Showing posts with label East Pasadena History. Show all posts
Showing posts with label East Pasadena History. Show all posts

Saturday, January 21, 2023

Wild Parrot Brewing -- 5 Star Review


Last night we had dinner (plus a flight of beer and glass of wine) at Wild Parrot Brewing Company, which is a fantastic addition to East Pasadena.  They share space with Rosebud Coffee at the corner of East Colorado Blvd. and Roosevelt, just a few doors down from Fedde Furniture. 

This is primarily a brewery and tap room with ample tables to hang out and enjoy some excellent beer.  They had a fine selection of home-brewed beers and ciders on tap.  I tried a flight of different beers (served in four-ounce glasses placed in a cupcake tin) and was happy with all the selections. But, I definitely favored the West Coast IPA.  

Food is not the main attraction here, but their offerings were quite good. We enjoyed a spicy grilled carnitas sandwich and nachos topped with carnitas.  Looks like they have special BBQ and hamburger days too. 

Anyone living in East Pasadena will get the Wild Parrot name.  The green birds are familiar local sights and the sound of their shrieks unforgettable. How the birds got established here is a distinctively East Pasadena story that is told (with some artistic license) in humorous posters on the walls of the Wild Parrot Brewing Company.  

Now, about a decade ago, right here in this blog, I told the story of our local wild parrots. As the art depicts, the parrots' story is connected with the rise and fall of the old Simpsons Garden Town that was also located on East Colorado Blvd.  In what remains one of this blog's all time most visited posts, I told the story of a scrappy entrepreneur named Hal Simpson, his nursery and bird farm, and the fire that both destroyed his business and liberated the forebears of our local parrots.   

This bird looks like he could use a cold IPA on tap at, where else, Wild Parrot Brewing Company.  Great new spot.  We will be back.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Anonymous Comment Leads to New Information About Pasadena's Lost Lincoln Portrait

President Abraham Lincoln by William F. Cogswell
White House Historical Association (White House Collection)

Three years ago I posted a short biography of East Pasadena pioneer and famous artist, William F. Cogswell.   I followed that with a post titled Mystery of the Missing Lincoln Portrait.  You see, Cogswell had bestowed upon the City of Pasadena a replica of his most famous work -- the official White House portrait of President Abraham Lincoln -- but the City had somehow lost the painting.   Just what happened to the painting is a mystery.  

Since the post, I've pursued the mystery with others.   Sure, some know about the missing Lincoln portrait.  But, no one has any theories about what happened.
 
Then, a couple of weeks ago, I received an anonymous comment to my three-year old post.   Anonymous reported that the Albion Castle in San Francisco has a replica of Cogswell's famous Lincoln portrait.   Turns out Anonymous is right.   I found photos of the Lincoln portrait hanging in the Albion Castle at flicker and foundsf.   And, the portrait sure seems like a replica of the White House original (above).  

The Albion Castle was home to a less than successful brewery and seems an odd place for a Lincoln portrait.  Could  this be Pasadena's missing Lincoln?  Anonymous -- What do you think?

******************************************
I reviewed my records and poked around the Internet to see if I could learn anything new about Cogswell's Lincoln portraits.   How many replicas were out there?  Certainly Cogswell was an enterprising guy and I knew he painted replicas of his famous Lincoln portrait for the Hawaiian Royal Palace, the California State Legislature and City of Pasadena.   Were there more?
  
It is hard to know how many Lincoln replicas Cogswell painted.   The Pasadena PL has a 1961 letter from the Library of Congress stating that there were no records of Cogswell's Lincoln portraits.   A 1932 LA Times article stated, without source, that Cogswell painted 13 Lincoln replicas for states and three additional replicas for individuals.   But, I doubt the report.   If there were really 16 replicas, it seems like I could locate more than three with a basic Internet search.   Plus, Cogswell was a busy guy.  Seems unlikely he would take time to do 16 replicas.      

***************************************
So, is Pasadena's Lincoln hanging in the Albion Castle?   Yeah, I'd like to know how the castle acquired the painting.  It could be our painting.

But, it is going to be hard for Pasadena to point much of an accusing finger.   You see, Pasadena has a pretty strong track record of misplacing this painting.

We know from Cogswell's obituary in the Evening Star that, as of 1903, a replica of Cogswell's famous Lincoln portrait hung in the Pasadena Public Library.
  
But, we also know the painting was later removed from the library walls and placed in storage.  Seems the library had trouble finding a suitable place for the life-sized portrait of the 6"4" tall Great Emancipator.       

Then, a February 7, 1932 LA Times article reported the painting had been found.  The article, titled "Rare Lincoln Portrait Found -- Rare Oil Painting Discovered in Pasadena," reported that the portrait had been found in the library's storage loft.    The article stated the painting was in perfect condition and in a heavy gold frame.   The article announced that the painting would be displayed at the opening of the new Pasadena Civic Auditorium.
  
A 1961 letter from the Pasadena PL states that the Lincoln portrait was in the collection of Pasadena Historical Society.    That is the last word I've found on the whereabouts of Pasadena's Lincoln portrait.

Now, the painting is lost again.

