Monta Loma is a neighborhood in Mountain View, California in the San Francisco Bay Area. Located between the bounds of San Antonio Road, Middlefield Road, Rengstorff Avenue and Central Expressway. This was the location of an

Ohlone The Ohlone, formerly known as Costanoans (from Spanish meaning 'coast dweller'), are a Native American people of the Northern California coast. When Spanish explorers and missionaries arrived in the late 18th century, the Ohlone inhabited the ...

village and the Castro Indian Mound, one the largest shell mounds in the San Francisco Bay Area. After World War II, there was a housing boom, and this neighborhood's current housing was formed.

History

Ohlone village and Castro Indian Mound

The first inhabits were the

Native Americans and the land from the current corner of Central Expressway and San Antonio Road was the Castro Indian Mound, also known as Indian Hill, Castro Shell Mound, and Secondino Robles. The mound measured 400 feet long, by 300 feet wide, and 10 feet high. In 1893,

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

professors began to "investigate" the shell mound to better understand local Ohlone Native American customs. They discovered this was not only a place to dump cooking refuse but also a Native American burial ground. The Castro Indian Mound showed evidence of cremation and it's thought these cremations were only held for the social elite. The archeologists found a wide variety of items in the mound, including many oyster shells, fishing spears, pestles, jewelry, arrowheads, and among others. Radio carbon dating puts the origin of the Castro Mound around 1460 ± 100 B.C. In 1947, the mound was leveled and demolished to sell it as topsoil for gardening. In 1989, Stanford University surrendered the collected artifacts and remains from the Castro Shell Mound to their descendants, this includes the remains of 550 Ohlone people.

Post-World War II

The homes were built during the post- World War II housing boom, mostly California-style mid-century modern homes by Joseph Eichler,

John Calder Mackay John Calder Mackay (April 20, 1920 - November 21, 2014) was an American post-war real estate developer, best known for his modernist tract homes built by the company he co-founded, Mackay Homes. He also served on the board of directors for the Child ...

, and Mardell Building Company. Originally the neighborhood was named by each developer as they created sections, named "Oakwood" by Eichler, as well as "Fairview" by Eichler and "Mardell Manor" by Mardell Building Company. From 1959 until 1967, a young

Steve Jobs Steven Paul Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011) was an American entrepreneur, industrial designer, media proprietor, and investor. He was the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Apple; the chairman and majority shareholder of Pixar; a ...

and his family lived on Diablo Avenue in Monta Loma and he attended the local elementary school. The neighborhood has one of the best preserved tracts of Mackay homes.

Monta Loma Neighborhood Association

The Monta Loma Neighborhood Association (MLNA) was founded in 1977 and originally served as a "beautification committee". The MLNA hosts several annual neighborhood events, and serves to encourage dialog between the Mountain View city government and the neighbors.

References

External links

Monta Loma Neighborhood Association (MLNA)
website {{Mountain View, California Mountain View, California Costanoan populated places