USA > California > Los Angeles County > Pasadena > History of Pasadena, comprising an account of the native Indian, the early Spanish, the Mexican, the American, the colony, and the incorporated city, occupancies of the Rancho San Pasqual, and its adjacent mountains, canyons, waterfalls and other objects of interest: being a complete and comprehensive histo-cyclopedia of all matters pertaining to this region > Part 40
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The reason why so few of the colony people were at this historic re- ception was, that many of them were in Los Angeles at the time, attending the Agricultural Fair. Miss Jennie Clapp (now Mrs. Culver) was there, and assisted in waiting on the tables at the banquet given to the presidential party. And others of the colonists resided so far from Mr. Porter's place that word could not be sent to them in time, hence they did not know of the notable visitation until it was all past.
On the same day Gen. Sherman had called upon and paid his respects to Dona Refugio Bandini, who then resided in Los Angeles; for he had been a favored guest at her house in San Diego in the days when he was only a young lieutenant (1847) and she was the queen of society in San Diego city and all that part of the state.
The work of collecting data and writing a history sometimes becomes itself a part of the history, and I have here a case in point, sufficiently curi- ous and interesting to be worthy of mention. During a period of five weeks I made diligent inquiry for facts about the visit of President Hayes to Pasadena, having during those weeks consulted 33 different persons who re- sided here at the time ; but not one of them could give me the day of the month, nor even the year, nor could they be certain whether it was in Sep- tember or October. However, a clue was given me in regard to the Horti- cultural Fair and its new building on Temple street, and by following this clue through some old records I settled on October, 1878, [?] as the time of the visit. No one of the 33 persons I had seen remembered that Gov. Per- kins was one of the visiting party ; and the great bulky "History of Los Angeles County," pretending to give a table of notable events year by year, utterly fails to mention this visit of President Hayes and Gen. Sherman to Los Angeles, notwithstanding they had a great public reception and banquet
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there-but it does mention a visit of Gen. Butler there the same year. After I had got my story of "President Hayes Day " all written out, supposing it to embody the bottom facts, I learned that the old soldier, Alex. Edwards, who had been named to me as a "teamster" in Sherman's army, was still living at San Jacinto ; and I wrote to him asking for some particulars of the affair. From him I received the following letter :
SAN JACINTO, CAL., October 19, 1894.
DEAR COMRADE :- Gen. Sherman, Gov. Perkins, and President Hayes and wife drove through Pasadena in the last week in October, 1880 (not in 1878, as you have it). Indiana was an October state then [for state election], and President Hayes was congratulating Mr. A. O. Porter on the election of his brother for Governor of Indiana. The president was anxious to get home in time to vote for Garfield.
I was in the war four years-three fights to one eat - and commanded the company for three years. I also served two terms in the Mexican war. I served under Sherman at Vicksburg ; and also knew him before the war, while he lived in Louisiana .* ALEX. EDWARDS.
FIRST CITRUS FAIR DAY.
The next historic day of special mark was March 24, 1880, when the colony held its first Citrus Fair, in the central school building, and made public exhibit of such fruit products as were already inatured. It was a marvellous success, was reported extensively in the newspapers, and gave the colony a widespread fame. D. M. Graham, who died in 1893, wrote an account of it for L. M. Holt's agricultural paper then published at Riverside, and from his report I gather, that papers were read at the Fair, on Pasa- dena's past history and future prospects, and on various horticultural topics, by Judge B. S. Eaton, Col. J. Banbury, Hon. J. F. Crank, Dr. O. H. Con- ger, Mrs. Jeanne C. Carr, D. M. Berry and D. M. Graham. Mr. Graham stated that Mrs. Locke had shipped to San Francisco some limes which averaged 900 to the orange box, and sold for $8 per box. As to future prospects he remarked : "Our 125 families must swell to 2,000." And he lived to see the swell reach twice that number. From Mr. Graham's paper I make the following extract, which gives some idea of how the colony appeared at that time :
"To a cluster of homes about eight miles northeast of Los Angeles, the name Pasadena was given by earlier settlers. Its short history of six years has made those homes beautiful beyond the most sanguine hopes of its founders. The streets are clear of weeds ; the five to sixty acre lots are enclosed by neat hedges of limes and Monterey cypress ; the tasteful houses are generally set far back from the street and reached by a well-kept drive through the orange orchard, whose soil is kept scrupulously clean and mel-
* Gen. Sherman came to California in 1847, as a Lieut. in 3d U. S. Artillery ; came by ship around Cape Horn, to San Diego. Gen. Stoneman came two or three months earlier, overland, as Lieut. in First U. S. dragoons, but acting quartermaster of the Mormon Battalion. Sherman served here until 1850, most of the time as acting Adjt. General under the military governors, and of course he and Stoneman were army comrades then. I11 1859-60 he was superintendent of the State Military Academy at New Orleans, Lousiana, where Mr. Edwards first knew him ; and that is how it happened that he recognized Edwards so familiarly, but did not know the old cavalryman, Enio Brenna.