Hard to say how you misplace a life sized portrait of Honest Abe.  But, Pasadena has managed to lose the portrait not once, but twice.   My guess is the portrait is not hanging in the Albion, but probably still somewhere in the city.    Maybe it is stacked in storage or hanging on a dark wall.  But, most likely it is here --- waiting to be discovered yet again.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

The Simpsons and East Pasadena's Parrots


Seems most every morning I'm greeted by the screech of parrots.  Often they fly over our house.  Sometimes, like this morning, they hang around the neighborhood screeching back and forth.   This one landed in our eucalyptus tree and, on cue, gave me that quizzical parrot look as I sneaked up for a picture.

Legend has it our local parrots are descendants of parrots that were let loose in 1959 when a fire engulfed Simpson's Gardenland and Bird Farm.   The story is often recounted as "local legend" but, as legends go, it seems fairly well accepted.  I know I've heard and read the story over and over since moving to Pasadena more than twenty years ago.

Not often reported, however, is the legend's East Pasadena connection.

You see, Simpson's Garden Town Nursery and Bird Farm was a long-time East Pasadena institution.  On little more than a wing and a prayer, in 1928, Hal Simpson started his nursery.  He had a $500 loan, a $55 Model T delivery truck, and moonlighted on odd jobs as his business took hold.   Over time the business grew until it blossomed into a mall of sorts that included a nursery, florist, lawnmower shop, garden center, materials supply, and pet shop.  Eventually Simpsons occupied a swath of land that fronted Colorado Blvd. east of Sierra Madre Blvd. and stretched north beyond the present-day 210 freeway.    Billing itself as the largest and most diversified garden center in the West, at its height, Simpsons deployed 70 trucks and fielded calls on nearly 50 phone lines.

Then, in 1959, fire hit.  The nursery buildings, supplies and records were destroyed.   According to legend, as the fire raged, the birds (including the forebears of our local parrots) were released.

The birds were gone and a big part of his operation decimated.  But, Hal Simpson got back on his feet and rebuilt.  Customers stepped forward to pay accounts that were due even though Simpsons had no records.  Simpsons remained an entrenched part of the East Pasadena landscape.  

But, in the 50's and 60's, East Pasadena's landscape was changing fast and Simpson's resurgence was short-lived.  Eventually the State of California did what the fire could not.  In 1968, the State took much of the Simpson property to build the 210 freeway.   Forty years after he started, Hal Simpson was finished.

But, the story's not over.

Old Hal was not quite ready to call it a day.   With proceeds from the State of California, he moved south.  He bought a160-acre spread in East San Diego County and ... that old guy started over growing and selling plants. 

And, in 2011, Simpsons Garden Town Nursery in Jamul, California is operated by Hal's granddaughter, Cathy.  Like her grandad, Cathy offers plants, and lots more, for sale.  She has a pretty good website, too, with pictures of the nursery, gift shop and dozens of classic cars on display at Garden Town.  Fittingly enough, Cathy's website pays homage to Garden Town's East Pasadena roots and beautifully tells the story of Hal Simpson -- a story that I've recounted above.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

California Governors' Portraits and The East Pasadena Connection

The election (or is it re-election?) of Jerry Brown as governor has me thinking about the Governors' Gallery, which is the gallery of portraits of the 40-odd California Governors.   The Gallery lines the halls of the Capitol Building in Sacramento.  It is also viewable online.

Thoughts of the Governors' Gallery, of course, make me think of East Pasadena pioneer William Cogswell.

************************ 

We start with the official state portrait of  Governor Jerry Brown -- far and away the most unusual and controversial portrait in the Governors' Gallery.   Painted following Brown's eight year term ('75-'83), the portrait captures the then-young governor and probably also the reflective but anxious mood of the times. 

Actually, you could read a lot into this portrait.   But, one thing is for sure, the portrait is wildly different from any other portrait that hangs in the dignified halls of the Capitol Building. 

************************

As you might guess, the interior of the Capitol Building is a regal blend of marble, dark woods and deep colors.   The distinctiveness of the Brown portrait fairly well screams out from the otherwise subdued Capitol hallways.

Most of the portraits in the Governors' Gallery look similar to this portrait of Henry Haight, who served as Governor from 1867-71:

Or this portrait of Haight's predecessor, Governor Frederick Low (sporting the popular King Tut beard):

So, here's the East Pasadena connection.

The Haight and Low portraits were painted by East Pasadena pioneer and famous artist, William Cogswell.   In fact, Cogswell painted the portraits of many early California Governors.    

Seems that in the early days of statehood, no one thought to commission Governors' portraits.  That oversight was corrected in 1879 when the State Legislature selected Cogswell to paint the portraits of many former governors.  Cogswell was by then a California resident.  In 1873 he had purchased land east of Eaton Wash and north of present day Foothill Blvd. where he co-founded the Sierra Madre Villa Hotel.

In all, Cogswell painted nine Governors' portraits.  So, as you walk the Capitol hallways, about one quarter of the portraits in the Governors' Gallery were painted by East Pasadena pioneer William Cogswell.  

The Governors' Gallery is not the only place in the Capitol where you'll find Cogswell's work.   Cogswell was most noted for his portrait of President Abraham Linicoln.  Begun during Lincoln's presidency and finished posthumously, the portrait was selected as the official White House portrait of President Lincoln.  Over the years, the enterprising Cogswell was also known to paint a few replicas of his famous Lincoln portrait.    Though now mysteriously missing, one of Cogswell's Lincolns hung in Pasadena's public library.   Another of his Lincoln portraits found its way into the Capitol Building.  Since 1909,  Cogswell's portrait of Abraham Lincoln has hung over the California State Assembly Chamber behind the Speaker's podium.

