of holding an annual festa in honor of the Holy Ghost is an essential element of local culture on the Azore islands , where most Portuguese immigrants to California originated . In Mtn . View , festas traditionally have included a procession to Saint Joseph Catholic Church , a mass , and a large celebration at the Portuguese hall where a traditional meal of “ sopas ” ( soup and bread ) is served to all who come . In addition to serving the Portuguese community , the SFV and IFES halls have been popular locations for community gatherings , wedding receptions , and other events for people of all cultural backgrounds .
These sites are just a sampling of the many places , people , cultures that are part of our history . Are there places in Mountain View that are important to your cultural history and heritage ? Do you have stories to share ? Contact us at : info @ mountainviewhistorical . org .
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