Sierra Madre, California
The City of Sierra Madre is a municipality in Los Angeles County, California whose population was approximately 10,580 at the time of the 2000 census. The city is located in the Foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains below the southern edge of the Angeles National Forest. Pasadena and Altadena are to its west, with Arcadia to its south and east. Sierra Madre is known as 'Wisteria City', and its city seal is decorated with a drawing of the now widely known 500 foot vine. It is also called the 'Village of the Foothills' and was an All-America City in 2007.
Early history
In approximately 500 A.D. Tongva Indians, the aborigines migrated from the Mojave area to what would become the Los Angeles County, (including the San Gabriel Valley). Their name means “People of the Earth”. Their primary language was Uto-Aztecan Shoshonean, exemplifying their roots in the Aztec empire. In the 16th century there were about 25 Tongva villages, with population of approximately 400 native people. By 1769, the first Spanish settlers arrived in the region, finding an estimated 5,000 Tongva living in 31 villages. Two years later, Mission San Gabriel Arcangel was founded in today's Montebello, causing the Tongva communities to rapidly dwindle. The mission was later moved to San Gabriel because of severe flooding from the Rio Hondo River, which ruined their crops. The original mission site is now marked by a California Historical Landmark. Tongvas were integrated into the culture of the mission, and the tribe were renamed Gabrielino Indians by the Spaniards. The first Mount Wilson trail was carved by the Gabrielino Indians which was used by them when they carried timber down from the mountains for the construction of the San Gabriel Mission in 1771.Using Mexican and Chinese laborers, Benjamin 'Don Benito' Wilson expanded the Mount Wilson Trail in 1864. Nathaniel Carter purchased the original 1103 acres that comprise Sierra Madre in 1881: 845 acres from “Lucky Baldwin', 108 acres from the Southern Pacific Railroad Company; and 150 acres from Levi Richardson. In 1888, The Santa Anita railroad station was built . The first of the year brought Pacific Electric Railway Red Car passenger service to Sierra Madre. Later that year the first electric lights were installed by the Edison Electric Company. In December of 1906, the first telephones were installed, 250 of them, by the Home Telephone Company of Monrovia. On February 2, 1907, the first citywide election was held and 96 citizens voted 71-25 to officially incorporate Sierra Madre, the population was about 500. Eighteen days later, Sierra Madre became incorporated as a California city. Charles Worthington Jones served as the first mayor.
The new century
Sierra Madre is historically linked to the old mountain resorts of the San Gabriel Mountains and Valley. The Sierra Madre Villa Hotel was a pioneer of summer resorts that populated the San Gabriel Valley in the late-19th century. The municipality also operated and maintained the landmark 'Lizzie's Trail' inn at the head of Old Mount Wilson Trail.Harvard College established the first Mount Wilson Observatory in 1889. The installation of the Harvard telescope in 1889, which brought its own problems of transporting the instrument up the old Wilson trail, caused an interest in a Mt. Wilson roadway, something more than a trail. The Harvard telescope was removed and in July the new toll road was officially opened to the public. The toll was set by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors at 25 cents for hikers and 50 cents for horseback. The new road was called the 'New Mt. Wilson Trail' and it was more popular at the time than the old Sierra Madre trail. Foot and pack animal traffic became so heavy that in June of 1893 the trail was widened to six feet.. The Pacific Electric 'Red Cars' established their route to Sierra Madre from 1906 until 1950. Literally thousands of people rode the cars to Sierra Madre to hike the original Mt. Wilson Trail.
In 1908, the first Mt. Wilson Trail Race was run. This popular annual event race was discontinued during WWII and reestablished in 1966. The 102nd anniversary of the first running of the Mount Wilson Trail Race was also The 44th annual running of the race, was run in May 2010. Because with rain, mudslides, falling trees and rockslides, the regularly monitored trail course changes almost every year, due to soil erosion and wear and tear, no official records are kept of running times are kept. The 8.6 mile course, starts and ends on pavement, the majority of the race is run on a dirt path about three foot wide and the Mt. Wilson Trail has occasionally steep vertical drops of hundreds of feet. Due to the narrow and steep qualities of the trail, the race is limited to 300 male and female runners. The path gains elevation to more than 2,100 feet and, at 4.3 miles from the start of the race, is Orchard Camp, the turnaround point. Scout troops hike up to provide water at two locations, the 2.3 mile point and at the Orchard Camp turnaround. The Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team provides emergency support on race day. The special feature of the Mt. Wilson Trail Race, is its traditional and historical value to the community.A year after the city's incorporation, Roman Catholic families contacted a priest from Chicago, Fr. M. W. Barth, who had moved west for his health, to ask if he could celebrate Mass for them. The construction of the first very small church of St. Rita’s parish, founded by Father Barth in 1908, was completed in 1910. In 1922, St. Rita’s Catholic Church parochial school opened. During the first 100 years of St. Rita Parish, it has on record: 4,075 Baptisms, 3,590 Confirmations, 1,334 Marriages and 1,469 funerals. The scattering of families that began with Fr. Barth in 1908, has grown to more than 1,200 Catholic parish homes today, in a city whose entire population is now approximately 10,580 people.After a long legal battle, the city acquired title to all water rights, lands, and distributing systems of the 'Baldwin Estate and the Sierra Madre Water Company, in 1914' .