********************
For more on Don Bachardy, who painted the Jerry Brown portrait, check out The Greatest Story Ever Told at Pasadena Adjacent.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Blood Orange

Blood oranges are my current citrus favorite. I think I ate most of the fruit our small tree produced this year.

There is an East Pasadena connection to the blood orange. Abbot Kinney, who spent his first night here sleeping on the pool table of the Sierra Madre Villa Hotel, was known throughout the state for the blood oranges grown at his Kinneloa Ranch.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Hastings Ranch Christmas Lights

Merry Christmas from East Pasadena. Rain delayed our annual tour of the Hastings Ranch neighborhood. But, earlier this week we had a chance to make the normal rounds. This display on Ranch Top Rd. was one of the religious theme winners.

Every year I marvel at the displays in Hastings Ranch. The displays themselves are fun. But, to me the most amazing thing about it is the show of neighborliness. There are 1100 homes in this neighborhood and, driving around, it looks like nearly all of them participate. Remarkable. Really, where else have you seen so many neighbors pulling together to present such a show?

They've done this since the 1950's. More than 50 years of neighbors coming together to put on Christmas displays. What a great tradition.

Upper Hastings Ranch (north of Sierra Madre Blvd.) was largely developed in the early 1950's. Modestly priced homes were offered on favorable terms and young families clamored to get in. According to longtime Ranch resident and current mayor, Kathy Gregg, the neighborhood was known as Rabbit Hill due to the number of children.

The folks of Rabbit Hill were a congenial bunch. With all the kids around, they started coordinating displays at Christmas time. Kathy says the whole thing got started with luminarias (paper bags and votive candles) lined up along parkways.

Turns out some in the neighborhood were Hollywood types and took things to the next level. Last year Pasadena Adjacent (I'm astonished at what they know over there) commented that set designers helped get the displays started. Apparently the designers' creativity combined with lots of community spirit to produce Christmas displays that were set up along the neighborhood's parkways. Wikipedia says the whole tradition was in place by 1957.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Christmas at the Sierra Madre Villa Hotel -- 1878

Sierra Madre Villa Hotel, ca. 1886, Carleton E. Watkins
Courtesy of the California History Room
California State Library, Sacramento, California


Let's set the scene.

The year was 1878 and it was Christmas-time at the Sierra Madre Villa Hotel. Only five years earlier, noted painter William Cogswell had purchased 473 acres of wild mesa land in the vicinity of present day Eaton Canyon Golf Course. After Cogswell's purchase, the hard work began and the property was soon transformed into one of the west coast's preeminent resorts.

Cogswell's son-in-law, William Porter Rhoades, supervised the work and was the proprietor of the hotel. Rhoades was captivated by the Villa's setting in the foothills of what were locally known as the Sierra Madre or Mother Mountains. And you can imagine the magic he saw as he looked south -- green orchards and vineyards stretching out in the valleys below and ocean views in the distance. He wanted to create the most beautiful spot in southern California.

Rhoades embarked on an ambitious scope of work. He hired 75 Chinese workers, whom he housed on site in a bunk house. They cleared the land of chaparral that was reportedly so dense a rabbit couldn't pass through it. They piped water down from Davis Falls to the property, built a reservoir, installed irrigation and then planted the orchard and vineyard.

Rhoades hired a carpenter to build a house for his family, which is pictured above and is the subject of an earlier post. By 1877, the 20-room Sierra Madre Villa Hotel was completed. The hotel provided luxury accommodations for the day -- boasting running water to each room, a wide veranda and spectacular views. Rhoades kept the Chinese workers on as hotel staff and to maintain the Villa property.

Now, Rhoades and his wife, Jennie, had children including a young son named William Lauren Rhoades. The younger Rhoades grew up at the Villa and later recounted his memories in a short book titled The History of the Famous Sierra Madre Villa Hotel. In his book, the younger Rhoades describes Christmas at the Sierra Madre Villa Hotel in the late 1870's.

From The History of the Famous Sierra Madre Villa Hotel by William Lauren Rhoades:
When Christmas time rolled around the real fun began. I will describe a typical Christmas day in the late seventies. The day before Christmas was one of excitement for all were preparing the gifts, some driving into Los Angeles, a thirty mile drive, to get the last few gifts needed and to shop for all the rest and only about two dry goods stores, two book stores and a few other places to purchase but that made it all the more exciting. There was a tree to sit up fully nineteen feet high, that was the height of the ceiling, and a spread of branches in proportion. Then the trimmings, popping the corn and putting on the cornucopias, hanging the glass balls and the angel on the top. That day the Chinese boy, Sam, made mysterious trips to Mother's room with packages coming from the servants and Chinese on the ranch.

Christmas morning was always the opening of an eventful day. I well recall
Christmas of 1878. After breakfast I was taken out to the front of the house and there stood my donkey, which was given me two years before to ride and I named her after my Mother, Jennie, and there she was hitched up to a two wheeled cart made to order with a swell leather seat, the running gear was painted red and the body black, the harness was black with shining brass buckles. The guests all stood round enjoying my delight. I took Mother in at once and we drove off in style and many were the happy days I had with the children at the Villa in that turnout.