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low ; further back thrive all the fruits of the temperate and many of the torrid zone ; a team of horses, a carriage, a cow, sometimes a pig and chickens complete the picture. We have ceased to be an experiment. We are an acknowledged success. To have failed would have been the basest ingratitude to Nature."
See some further account of this first Fair, written by Hon. P. M. Green. page II2.
SECOND GREAT CITRUS FAIR.
The next eventful day that seems to call for special historic recognition was the second general Citrus Fair, which was held on March 3, 4, 5, 6, 1885, in the roller skating rink on the corner of Fair Oakes Avenue and Dayton street, where the large three-story Doty block now stands. The principal address was a learned presentation of the history and quality of all the citrus fruits, by Abbot Kinney. Mayor E. F. Spence of Los Angeles presented the greeting of that city, and from his brief address I quote the following passages :
"A few years ago, on my way to the Mission San Gabriel, I traveled over the rancho, a part of which we now stand upon; and had it then been tendered to me as a gift with the obligation on my part that I should pay all the taxes, I verily believe I should have rejected the offer, and charged the would-be donor with considering me a tender-foot. I am almost ashamed to make the statement, as it is a confession of my own lack of foresight, and inability to comprehend the immediate coming greatness of our Southern country.
The old San Pasqual Rancho is transformed ; the Major Domo and his subordinates are dead ; the vaquero, the shepherd and his dogs are seen and heard no more, for the old things have passed away and behold all things have become new.
Pasadena ! The city of Los Angeles is proud of her little sister.
Pasadena ! The county of Los Angeles ought to be proud to have such a jewel in her setting.
Pasadena ! The happy home of cultured men and women, intelligent and well-trained men and maidens.
Pasadena ! Protected by the rugged Sierra from the desert blasts and northern winds, who can foretell thy greatness ?
Is it too much to expect that ere long Los Angeles city will extend her boundaries and capture this golden prize and make it a part of her rich municipality ?
What a grand boulevard would then be constructed through Lincoln Park and the Arroyo Seco !
It takes not the ken of a prophet to tell that the habitations of both places will soon spread out and touch each other.
Pasadena ! In the name of Los Angeles city, I greet thee again ! "
This Fair was gotten up by the officers of the Public Library, and all profits from admission fees went to the Library fund. The Fair was held four days, the third (March 5th) being "IOWA DAY," when 195 settlers here from Iowa registered their names and the county in Iowa from which
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they came to California. On this day Dr. J. P. Widney of Los Angeles gave an able and philosophical address on the workings of climate as a factor in human history, or as he styled it, " The Climatic Belts of Civiliza- tion."
There were over twenty varieties of oranges on exhibition, seventeen of which were mentioned by name in a report for the Valley Union made by Byron O. Clark. And Bayard T. Smith exhibited an orange just picked from the tree where it had remained since 1881 -four years.
On March 17th the Fair committee made the following report to the Library trustees : Receipts from the Fair, $489. Receipts from the play, $207. Total, $696. Expenses, $165. Balance turned into Library treas- ury, $531. [See page 204.]
S. G. V. RAILROAD DAY.
Next comes the opening day of the San Gabriel Valley Railroad (now the Santa Fe), on September 11, 1885, which was at that time considered the greatest event that had yet transpired in Pasadena's history, and every- body turned out with zeal and enthusiasm to celebrate the grand occasion. [See chapter 22.]
NATIONAL G. A. R. DAY.
August 17, 1886, witnessed the visit to Pasadena of the National G. A. R. Encampment, which met that year in San Francisco. This visitation was one of Pasadena's great historic days, and I quote some particulars in re- gard to it from a report in the Pasadena Union of August 20 :
"August 17 was 'Pasadena Day' in the program of G. A. R. festivities, and right royally did queen Pasadena prepare for the occasion. . She sprinkled her streets far and wide, and laid the dust so thoroughly that none enjoyed it more than the inhabitants themselves, who were so well pleased with it that they wished it could be done all the time. The city was decorated. The Exchange block, Wetherby & Harris' store, Cruickshank & Co.'s store, Ward Bros.' block, Mills block, the Union office, Star office, Wooster's building, the Grand Hotel, and the Los Angeles House, were notable instances ; while to a lesser degree the good work was very generally carried out.