1920s and 1930s
In 1921, a disastrous bakery fire at Windsor Lane and Montecito Court, prompted the official organization of the Sierra Madre Volunteer Fire Department. The town is still home to the only remaining volunteer fire department in the Greater Los Angeles area today. On January 1, 1922, Bethany Temple was dedicated, the now historical domed cobblestone church was designed and built by the nearly-blind Louis D. Corneulle. The new Congregational Church structure was completed on Sierra Madre Ave; the Romanesque Revival building was designed by Marsh, Smith, & Powell. On April 21, 1931, the first meeting of the Sierra Madre Historical Society took place, in conjunction with the City’s fiftieth anniversary celebration. In 1936, a City ordinance officially changed the name of Central Avenue to Sierra Madre Blvd. In March of 1938, a disastrous storm and the resulting flood destroyed many resorts in the local mountains, also ravaged the (John) Muir Lodge in Big Santa Anita Canyon above Sierra Madre. No trace remains of it today. In 1939 the City purchased 760 acres of land in San Gabriel Mountains near Orchard Camp to avoid contamination of water supply.A six week Wistaria event took place in the 1930s. The crowds that traveled to see the giant Wisteria vine were estimated at over 100,000. With so many visitors, Extra 'Red Cars' were put on the Pacific Electric route to Sierra Madre.
1940s
On May 14, 1942, The whole of Sierra Madre’s Japanese population, including U.S. citizens, was required to depart for the assembly center in Tulare, California. During the decade, Sierra Madre Civic Club and the Sierra Madre Lion’s Club are organized. The Sierra Madre Community Nursery School also opened. In May of 1947 the first Pioneer Days Parade was held. The heaviest recorded snow falls on Sierra Madre in 1949, blanketing the town with 3-4 inches of snow overnight.
Mid-Century
On October 6, 1950, the last Pacific Electric train left from Sierra Madre. In 1951, Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team was established by Larry Shepherd and Fred LaLone. Sierra Madre joined the Pasadena Unified School District In 1961. In 1967, Britains's Princess Margaret visited the British Home in Sierra Madre. The Cultural Heritage Committee was established in 1969 by the Sierra Madre City Council with the intent of “defining cultural and aesthetic landmarks throughout the City of Sierra Madre and to recommend how such landmarks be preserved.” In 1969, the city purchased the Woman’s Clubhouse to be demolished and become the site of a new City Hall building. Predominately through the efforts of a few dedicated Sierra Madre residents, the Sierra Madre Historical Wilderness Area was established by declaration of the City Council on January 24, 1967. When it was dedicated on January 27, 1968, Sierra Madre was the first city in Southern California to own a wilderness preserve. The Sierra Madre City Council added the Mt. Wilson Trail to the Sierra Madre Register of Historic Cultural Landmarks, on October 12, 1993,.
1970s
In January 1971, the Sierra Madre Environmental Action Council was formed. In 1974, the Bell Tower in Kersting Court was dedicated, this bell tower houses the original school bell from the 1885 schoolhouse. In 1976 the 'Sierra Madre Vistas' was published by the Sierra Madre Historical Preservation Society. On March 19, 1976, the Bicentennial time capsule was buried beneath flagpole at the new Fire and Police Department Facility, and dedicated in May. The New City Hall building was dedicated on Sierra Madre Blvd. in 1977
1980s and 1990s
In 1981, Sierra Madre celebrated the centennial of its founding, complete with a Centennial Royal Court and dance, a special Historical Society dinner, and rides on a Pacific Electric red car brought back to town Independence Day weekend. On February 28, 1983, Queen Elizabeth visited the British Home and greeted each and every resident of the small town. In April 1999, 'The Weeping Wall Veterans’ Memorial', designed by Lew Watanabe, is dedicated in Memorial Park.