Christmas morning the coach that ran to the San Gabriel Southern Pacific Railroad Station daily for the mail and passengers, was ready to take any who might wish to go to the
Episcopal Church in San Gabriel, as was the custom on Sundays. Then the day passed and all were in readiness for the big event in the evening with the Christmas tree.

Rhoades goes on to describe the evening festivities. The Rhoades family, Chinese workers and hotel guests all participated. To the guests' delight, the Chinese workers would enter the hotel parlor with a flourish. Dressed in fine silks, their heads were freshly shaved with their "cues" hanging down their backs and red ribbons braided into their hair. They came bearing gifts of sweet lichi nuts, ginger and dainty cakes. In turn, the workers were presented with a fattened pig for roasting. It must have been quite a show.

The evening also included traditional Christmas carols after which the tree was "stripped."

Thursday, July 22, 2010

The Bees of Sierra Madre Villa



Apiary at Cogswell’s Sierra Madre Villa
Ca. 1886, Carleton E. Watkins
Courtesy of the California History Room
California State Library, Sacramento

The picture above is a "cabinet photo" of the beekeeping operation at the old Sierra Madre Villa Hotel.

My search for Sierra Madre Villa beekeeping turned up an old issue of the Western Honey Bee and an article from an old timer who reminisces about early beekeepers in Los Angeles County. He lists more than a dozen beekeepers operating in the 1870's - 80's. He writes, "Nearly all of the apiaries were at the foot of the Sierra Madre, wherever a stream or spring could be found."

So, it shouldn't surprise that the enterprising folks of the Sierra Madre Villa Hotel kept bees -- the old hotel being amply supplied with water from the nearby stream flowing from Davis Canyon.



Apiary at Sierra Madre Villa
Ca. 1886, Carleton E. Watkins
Courtesy of the California History Room
California State Library, Sacramento

I count more than 75 of the box towers or bee hives. From what I've read, each hive may have 20,000 to 60,000 bees, depending upon what time of year it is. If all of these hives were occupied, that's a lot of bees.

At first, I was surprised to see the beekeeper in these photos walking around among all these bees without any protection. Though I don't quite understand it, there seem to be other beekeepers who work with bees without the white spacesuit and mesh helmet as protection.

Apiary at Sierra Madre Villa
ca. 1886, Carleton E. Watkins
Courtesy of the California State Library, Sacramento

This view provides a good look at what much of the East Pasadena terrain probably looked like 120 years ago. You can also see the reach of the apiary.

When I first saw these photos, I wondered why Carleton Watkins would go to all the trouble to take these pictures. Photography back in the 1880's was not exactly a casual "point and shoot" thing -- there were heavy plates and equipment to lug around. There must have been something about the apiary or the whole idea of keeping honey bees that grabbed his attention. Might be that beekeeping was kind of novel -- honey bees were relatively new to California -- introduced in 1857. Or maybe he sampled some of the Villa's honey and was taken by the little insects that produced it.

From the photo, the terrain looks a little barren to support bees. Not visible in the picture were the area's citrus groves that were downhill from the apiary. Reportedly, the Villa alone had 5,000 large orange trees. I don't know what it takes to keep millions of bees in nectar, but that's probably a good start.

Monday, May 31, 2010

Memorial Day at Victory Park

East Pasadena's largest and most used park, Victory Park, was dedicated by the Pasadena War Memorial Committee on May 25, 1952, "as a living memorial to those who fell in World War II." This "V" shaped rose garden is at the corner of Paloma St. and Altadena Dr.

The boulder at the top of the "V" is the Joe Hayashi Memorial. A Medal of Honor winner and running mate of the Robinson boys, Hayashi died in WW II. There's more on Hayashi at this post a few months back from Pasadena PIO.

Red and white roses from someone who remembers this Memorial Day. This plaque is at the base of the Gold Star Mothers flag pole. Gold Star Mothers are moms who have lost a son or daughter in service to our country.

The Wall is also well worth a visit today.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Titley Ave. -- RIP

The Day of Reckoning for Titley Avenue is here. Tonight, without any fanfare, Pasasdena City Council will hold a public hearing to change the name of Titley Avenue to Kinneloa Avenue.

We rarely give street names their due. That's understandable. Most are named for a developer's distant cousin, or letters of the alphabet, or any number of things not related to the community or place.

But, sometimes street names are repositories of local history; markers of people or places that are important parts of a community's story. That's the case with Titley Avenue. In fact, there's a whole lot of East Pasadena history all rolled into that little soon-to-be no more street sign.

Last Fall, I ran a post about Titleyville (also commonly called "Chihuahuita"). I also ran posts on J.F.T. Titley, who built a small town of low cost cottages as a "benefactor" to the poor and called the place "Titleyville," and the drama that ensued when Mr. Titley seemingly bilked the families who bought his homes.

The renaming is part of the extension of Kinneloa Avenue under the 210 freeway, which is a positive thing. But, I didn't want the moment to go by without at least some nod to Mr. Titley and Titleyville.

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Grand Plans and Grand Ballrooms: A Story of Open Space and Ice Rinks

The city has scrapped plans to build a 50,000 square foot ice skating rink and parking for 150 cars on this open field adjacent to Eaton Wash. This field, which lies between Orange Grove and Foothill, will remain open space. The ice rink will stay at the Convention Center.

