Street Talk Revisited
EHRHORN
AVE
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1889 map of Mountain View showing the 34.75-acre Louisa Marie Ehrhorn property bounded by El Camino Real , Calderon Avenue , Church Street , and Castro Street . Image Source : Library of Congress
Adolph Ehrhorn c . 1897
Editor ’ s Note : The newsletter will be re-running a column that used to appear on a regular basis . Written by Barbara Kinchen , our longtime Historical Data Chair , who researched the names assigned to streets throughout the city . This column was originally published in our Spring 2011 newsletter .
In 1883 , Mrs . Louisa Marie Ehrhorn of San Francisco bought property in Mountain View . Over 30 acres were bounded by Castro Street , Church Street , Calderon Avenue , and El Camino Real . The land was soon planted with fruit trees .
Mrs . Ehrhorn was a widow with a large family . She died in Mountain View in 1903 . Her son , Adolph William Ehrhorn ( 1869 – 1947 ), lived on the orchard property until 1918 when he moved his family to Alviso Road , north of the railroad .
Sales and development of the El Camino property eventually resulted in three subdivisions : Nelson Manor on the west , Ehrhorn Tract on the east , and the large center portion was the Glumaz Subdivision .
Hope , View , and Bush Streets , were extended from Church Street to El Camino . In 1923 , a new street , Ehrhorn Avenue , was laid out in the Ehrhorn Tract . At the time lots along Ehrhorn Avenue and Calderon were selling for $ 8 ( equivalent to about $ 130 in 2022 dollars ) “ per front foot ” ( the lots were about 150 feet deep ). Terms were 15 % cash down and 36 monthly payments at 8 % interest .
1960 Chamber of Commerce Map of Mountain View with Ehrhorn Avenue shown in box
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