"Over the entrance to the stores in Exchange block, where the banquet was spread, was a huge sign, " A cordial welcome to the Grand Army of the Republic and visitors," painted in fine style by Stewart; while over the entrance was a portrait of Grant, by the same artist, with the motto : "The Nation's Hero-He is not dead." The banquet halls themselves were handsomely ornamented with festoons of the national colors, photographs by Frost of notable views in the vicinity ; and, best of all, some beautiful banana plants.
" The eatables were there in profusion - melons, fruits, meats, bread- stuffs, jellies and sweet-meats, provided with lavish hand, and ready to be served on four long tables seating seventy-five persons each, or 300 at a sitting, and served by the fair hands of Pasadena's ladies, who rallied with a will to do honor to the country's defenders. The guests came in force, twelve car-
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loads, and numbering fully a thousand, for that many railroad tickets were sold, and nearly as many more must have come by other conveyances, as fully 1800 people must have been fed at the banquet tables ; and many sought food elsewhere when they got tired of waiting for their turns in the endless procession that for hours filed in and out of the banqueting halls.
"The visitors were met at the station by the Pasadena band and escorted to Williams' hall-that is, as many of them as could get in- where the preliminary exercises of the day were had. Mayor Holmes called the multitude to order and introduced Major J. D. Gilchrist, commander of the G. A. R. Post here, who in stirring words welcomed the visitors to Pasadena, and cordially invited them to remain and make homes here. Response was made with three rousing cheers for Pasadena.
" Major Bell, editor of the Porcupine, gave a stirring and characteristic address, in which he recalled the interesting fact -highly creditable to himself -that he was one of the only two soldiers furnished to the Union cause by Los Angeles during the war. Los Angeles was then excessively pro-slavery ; and while she had soldiers ad lib. for the rebel army, furnished only two fighting men for the Union.
"The company were then dismissed to dinner, which had long been waiting, and were served as rapidly as possible, by the numerous citizens on hand to assist. Gen. Bennett, department commander of Indiana, Col. Robinson of Ohio, and Sheriff Gard of Los Angeles, vice-commander of the department of California, were among the distinguished visitors of the day.
" A floral wreath and bells in the banquet hall were made by Dr. Rachel F. Reid of this place, an old Army Nurse. She was the first woman ever mustered into the army hospital service west of Washington, having enlisted in St. Louis in September, 1861, under Gen. Fremont.
"An event that will live in history is the hauling in a carriage by en- thusiastic 'vets' of four members of the 'Old John Brown' family, who live here. Jason and Owen Brown, Mrs. Ruth Brown Thompson and her husband, Henry Thompson, have long been residents here, and were objects of the enthusiastic admiration of the boys-in-blue, so much so that in the course of the afternoon they were got into C. C. Brown's fine carriage, the horses taken off and a long rope attached, and for a half hour or more they were hauled up and down the streets by the soldiers, singing, 'John Brown's body lies mouldering in the grave ; His soul is marching on !" Jason Brown is exceedingly modest, even to bashfulness, and he protested with all his power against the embarrassing publicity thus given them, while Mrs. Thompson's womanly heart broke down at the starting of the historic song, and she wept during almost the entire time. However, it was all meant in kindness, and they will doubtless forgive the old soldier friends whose en- thusiasm thus constrained them to trespass upon their privacy .*
"Among the historic incidents of the day, Dr. H. A. Reid of Pasadena, wore the identical badge (first division sixth army corps) which he wore in the battles of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, etc. He was then chaplain of the fifth regiment Wisconsin volunteers, and also member for Wisconsin of the U. S. Sanitary Commission, and was within a few rods of Gen. Sedgwick, when that noble officer was killed in the battle of Spott- sylvania.
*In the Union of August 27, 1886, a card was published, signed by Jason and Owen Brown, Ruth and Henry Thompson, thanking the old soldiers for their kind remembrance.
2I
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"There was in the procession and in Williams' hall the old battle flag of the 85th Missouri regiment, which was carried in the bloody battle of Pea Ridge and sixteen other fights in Missouri. This old battle-torn and tattered flag is now owned by Frank Bartlett Post G. A. R., of Los An- geles."
RAYMOND HOTEL DAY.
November 17, 1886, was opening day of the great Raymond hotel, which was an affair of local importance second only to the building of the S. G. V. railroad, and was therefore a notable event in Pasadena's history. [See Chapter 24.]
EDITORIAL ASSOCIATION . DAY.