Like everything in Pasadena, there's some history to tell here. There is the saga of ice skating in Pasadena. And there are the plans for this unassuming field -- grand plans that never caught on. It all goes back about 80 years.........

**************************************

We start in 1932 when plans were adopted for Eaton Canyon Park extending from the mouth of Eaton Canyon all the to Pasadena's southern border. This was the first grand plan for the Eaton Canyon and Eaton Wash. It called for continuous parkland on both sides of the wash -- kind of a modest version of the Arroyo Seco on the west side of town. The field pictured above was smack in the middle of the plan.

The grand plan doesn't seem to have stirred much of a following. East Pasadena was still the city's countryside -- the place of fields and dairies and open land to spare. Some probably thought, "there will be time to build the park, but not now."

Meanwhile, ice skating was on its way to Pasadena's downtown. In 1940, the Pasadena Winter Garden opened. It was home to a hockey team and figure skating classes. The Garden was a popular weekend hangout for folks who enjoyed live organ music and couples only skates. However, it is most famous as the original home of figure skater Peggy Fleming, who went on to win the only American gold medal at the '68 Winter Olympics.

**********************

Fast forward 25 years.

Maybe live organ music didn't cut it in the hip 1960's. Or maybe interest in ice skating just subsided. For whatever reason, in 1966, the Winter Garden closed. Pasadena was without an ice skating rink.

As it happened, about this time, the city's attention turned to Eaton Canyon and open space along the Eaton Wash. The stage was set for an improbable marriage between Eaton Wash open space and ice skating.

In 1967, Pasadena's Director of Parks approved a grand plan for Eaton Canyon Development. This was truly a remarkable plan. The focal point was a hiking, biking and bridle trail along Eaton Wash. There was a wild bird sanctuary a the Eaton Wash Reservoir and ample amenities spread out along the wash trial.

The plan called for a cluster of attractions between Orange Grove and Foothill. No doubt aware of the Winter Garden's demise, the plan called for a new ice skating rink in this area. The new rink would be part of a group of active venues including an outdoor roller rink, an amphitheater, an animal farm and a swim club.

The plan never took hold. With the 70's came a city-wide push for development. The city's vision for the area turned to industrial and residential development.

******************************
Meanwhile, ice skating returned in the mid-1970's . At that time, the city developed a a series of buildings around the Pasadena Civic Auditorium that would serve as a convention center. The new buildings made the old Grand Ballroom expendable. The Ballroom was converted to an ice rink and has been used as an ice rink ever since.

******************************
Fast forward 30 years.

Several years ago the city made plans to renovate the convention center. Part of the plan was to return the Grand Ballroom to it's original use. But, the city had a problem. There was an ice rink in the Ballroom and the city had a long term lease with the ice rink operator. If it wanted to restore the Ballroom, the city would have to find a place for the ice rink. Where could the city put an ice rink?

Well, you guessed it. There happened to be an open field over on the east side of town. Somehow this field had escaped development and it was now solution to the city's problem. Plans were made, permits obtained. It looked like the field was destined for an ice rink and parking lot.

**************************
But, times change. By 2009, a shaky economy caused the city to rethink the wisdom of risking public dollars on the construction and operation of an ice rink. On reconsideration, the council voted not to risk the funds.

But there's another sea change at play here -- a change in how the public regards its remaining urban open space and a new awareness of how our actions impact our environment. When the ice rink solution appeared a few years ago, the city was just starting to explore what it meant to be a "green" and sustainable city. The city is now further along that road and has often stated its aspiration to leadership in environmental awareness and action.

Though the economy may and hopefully will change for the better, I hope an ice rink on this open field is now a nonstarter. For an environmentally aware city, the incongruity is striking. Why would Pasadena want to build a giant refrigerated box and a parking lot on some of its last remaining open space?

Yes, times have changed and with the passing years so have attitudes and values about what should be built, what should be preserved and what should be pursued. All of which brings me back to where we started. Now, about those trails in the '67 plan....

Oak-lined Eaton Wash immediately to the west of the former ice rink site.

Sunday, January 31, 2010

In-N-Out -- Historic Sign, Legendary Burgers

The In-N-Out Burger on East Foothill dates back to 1952. Back then East Foothill was part of the famed Route 66. This Pasadena store must have been among the first In-N-Out sites, opening seven years after In-N-Out was started in nearby Baldwin Park.

This In-N-Out Burger sign is on the City of Pasadena's list of historic properties. The neon and bulb rooftop sign is a designated as a Historic Sign.

Pasadena has only one In-N-Out and this is it. Seems this place is always jammed. It is not uncommon for half a dozen cars to line up in the right lane of Foothill waiting to pull into the drive-up. Where else can you get a fantastic hamburger for a buck sixty-nine?

I saw in LA Observed that Huell Howser has an hour special on In-N-Out tonight at 7 pm on KCET. Should be an interesting story about a phenomenon that is part of San Gabriel Valley history and certainly (insert Tennessee accent) a fine example of California's Gold.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Christmas 1878 at the Sierra Madre Villa

A 19 foot high Christmas tree, carols, sweet lichi nuts and a new cart for your donkey....