Recent history
The Groundbreaking ceremony for the Senior Housing Project on Esperanza Avenue was held, the affordable housing project includes 46 units designed by PBWS Architects and developed by the Foundation for Quality Housing in 2003. Later that year the Veterans’ Photo Wall, spearheaded by John Grijalva, is dedicated in Memorial Park. In 2007, Sierra Madre celebrated the centennial of its incorporation as a California City. Sierra Madre also won the All-America City Award, the prestigious award is given by the National Civic League. That same year, the refurbished World War I cannon in Memorial Park was dedicated.In March 2008, Goldberg Park, was dedicated. It is the City’s first new park in over thirty years. In 2009, the Sierra Madre Historical Preservation Society published 'Southern California Story: Seeking the Better Life in Sierra Madre', by Michele Zack. In the northern and northeastern portions of the city are the Lower and Upper Sierra Madre Canyons. These small communities are noted for their narrow and winding roads, lush vegetation, views of the San Gabriel Valley, and small bungalows or cabins.
Government and infrastructure
In the state legislature Sierra Madre is located in the 29th Senate District, represented by Republican Bob Huff, and in the 59th Assembly District, represented by Republican Anthony Adams. Federally, Sierra Madre is located in California's 26th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of R +4 and is represented by Republican David Dreier.
County
The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services operates the Monrovia Health Center in Monrovia, serving Sierra Madre.
City services
The town is no longer home of A volunteer fire department in the Greater Los Angeles area and has no traffic signals within its town limits. In 1928, Gordon MacMillan was inaugurated as first Chief of Police, the beginning of the city’s police system as we know it today. With the appointment of former Pasadena Police Department Cmdr. Marilyn Diaz as Police Chief on March 14, 2006, the Sierra Madre Police Department became the first municipal police department in Los Angeles County to have a female Chief. As reported by KCAL television in 2006, there are currently 17 sworn members of the Sierra Madre Police Department.A plaque honoring our fallen firefighters from 9/11, was installed in front of the Fire Station in October 2001 . In July 2003, the MTA begins operation of the Gold line from Union Station to Sierra Madre Villa. Sierra Madre expanded local transit service as part of the new operation. In March 2005, Marilyn Diaz was named Sierra Madre Chief of Police, the first female police chief in Los Angeles County.In June 2007, the Paramedic was begun. It was funded by the sale of an unused fire station in the canyon. Sierra Madre is the last city in Los Angeles County to provide paramedic service to its residents.
City Council
The Sierra Madre City Council is comprised of five members elected to four-year terms. The Council is responsible for general City policy, as well as for the appointment of the City Manager, City Attorney, and members of the City's Boards and Commissions. It also serves as the governing body for the Community Redevelopment Agency and Public Financing Authority.Joseph M. Mosca, Mayor
John Buchanan, Mayor Pro Tem
MaryAnn MacGillivray, Council Member
Josh Moran, Council Member
Nancy Walsh, Council Member
Unique culture
Downtown Sierra Madre has small restaurants and shops. There is also a historic company that makes gourmet and specialty olives, jams, jellies, and syrups (sold to the public) from its own citrus groves. The company, E. Waldo Ward and Son, was founded over 120 years ago, when most of Sierra Madre was mainly agricultural in its zoning; the first Sevilla orange trees in the U.S. were planted on the grounds (now, due to re-zoning, the original trees are on private property, however the Ward family still owns 3 acres (12,000 m2) of oranges at 273 E. Highland Ave. as well as having a barn.)Sierra Madre hosts a locally famous Independence Day parade and three days of festivities each year. The date of the parade varies from year to year, dependent on when the Monday of the holiday weekend falls. Residents like to call it a 'Star Spangled Weekend.' The old tradition of water-filled squirt guns during the parade has been scrapped for 'confetti eggs' to throw at parade participants and viewers. Concerts, food and game booths and the ubiquitous Beer booth are all a part of the firework-free weekend. In the northern and northeastern portions of the city are the Lower and Upper Sierra Madre Canyons. These small communities are noted for their narrow and winding roads, lush vegetation, views of the San Gabriel Valley, and small bungalows or cabins. Bailey Canyon Wilderness Park has these resources and hiking trail entrances are available to the public: Sierra Madre Wilderness Trail, Live Oak Nature Trail, and Canyon View Nature Trail. The park itself has a Native Botanical Area and picnic area barbeques and fire rings
Wisteria vine
Sierra Madre is known for its annual Wistaria Festival (an alternative spelling of Wisteria), which celebrates its 114-year-old, 1+-acre Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) vine. The plant was named by the Guinness Book of World Records The annual festival is the one day a year the 115-year-old vine on private property can be viewed. The city's more than 500-foot-long Wisteria Vine, was purchased in 1894 by Mrs. William (Alice) Brugman from the old Wilson nursery, in Monrovia, for seventy-five cents. . Over time, the vine, with its lavender flowers, grew so large that it crushed the house. Now the vine spans two back yards in the 500 block of North Hermosa Avenue. The vine measures more than an acre in size and weighs 250 tons.
