Drug Stores, continued from page 6
Instead, customers were greeted by soda fountains and display cases filled with cigars and candy.
Changes In Pharmacy Practice Pharmacy started as a male dominated profession, but today women represent the majority of licensed pharmacists. According to the National Provider Identifier Database 82 percent of pharmacy providers in Mountain View are female.
May Armanini, co-owner of the Armanini Drug Store, was likely the first local female pharmacist in Mountain View. Born Mary Elizabeth Jennings in San Francisco, both of her parents were pharmacists.
She graduated from the University of California School of Pharmacy in
1929 and moved to Mountain View in 1931 as the bride of pharmacist Lawrence Armanini. While little is written about her professional life, her community service was widely recognized; the Chamber of Commerce named her Citizen of the Year in 1956.
The year 1910 ushered the arrival of the drug store chain. Robert’ s Drug Store became a Rexall franchise and the sole distributor of the company’ s products. The franchise was later transferred to Wagner’ s Drug Store. When the Rexall Drug Company eliminated its franchise dealership in the 1970s, chains such as CVS and Walgreens filled the gap, and independent drug stores gradually disappeared.
Armanini Drugs on Castro Street in the 1950s
Changes in the pharmaceutical industry have shaped the unfolding of drug stores in Mountain View. While the future of pharmacy practice remains uncertain, especially with the rise of AI, the drug stores in our city will no doubt continue to adapt to changing times and economic conditions to serve the community.
Mountain View History
Rediscovered
By David P Salinero Mountain View Historical Data Director
The MVHA historical artifacts are stored on a long-term basis at the Mountain View Public Library History Center.
These items have been collected over the 70 years that the MVHA has been in existence. The collection includes original papers and household items from early Mountain View pioneer families, newspaper clippings and articles about history, and photographs of early Mountain View and the surrounding area. Some of these items haven’ t been seen by our community in many years. The MVHA has undertaken a project to document a summarized inventory of what is contained in the many boxes in the History Center.
A discovery session at the History Center.
These inventories are called finding aids and will be instrumental in our goal of cataloging and digitizing our artifacts.
Over four sessions, 15 volunteers( 6-8 at a time) have met at the History Center to process boxes and enter descriptions into spreadsheets that will become the finding aids for future researchers. The volunteers have been pleasantly surprised by the“ treasures” that haven’ t been seen in years, even decades.
These working sessions have turned out to be fun, collaborative events for those with a passion for history. If you are inspired by history and want to join a future session, contact the MVHA at info @ mountainviewhistorical. org.
Join us for a Downtown Walking Tour
The Downtown Walking Tour, held on the fourth Sunday of most months, starts at Centennial Plaza and ends near the corner of Castro and Church Streets. Stories of the early residents, the success of agriculture and the transformation of Castro Street from a car-oriented roadway to a pedestrian-friendly center are included.
Upcoming Walking Tours 2026 of downtown Mountain View January 25, 2pm http:// mvhistory. eventbrite. com /
February 22, 2 pm http:// mvhistory. eventbrite. com /
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