December 19, 1888, the parlors of the Carlton hotel in Pasadena were occupied by an assemblage of editors, who made the day historic by organ- izing here an association, which still continues. A brief report of the mat- ter I quote from the Pasadena Standard of December 22 :
"About thirty newspaper men assembled in Pasadena last Wednesday and organized the Editorial Association of Southern California. L. M. Holt of the San Bernardino Times was elected president, and W. L. Vail of the Pasadena Star, secretary. On motion the chair appointed Dr. H. A. Reid of Pasadena, O. A. Stevens of Los Angeles, George Rice of Alhambra, Scipio Craig of Redlands, and D. M. Baker of Santa Ana, a committee on organization. Committee's report adopted. H. J. Vail of Pasadena, Scipio Craig of Redlands, W. H. Nixon of Santa Barbara, H. E. Boothby of Fresno, and Warren Wilson of San Diego were appointed committee on Constitution and By-Laws, to report at first annual meeting, at Chamber of Commerce in Los Angeles, the second Tuesday of January, 1889. Thirty- three names were enrolled for membership. The Pasadena Board of Trade gave them a banquet at the Carlton hotel. A free excursion over the Altadena railroad, and free seats at the Pickwick Club minstrel enter- tainment were also accepted."
OWEN BROWN'S FUNERAL DAY.
January 10, 1889, was a day of pre-eminent historic associations in Pasadena, as connected with the funeral of Owen Brown. Of all the news- paper reports published at that time, that of the Pasadena Standard of Jan- uary 12 contained much the greatest embodiment of history points pertinent to the notable occasion, and hence I quote from it :
FUNERAL OF OWEN BROWN, THE LAST SURVIVOR OF JOHN BROWN'S HISTORIC RAID ON HARPER'S FERRY, VA., IN 1859.
Died, at the residence of his brother-in-law, Henry Thompson, in this city, on January 8, 1889, Owen Brown, aged 64 years, 2 months and 4 days. Owen Brown was born at Hudson, Ohio, November 4, 1824, and was the third son of John Brown's first family, there being twenty children in all.
Owen was with his father all through the struggle between the free state men and border ruffians in Kansas in 1856 and following years, and took part in the first pitched battle at Black Jack on the Missouri and Kan- sas border, and also at Ossawatomie where his younger brother, an un- armed lad, was deliberately shot down in the street. Jason was also in these battles.
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Owen was with his father at Harper's Ferry, a participant in that mem- orable raid which struck the death knell of slavery, not only in the United States but throughout the civilized world. He was one of seven who escaped from there through mountain fastnesses and swamps and forests and farms and streams, in rain and snow and storms, living on raw corn, acorns, sassafras leaves, and such things as they could possibly devour without mak- ing a fire to cook. For they were pursued by soldiers and citizens with dogs and guns, and a price was set on their heads. The Atlantic Monthly some 15 or 20 years ago published a narrative of their escape, which excels in thrilling pathos, and in plain matter-of-fact incidents of hardship, endur- ance, and apparently supernatural deliverances from discovery and capture, the most vivid conceptions of fiction. Two of them made reckless ventures to get food and were captured and hung. The remaining five escaped, Owen finally reaching his brother John's home on an island in Lake Erie.
About five years ago Jason and Owen Brown took a homestead on a bench of mountain land five or six miles north of Pasadena, at the settle- ment now called Las Casitas. This they subsequently sold and took land higher up the mountain side, built a cabin, cleared and worked a few acres, and lived there -- two feeble old men, alone. (Jason was with his father in the Kansas struggle, but was not at Harper's Ferry.) They were much visited by tourists and citizens, some from mere curiosity and others from a warm sympathy with the historic career of the family. They had made a good wagon trail up to their mountain hermitage, and were continuing it as a donkey path to the top of the mountain known as Brown's peak, but it is not completed yet. Owen had a desire to be buried on the top of Brown's peak ; and if Jason ever succeeds in finishing the trail he will try to have his brother's grave up there as he desired. But meanwhile he is buried on a lesser peak on their mountain homestead .*
Owen Brown was never married.
LAST DAYS .- December 30th the aged brothers came down to the city to attend Col. Woodford's gospel temperance meeting in the tabernacle. We met them there both Sunday and Monday nights. But Owen was taken sick and had a chill after going to his sister Ruth's home from the meeting, and in a week he died of typhoid pneumonia. He had been failing for some months; this had been noticed by his relatives and friends.
Monday he had worked pretty hard, then lay down in the bright sunshine on the banks of the Arroyo and slept. In the evening he went to the great temperance meet- ing, and being very deeply and ardently interested in the cause, he put his last cent of money into the collection ; had nothing to pay street car fare with, and so walked over two miles to his sister's house, after the meeting. These over-exertions were probably the immediate cause of his last sickness, although he was out some on several days after the first attack, but was not able to attend the meetings any more.