'Rose Parade'
On January 1, 1917, Sierra Madre made its first entry in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses parade. Since 1954, the year it was founded, the Sierra Madre Rose Float Association has organized the all volunteers that decorate the self made floats every year, and .receives no funds from the city. In 2010, the Sierra Madre Rose Float Association and float designer Charles Meier won their 4th award in a row, the 'Lathrop K. Leishman Award' for Most Beautiful Non-Commercial Float.
Jailhouse Inn
Sierra Madre's 'JailHouse Inn' is located in the Historic City Hall, and it's 200 square feet 'suite' is actually located at the genuine 'old jail'. There is only one cell, so it can only 'incarcerate' just one or two people per night. It is about 200 square feet and is regarded as the smallest, and perhaps most unique 'Bed & Breakfast in the United States.
Mater Dolorosa Monastery
In the foothills of Sierra Madre is an 80-acre retreat with a bubbling fountain and verdant gardens. Mater Dolorosa Monastery’s first permanent structure was built in 1931. In 1949, the new retreat house was built and dedicated. The Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center ( Mater Dolorosa means 'Mother of Sorrows') has provided an environment of peace for monks as well as Methodists, Presbyterians and even movie crews. It is a place where, for almost a century, Roman Catholic monks and their faithful, have sought tranquillity, and where Rose Bowl-bound football teams have found a good night's rest away from the wicked temptations of the cities of Los Angeles and Pasadena.Shortly before the Rose Bowl game in 1958, Ohio State Coach Woody Hayes started looking for a place to sequester his team from the wicked temptations of Los Angeles. The Mater Dolorosa monastery in Sierra Madre offered secluded serenity, along with a small company of black-robed friars to make sure the team didn't get into any mischief. The Buckeyes won the game. Other team coaches have followed suit. Bobby Bell, a Minnesota linebacker, remembered the team bus pulling into the monastery one late night, with only the headlights and police escort lights shining against the religious statues. He remarked to his coach: 'You don't have to worry about bed-check tonight, Coach.'Movie scenes were often filmed at Mater Dolorosa.
Historical films
In 1910, New York filmmaker D. W. Griffith,The Invasion of the Body Snatchers of the American Biograph Moving Picture Co., began producing movies in town, using townspeople as extras. The Great Man’s Lady, based on the short story 'The Human Side' by Viña Delmar, was filmed in 1941, at the Pinney House, starring Barbara Stanwyck, Joel McCrea, and Brian Donlevy. Eddy Foy and The Seven Little Foys was also filmed at the Pinney House, starring Bob Hope and Milly Vitale in 1954. In 1976, Alfred Hitchcock filmed segments of A Family Plot in Sierra Madre's 'Pioneer Cemetery'.The Invasion of the Body Snatchers was filmed in town in 1956, it starred Kevin McCarthy, Dana Wynter, and Larry Gates. In 1993, Invasion of the Body Snatchers was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being 'culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant'.
Newspaper
Sierra Madre's local newspaper is the Mountain Views News
Geography
Sierra Madre is located at 34°9′53″N 118°3′3″W / 34.16472°N 118.05083°W / 34.16472; -118.05083 (34.164806, -118.050907).According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 7.8 km² (3.0 mi²). 7.8 km² (3.0 mi²) of it is land and 0.33% is water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 10,578 people, 4,756 households, and 2,739 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,361.4/km² (3,522.9/mi²). There were 4,923 housing units at an average density of 633.6/km² (1,639.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 85.81% White, 1.14% African American, 0.35% Native American, 5.60% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 3.02% from other races, and 3.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.96% of the population.There were 4,756 households out of which 23.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.4% were non-families. 35.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.87.In the town the population was spread out with 18.9% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 29.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 89.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.5 males.The median income for a household in the town was $65,900, and the median income for a family was $79,588. Males had a median income of $61,635 versus $42,527 for females. The per capita income for the town was $41,104. About 1.9% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.2% of those under age 18 and 1.7% of those age 65 or over.
