News & Notes
President ’ s Message
By Pamela Baird MVHA President
Above : This c . 1950 shows Lane ’ s Creamery and the University Creamery near the entrance of the Mtn . View Theatre at 228 Castro Street .
This newsletter is published four times a year by the
MOUNTAIN VIEW HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION P . O . Box 252 , Mountain View , CA 94042 www . mountainviewhistorical . org
MVHA Board of Directors
President : Pamela Baird Vice-President : Robert Cox Secretary : Jamil Shaikh Treasurer : Emily Ramos Past President : Nicholas Perry Historical Data : Candace Bowers Publicity : Marina Marinovich Membership : IdaRose Sylvester Newsletter : John Cortez Ways & Means : Mark Perry Director-at-Large : Lisa Garcia Director-at-Large : Gil Lane
Newsletter Graphic Design : Nicholas Perry
Email : info @ mountainviewhistorical . org
Who doesn ’ t like Ice Cream ? Some of my favorite childhood memories includes ice cream . My family purchased an electric ice cream maker ( much easier than a hand crank which took forever and was a lot of work ), which we would set up on the back patio for a summertime treat . Usually we made vanilla , but when peaches were ripe my mother would add those to the mix . Yummy ! My maternal grandfather , who lived in a small town in southwest Iowa , enjoyed taking me to the Dairy Queen when we visited in the summer . He always ordered vanilla and I selected chocolate . There was nothing better than soft serve ice cream on a hot night .
Ice cream has been an American favorite dessert for centuries . The concoction likely arrived with European settlers in the early 1700s . Both Thomas Jefferson and George Washington were big fans of ice cream . But ice cream was a rare and exotic dessert because of the difficulty in finding supplies of the ice necessary for production , especially in summer .
When industrialization and better technology increased , the production of ice cream became much easier . Mechanical refrigeration , the homogenizer , electric power and motors , packing machines , and new freezing processes and equipment allowed a consistent supply of ice cream . In addition , motorized delivery vehicles dramatically changed the industry , making the product available in small towns and cities across America .
A staggering 9 % of American cow ’ s milk production is dedicated to ice cream . In 2019 , the USDA stated that U . S . residents consumed around 21 pounds of frozen dairy products per capita , about four pounds per capita less than in 2000 . According to the USDA , the standards for ice cream consist of 20 % cream and 10 % milk . Also , ice cream will usually contain at least 10 % fat ( although some of the luxurious brands will contain 15-20 %). Soft serve ice cream contains the exact same ingredients as regular ice cream , but comes from a machine that results in a smoother texture . The machine incorporates more air and doesn ’ t allow the ice cream to harden as much .
Ice cream has been popular in Mountain View for many decades . Castro Street has featured at least one family owned ice cream store ( or creamery as they were commonly called ). Board member Gill Lane recalls the creamery that his family owned at 242 Castro Street . Prior to the Lane family ownership , it was the Silver Seal Creamery , which opened in 1933 . The Lane Creamery was located on one side of the Mountain View Movie Theater ( and for a time University Creamery was located on the other side !). The family made ice cream for sale in pints , quarts and gallons in their store and at local grocery stores as well .
Another favorite ice cream store was Double Rainbow Ice Cream , which was located at 135 Castro Street . Roger and Denise Siu opened the ice cream store in 1988 . The store remained in operation until 2003 . Today there are four stores on Castro Street selling frozen desserts .
1988 photo of Roger Siu in front of his Double Rainbow Dessert Cafe at 135 Castro Street .
In 1984 , President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday of the month as National Ice Cream Day . Although our August event will not be held in the National Ice Cream Month , we invite you to join us August 7 at the Adobe House for history and ice cream — a great combination for a Sunday afternoon !
— Pamela 2