At the women's meeting on Tuesday he and Jason were elected honor- ary members of the W. C. T. U. He was much pleased with this, and said there was no cause he would more gladly contribute his $1.00 membership
*Jason was never able to do anything more with the mountain trail. He finally lost this home place by debt, and Owen Brown's grave remains at Las Casitas, as one of Pasadena's notable historic points. Their first place was not a " homestead," but land bought from Painter & Ball, where the Las Casitas Sanitarium now stands.
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fee to aid. So he was buried with the W. C. T. U. white ribbon on his breast.
The last words he uttered that could be distinguished were: "It is better-to be-in a place-and suffer wrong-than to do wrong."
THE FUNERAL .- The last rites were paid to his mortal remains on Thurs- day, January 10. It was a historic day in Pasadena. The tabernacle was well filled-about 2000 people in attendance. The exercises were conducted by Rev. R. H. Hartley, pastor of the Friends church. The great choristry was filled with singers who sang appropriate hymns with a fervor and pathos as if the very spirit of the Browns had woven itself into heavenly music.
Prayer was offered by Rev. Dr. Bresee, pastor of the M. E. Church, which went to the heart of the historic occasion and was an uplift of soul in all noble aspirations. Remarks were made by Rev. Mr. Hartley ; also by Rev. D. D. Hill, pastor of the Congregational church ; Rev. E. L. Conger, pastor of the Universalist church ; Col. George Woodford, the gospel temperance evangelist ; and by H. N. Rust, a life-long friend and neighbor of John Brown and his family.
The city trustees, who are all old-time republicans, attended in a body and took seats on the platform, as a token of respect for the memory of John Brown and his sons.
The students of the Pasadena Academy attended in a body. And mem- bers of the G. A. R. and Sons of Veterans who could leave their business places attended the funeral.
On conclusion of the services the casket was removed to the corridor and the face cover removed. Then the vast audience passed out in columns by each aisle on each side of the bier and thus all had an opportunity to view the face of Owen Brown. It was perfectly natural-a little paler than in life, and looked as though he was only lying asleep.
The bier was covered with floral emblems and tokens of love. A cross, a wreath, and boquets, composed of calla lillies, roses, violets, marguerites, sweet elyssum, geraniums, smilax, and feather palms.
RELATIVES PRESENT .- Jason Brown, brother of the deceased.
Ruth Brown Thompson, sister of the deceased, with her husband, Henry Thompson and their youngest daughter, Mamie. Mr. Thompson was one of John Brown's soldiers in Kansas.
Mrs. Grace Simmons, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, with her husband and son, who reside at Las Casitas.
Mrs. Town, (another daughter) with her husband and son, who also reside at Las Casitas.
Mrs. Hand, from Wellington, Ohio, a sister of John Brown, aunt to the deceased, and now visiting her daughter in Los Angeles, formerly Mrs. Hood of Pasadena.
Mrs. Hopson, cousin of the deceased, from Sacramento.
Mrs. Quinn, a cousin, from Saratoga Springs, N. Y.
THE PALL BEARERS .- It is quite remarkable that there should be found in Pasadena so many men who were associated with John Brown in his mighty work, which up-heaved the nation and proved the entering wedge for the overthrow of slavery, thirty years ago. In charge of the pall bearers was H. N. Rust, president of the Pasadena Library Associa- tion, who was an old-time friend and neighbor of the John Brown family at East Hampton, Massachusetts, and also for many years in this city.
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James Townsend of Spring Dale, Cedar county, Iowa, who was John Brown's intimate and confidential friend ; and at his house Brown took his last meal before starting from West Liberty to Chicago with his men and twelve escaped slaves. This was a marvelous event, in which John Brown, with $2,000 reward offered for him, dead or alive, took a lot of slaves in a car on the C. R. I. and P. railroad through the cities of Davenport, La Salle, Joliet, Chicago, and on to freedom on the soil of Canada. And from thence moved on to his final operations at Harper's Ferry, Va. In Dr. H. A. Reid's "History of Johnson County, Iowa," a volume of 966 pages, at page 466 mention is made of James Townsend's "Travelers Rest," the tavern at West Branch (near Spring Dale) where John Brown, and his mule captured from the border ruffians at the battle of Black Jack on the Kansas and Missouri line, were always on the "free list." On page 467, of the same work, we read : "Brown himself had his quarters at the home of Mr. John H. Painter."
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