100 Years of Kiwanis in Mountain View
By Mark Lindberg
On August 8, the Kiwanis Club of Mountain View will celebrate its 100th anniversary with a Gala at the Don Giovanni Restaurant in Mountain View. This will be an opportunity to remember a century of community involvement and to honor the many current and past members whose dedication has made a lasting difference in the lives of others.
The club was founded just a few years after the first Kiwanis International Club was established in Detroit, Michigan, in 1919. From those early beginnings, Kiwanis has grown into a worldwide service organization with clubs throughout the United States and many other countries.
As Mountain View evolved from a small agricultural town into a center of innovation and technology, the Kiwanis Club remained committed to
its mission of service. Through the efforts and generosity of its members, the club has supported local charities, community programs, and countless volunteer projects including scholarships for graduating high school students.
Today, as it begins its second century, the Kiwanis Club of Mountain View continues its tradition of serving the community, improving the lives of children and families, and carrying forward the spirit of service that has defined Kiwanis for generations.
Spring program RECAP:
Settlers & Saints
The Naming of Streets in Mountain View
Robert Cox and Melanie Kaye shared the origins and historical significance of many of Mountain View’ s well-travelled avenues at the Mountain View Public Library on May 3rd.
The talk included a brief quiz for attendees to test their“ street smarts” by trying to identify photos of streets form the 1950s and earlier.
Examples of their findings presented on May 3 at the Mountain View Public Library are shown at right.
Test your Street Smarts. Name the street in this photo.
Easy Street
Santa Rosa Avenue honors St. Rose of Lima Canonized 1671, the first person from the Americas to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church
Sullivan Drive
John Grove Sullivan, b. 1824 County Limerick, Ireland, Came to California in 1847. He and his wife, Ada( Kenna) Sullivan donated land on El Camino Real for the first St. Joseph’ s Church, in 1868. And we still drive along Ada, Alice,
Gladys and Stella.
Whisman Road
John W Whisman, proprietor of the Willigrove Inn. In 1849, he started the first stagecoach line in California, between San Jose and Yerba Buena( San Francisco).
Santa Rosa Avenue
In 1912 William Seppich bought four acres on Dean Street to build a home. After seeking a fortune in various failed ways, he petitioned county supervisors to rename his street. His request was granted and he could at last claim to live on Easy Street.
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