The Moffett Field display says "In 1953 the station was designated the first of the Navy's master jet bases. However the combination of crowded skies, jet noise, and an expanding population caused the Navy to move its' jet activity to another location."
A bit more digging in the museum's archives turned up the fact that then as now, the decision to move away noisy operations inconsistent with an urban area was not took some time - six years. The Sunnyvale newspaper reported on 10/31/59 that following a 1957 crash in downtown Mountain View the Navy decided to finally move its' jets out of the area. In his parting address the outgoing Navy commander recommended that the airfield be used for aeronautical research - a mission that Ames Research Center has to this day.
The Sunnyvale newspaper reported that on 12/21/59 the cities of Sunnyvale and Mountain View were fighting over which city would be able to annex Moffett Field. Officials from both cities raced to the court house to file annexation papers, and each claimed that it had beat the other city by an hour.
Of course neither was able to annex it then, perhaps because they were fighting each other. As NASA now considers the cities' annexation request, one can wonder whether rivalry between the cities may once more spoil chances for both.
The museum is located on the corner of California and Sunnyvale Avenue in the Murphy Park Building. See exhibits on the history of Sunnyvale back to 1844 when Martin Murphy, Jr., an Irish immigrant, purchased 4,800 acres "Pastoria de las Borregas" in the Mexican state of California.
Hours Tuesday 12:00 - 3:30 PM Thursday 12:00 - 3:30 PM Sunday 1:00 - 4:00 PM Other days by appointment
Call the museum at (408) 749-0220 for special program information