On the cover
The Spirit of‘ 76 and More
Sunday, August 9, 2026 4:30 p. m. Los Altos History Museum ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
Color Me Patriotic! 1976
Join us August 9 as we continue to commemorate 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. We will meet at the Los Altos History Museum to have a private viewing of the special exhibit“ The Spirit of 76-reflecting on America’ s 250.”
Afterwards Amy Ellison, Director of Exhibits, will speak about the exhibit and the concepts that it covers.
Pamela Baird will discuss previous events on the 4th of July and how Mountain View
Patriotic painted hydrant map
Mark your calendar
celebrated all year long for the Bicentennial in 1976.
The event starts at 4:30 and will end at 6:00. There is no charge to attend, but you must register to attend.
If you renew or join as a member of the MVHA, you will receive the“ Milestones- Centennial of Mountain View” book. Written by local author MaryJo Ignoffo, the book sells for $ 20 at our events. Please register at http:// mvhistory. eventbrite. com /.
To participate a person needed to get a permit at the Community Center on Rengstorff Street. The location of the hydrant was selected. The fee to paint one hydrant was $ 6.00, $ 17.76 for three or $ 19.76 for four. The needed paint( up to five colors) was included with the fee, along with two brushes, a drop cloth and a“ wet paint” sign.
The 1976 Bicentennial call for hydrant artists
One of the programs that was popular( and fun) during the Bicentennial in 1976 was painting fire hydrants with a patriotic theme. The endeavor garnered widespread support nationally and locally. The project was primarily a decentralized, grassroots phenomenon driven by local civic groups, Cub Scouts, and garden clubs rather than a federal program. Because of this, it is not known how many hydrants were painted, but it is estimated that tens of thousands were painted nationwide.
Called“ Paint a Plug,” the program was locally organized by members of the Mountain View Bicentennial Committee. Led by Grant and April Huberty, the Committee developed a program where ultimately about 180 fire hydrants were painted in Mountain View. This figure represents over 20 % of the fire hydrants located in Mountain View at the time
Map created by Neil Hendin and IdaRose Sylvester
Suggested themes or individuals were included with the paperwork. Those painting hydrants used their creativity to paint soldiers, historic figures, and even Abraham Lincoln. In Mountain View participants ranged in age from 3 to 83. Scout troops, families, senior citizens, church groups and businesses all participated.
A map showing the location of the painted hydrants shows a wide distribution of the artistic endeavors. The Blossom Valley News( no longer published) and the San Jose Mercury News, as well as other local newspapers published articles about the hydrant program.
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