From the History of the Famous Sierra Madre Villa Hotel by William Lauren Rhoades, son of the proprietor:

When Christmas time rolled around the real fun began. I will describe a typical Christmas day in the late seventies. The day before Christmas was one of excitement for all were preparing the gifts, some driving into Los Angeles, a thirty mile drive, to get the last few gifts needed and to shop for all the rest and only about two dry goods stores, two book stores and a few other places to purchase but that made it all the more exciting. There was a tree to sit up fully ninteen [sic] feet high, that was the height of the ceiling, and a spread of branches in proportion. Then the trimmings, popping the corn and putting on the cornucopias, hanging the glass balls and the angel on the top. That day the Chinese boy, Sam, made mysterious trips to Mother's room with packages coming from the servants and Chinese on the ranch.

Christmas morning was always the opening of an eventful day. I well recall Christmas of 1878. After breakfast I was taken out to the front of the house and there stood my donkey, which was given me two years before to ride and I named her after my Mother, Jennie, and there she was hitched up to a two wheeled cart made to order with a swell leather seat, the running gear was painted red and the body black, the harness was black with shining brass buckles. The guests all stood round enjoying my delight. I took Mother in at once and we drove off in style and many were the happy days I had with the children at the Villa in that turnout.

Christmas morning the coach that ran to the San Gabriel Southern Pacific Railroad Station daily for the mail and passengers, was ready to take any who might wish to go to the Episcopal Church in San Gabriel, as was the custom on Sundays. Then the day passed and all were in readiness for the big event in the evening with the Christmas tree.


Rhoades goes on to describe the evening festivities that took place in the hotel parlor with the Rhoades family and hotel guests attending. Christmas carols were sung and the tree was "stripped." There was a gift exchange with Villa's many Chinese workers. Rhoades reports that, to the delight of hotel guests, the workers would enter the parlor with a flourish. Dressed in fine silks, the workers had "their heads freshly shaved with their cues hanging down their backs with red ribbons braided into their hair." They came bearing gifts of sweet lichi nuts, ginger and dainty cakes. In turn, the workers were given a fattened pig for roasting.

The author of this account, William Lauren Rhoades, was the son of William Porter Rhoades. The elder Rhoades was the proprietor of the Villa and co-owned the Villa along with his father in law, artist William Cogswell. The young Rhoades lived at the Villa over much of his childhood.

The full history written by William Lauren Rhoades is at this excellent neighborhood website.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Abbot Kinney and Mt. Wilson

While we're on Abbot Kinney....

One of our local peaks was nearly named after Kinney -- and not just any peak. Mt. Wilson was, for a short time, referred to as Mt. Kinneyloa. In 1887 a US survey team mapped the local mountains renaming the peak as "Mt. Kinneyloa" in honor of Mr. Kinney and his foothills ranch. However, as described in The Mount Wilson Observatory by Allan Sandage, the name change was short-lived. Sandage writes:

The ensuing local uproar - led by Los Angeles Times publisher Harrison Gray Otis - was fierce. In a scathing editorial Otis extolled Don Benito Wilson as "one of the foremost citizens of Los Angeles County and Southern California. If [Kinney] hungers and thirsts after a mountain [to be named after him], let him build a trail to the summit of one of the many Sierra Madre peaks yet unchristened, with chisel in hand. and let him cut deep into the face of its topmost granite rock the talismanic word KINNEYLOA, but keep Wilson's Peak for Don Benito."

Otis' editorial was not only hilarious with its image of Kinney chiseling his name on a mountaintop, but was apparently effective. Except for the surveyor's map, the peak continued to be named after Don Benito Wilson.

Thanks to Nat Read, who relates this story in his excellent book Don Benito Wilson: From Mountain Man to Mayor.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Abbot Kinney and the Sierra Madre Villa Hotel


The extension of Kinneloa Avenue brings to mind the name of Abbot Kinney. He is celebrated for founding Venice. Before that he was an influential conservationist and rancher. He and good friend, John Muir, were instrumental in establishing the San Gabriel Timberland Reserve, forerunner to the Angeles National Forest.

But, were it not for the Sierra Madre Villa Hotel, Abbot Kinney may never have set foot in Southern California.

It's a good story and here it is:

Sierra Madre Villa Hotel, ca. 1886, Carleton E. Watkins
Courtesy of the California History Room
California State Library, Sacramento, California

Abbot Kinney was both gifted and privileged. Educated on the east coast and in Europe, young Kinney became fluent in six languages. At the age of 26, Kinney travelled to Egypt in search of fine tobaccos for the family business. But, instead of returning home when business was done, Kinney embarked on a world tour. Over a three year period, he travelled through Europe, Asia, Australia and Hawaii.

Having seen the world, Kinney decided to return to New York. In January 1880, he arrived in San Francisco and waited for a train to take him east. However,travel eastward was temporarily blocked by snow storms in the Sierras.

Rather than sit idle in San Fransisco, Kinney booked a train south to visit the Sierra Madre Villa Hotel. Kinney had heard of the Villa and its healthful climate. He was an insomniac and asthma sufferer and anxious for a respite. Upon his arrival in Los Angeles, he immediately drove out to the Villa. But, in his haste, he had not made reservations.

So it was that one January evening in 1880, Abbot Kinney arrived at the Sierra Madre Villa Hotel only to find that the hotel was full. Fortunately for Kinney, the owner (possibly William Cogswell) took pity on the weary traveller. Kinney was offered accommodations in the Villa's parlor. He would have a pool table for a bed.

Kinney had a magnificent night's sleep. He awoke refreshed and quickly became enamored with the area. He cancelled his plans to return to New York and continued his stay at the Villa.

Abbot Kinney had found home. He had visited the world's greatest cities and had the means to live anywhere in the world. But, he chose for himself the foothills above what is now East Pasadena.

Soon, Kinney purchased 550 acres of mesa land just west of the Villa. There, he built Kinneloa. The rest, as they say, is history.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Lincoln Portrait By East Pas Pioneer Used in School Curriculum

President Abraham Lincoln by William F. Cogswell
White House Historical Association (White House Collection)

William Cogswell is a fascinating part of local history. About a year ago, I wrote about William Cogswell, the famous artist and East Pasadena pioneer. I've also written about the Sierra Madre Villa Hotel, which Cogswell founded in 1876 with his son-in-law, and the mystery surrounding his contribution to the Pasadena Public Library.

Mr. Cogswell's most famous work, his official White House portrait of Abraham Lincoln, is being studied as part of interesting new curriculum for junior and senior high school students in Ohio.

Cincinnati Public Media, a PBS affiliate, has developed a curriculum titled "Remembering Lincoln." In a section called "Appreciating Images," students study and contrast Lincoln portraits painted by George Healy and William Cogswell. In 1869 the portraits were submitted to Congress as part of a competition. The winning portrait would hang in the White House. Congress appropriated $3,000 for the winning artist.

Of course, Cogswell's portrait won and remains part of the White House Collection today.

Cogswell was a fascinating and talented guy who made a huge contribution to our local history. I am glad to see him getting some well-deserved attention.

One more thing. The curriculum cites to East of Allen (which is how I learned about it).

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

J.F.T. Titley: Vile Villain or Bumbling Benefactor?

I don't want to leave the subject of Mr. J.F.T. Titley without a little more musing about the man's true character.


The easy conclusion is that Mr. Titley was a greedy rotten scoundrel - a guy who preferred bilking poor householders over building communities. Kind of like, to put a seasonal face on it, the cold, evil, Henry Potter.

But, maybe that's being a little too simplistic.

Just maybe, our Mr. Titley was more like good old Uncle Billy -- a well-meaning type, whose bumbling ways were apt to misplace a few thou here and there.

In a hundred years, not much has been written of Mr. Titley. And after this humble post, I can't say that anything more will ever be written of him. So, I'm feeling a heavy burden here to give the man his due.

I've got to say this for the man:

He started a small town out of virtually nothing. It was a town of beautiful cottages that the big city newspaper described in the most appealing fashion. A town with homes that catered to poor families who worked hard but struggled mightily to make ends meet. The Times article credits Titley with the goal of being a "benefactor" to the poor and trying to give the poor a chance to own their own homes.


I'm impressed that he gave this small town his own name -- Titleyville or Titley Town. Hints that he thought grandly of himself and of the town he created. From the Times' description of Titleyville, seems a measure of pride would have been well deserved.

So maybe, just maybe, J.F.T. Titley was a good-hearted guy whose business acumen fell short of his big plans and noble aims. Though he enraged many of his own townspeople and added to their financial hardships, in the end, seems he achieved a pretty meaningful goal. He created a small town of beautiful cottages which families of modest means could own.

Maybe, just maybe, J.F.T. Titley is the kind of guy who deserves to have a street named after him. Most certainly, Titleyville is a place worth remembering.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

J.F.T. Titley: Founder of Titleyville and Namesake of Titley Ave.

Organ music played in the background as I opened the attachment labeled, "Titleyville.pdf." A story from the May 3, 1908 Los Angeles Times appeared. The headline was gripping:

"WHOLE TOWN LOSES HARD EARNED HOMES: Poor People Discover They Have Been Paying Installments to A Man Who Doesn't Own Land - Poor Dupes Threaten His Life."

Whoa!! The music grew louder. Here were answers to the mystery of Titleyville and little Titley Ave.

Indeed, there was a Titleyville and its setting was one of beauty. "Titleyville is a town between Lamanda and Arcadia. It lies romantically under the bending bows of the trees and its cottages are covered with vines and roses."

And, indeed, the town was started by one J.F.T. Titley around 1900. Titley is described as an enterprising man who wanted to give poor people a chance to own their own homes. His "grand idea" was to build small homes in Titleyville, then sell them to people using installment contracts.

Understanding how Titley sold his real estate is key to appreciating the tragedy that ensued. Titley didn't sell homes the way we do today. Persons contracting with Titley agreed to pay him a monthly amount toward purchase of their home. Only when the buyer finished paying all the required installments, would Titley transfer title.

At least that is how it was supposed to work.

But, as is often the case with aspiring real estate moguls, Mr. Titley needed money. Using Titleyville as collateral, he obtained a loan from Pasadenan Susan Reeves. Titley got money for a new venture and Reeves took a mortgage on Titleyville.

The stage was set for tragedy to befall the hard working denizens of Titleyville. Though Titley continued collecting installments from his buyers, seems he neglected to pay Mrs. Reeves. Finally, in 1904, Reeves foreclosed.

Those who paid their installments to Titley were left with nothing for their hard earned money. They had a contract with Titley, but Reeves was the owner.

Though she had other options, Reeves allowed the people to stay in their homes. New installment contracts were made. Buyers had to go back to square one in paying for their homes.

Mr. Titley became persona non grata in his own town.

The good folks of Titleyville wanted the man's hide. Town leader, Mr. Estrada, said "It would not be safe for that man to ever be seen here again. I do not say that I would kill him, but others here feel so that I guess he would never leave here alive. I know that I would fix him so that he would have to spend a few months in the hospital."

**********************

Many thanks go to Roberta Martinez, author of the wonderful new book, Latinos in Pasadena. and to Paul Secord for graciously sharing their research into Titleyville and Chihuahuita.
*********************
Sure seems like J.F.T. Titley was a first rate scoundrel. But, we might be terribly mistaken if that is our final view of the man. More in my next post.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

"One of the most charming grottos of the world"

Let's turn the clock back to 1876 and say you wanted to move from the cold snowy east to sunny southern California. Well, there was no California Aqueduct, no Colorado River water and no Pasadena Water and Power. You'd have to find water yourself before you could live here.

So it was in 1876 for William Cogswell when he purchased property in what is now east Pasadena and built the famous Sierra Madre Villa Hotel. When Cogswell bought his property, he also purchased rights to 1/2 of the water flowing over a water fall in Davis Canyon, just north of present day Pasadena Glen.

Since water was such a precious commodity in an arid area, it stands to reason people were fascinated with it. The capture and management of water -- purely local water -- made possible the groves and vines that flourished in the San Gabriel Valley.

So, in the 70's and 80's when people trekked to the Sierra Madre Villa, one of the objects of interest was the source of water that made this wonderful place possible. Cogswell enjoyed escorting guests on a short hike to the falls in Davis Canyon where water flowed from the mountainside into a refreshing pool. From there it was diverted into wood flumes and clay pipes which carried the water downhill to a reservoir behind the Villa hotel. From there, it was piped into each of the Villa's guest rooms (running water!) and sent downhill to water the Villa's citrus groves.

Los Angeles Herald editor, James Basset, visited the Sierra Madre Villa and took a walk with Cogswell up to the falls at Davis Canyon. Basset's account appears in Tourists Illustrated Guide to the Celebrated Summer and Winter Resorts of California, published in 1883.

Here is Basset's description along with present day photos:

"In company of Mr. Cogswell, we treated ourselves to a walk to the grotto which furnishes the water supply for the Sierra Madre Villa. It was distant about three-quarters of a mile. Part of the way, the water is conveyed in a flume and for the remainder of the distance in iron pipes.


We had to ascend some three hundred feet before we reached the brow of a hill from which one appeared to descend to the source of the water supply.

Of course, this appearance was deceptive.

Perseverance at last brought us to one of the most charming grottos of the world. In a crypt, hollowed out of solid rock by the rushing waters (doubtless the work of many years), a sharp turn to the right brought us to a cascade which plunged for a distance of fifteen or twenty feet over a shelving rock.

The crystal clear water, cool and refreshing, compensated one for the slightly trying walk."

Monday, July 20, 2009

James F. Crank and the Sierra Madre Villa

Sierra Madre Villa Hotel, ca. 1886, Carleton E. Watkins,
Courtesy of the California History Room,
California State Library, Sacramento, California

I enjoy reading Pasadena PIO's mystery history series. Her most recent post told the story of how the railroad came to Pasadena. Prominent in that story is a man named James F. Crank. He spearheaded efforts to bring a railroad to town, donated land for the Raymond Hotel and, one way or another, figured in much of Pasadena's early development.

Mr. Crank and his family were also the first guests at the old Sierra Madre Villa Hotel. In fact, it was the Sierra Madre Villa that introduced the Cranks (and other prominent people) to the area. Here's the story as related in Ann Sheid's Pasadena: Crown of the Valley:

The first real hotel in the area was Sierra Madre Villa which began as a large house. The land was purchased by William Porter Rhoades and his father-­in-law, artist William F. Cogswell, in 1874. They built a comfortable house, planted the grounds in orchards and vineyards, and landscaped with rose gardens and ornamental trees.

The house remained a private home until 1877, when the James F. Crank family arrived from Denver, seeking a healthful climate for the ailing Mrs. Crank. The Cranks stayed with the Rhoades, and during this time, a 20-room addition with a long glass-enclosed veranda transformed the ranch house into a full-fledged hotel.

The hotel soon became an important social center, attracting guests from around the world. Famous for its hospitality, beautiful site, and eminent clientele.... Guests came for a week, for a month; or for the whole season, and their ranks included such names as Ulysses S. Grant, Collis P. Huntington, the Crocker and Mark Hopkins families from San Francisco, and tobacco millionaire Abbott Kinney
."

There's more.

Below is a scan of a magic lantern slide made in 1890 by photographer Frederick Hamer Maude. The photo is of the front of the Rhoades house which was expanded to accommodate the Crank family. While staying at this house, Mrs. Crank's condition improved and Mr. Crank became smitten with the area. They purchased the Fair Oaks Ranch, which was across the wash from Sierra Madre Villa and north of present day East Washington Blvd. The Crank House still stands on Crary Street in Altadena and is on the National Register of Historic Places.


As for this old Victorian --- it was disassembled in the 40's and purchased by a nearby studio named the Walt Disney Company. Trim from the house was used in a movie and later on a building along Disneyland's Main Street. Here's that story.