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 53
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The Valley Union of July 19, 1884, said : "A contract has been let to L. H. Carver of Boston, Mass., to build the whole road, the terms being that it is to be in running order by January 1, 1885, to Pasadena." And the same paper August 2 announced that the directors of the "Dummy Railroad "
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had ceased operations and left the field entirely to the San Gabriel Valley Company.
The grading work went on well for a while; then Mr. Carver failed. Money was not forthcoming to meet payments due for work and material. Work was stopped for several months ; but the projectors stuck to it with good grit, and finally got in shape to go ahead again.
The first public mention that I find of special effort by Pasadena to aid this important work was in the Valley Union of June 5, 1885, which says :
" The committee appointed to secure the right-of-way for the railroad has held two meetings and entered upon its work systematically. At the first meeting the work of canvassing for the right-of-way was divided be- tween three committees, who are assigned to the following sections of the route : From Raymond Hill to Colorado street, J. H. Baker, M. W. McGee and W. H. Wiley ; Colorado street to eastern boundary of the Mutual Orange Orchard, C. C. Brown, S. Townsend, J. P. Woodbury ; from Mutual Orange Orchard to Rose's fence, James Craig, J. W. Hall and Abbot Kinney. It was voted to make H. W. Magee and Abbot Kinney trustees to hold the right-of-way when secured until the railroad is completed and in operation. An agreement to this effect has been made between the railroad and trustees. This agreement requires that the right-of-way be secured before June 15."
The same paper contained this item of railroad news :
"The first locomotive of the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Rail- road arrived from Cincinnati Tuesday. She is called a 30-ton engine, with 5-foot driving wheels and an extension front, with Eastern style spark ar- rester. She was brought out dead by Mr. Homer, who will put her in shape for active service."
Pasadena interest was now fully awakened to the importance of this railroad project in its relation to Pasadena's growth and progress, and the Union from week to week took every opportunity to report any new step in its advancement. On July 17 I find this mention :
" Locomotive No. 2 of the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Rail- road was fired up for the first time yesterday and run a short distance. A construction train was also made up. About 3,500 feet of track was laid, up to last night."
And again, July 31, this appears :
"The Arroyo Seco bridge is completed, and track-laying has progressed to this point. A large cargo of ties arrived Wednesday and the track will be laid as fast as the grading can be completed."
And on August 14 this :
"The first carload of freight went over the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Railroad Wednesday. It was coal for the Pasadena Water Com- pany."
Then came the opening day, which was the grandest affair in the his- tory of the settlement up to that time. I quote from the Valley Union again:
" Wednesday, September 16, 1885, will always be an epoch in the history of Pasadena. The Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Railroad was for- mally opened to public traffic between Los Angeles and Pasadena. It was
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HISTORY OF PASADENA.
an occasion for rejoicing, and the people earnestly devoted themselves to the enjoyment of a grand jubilee.
At an early hour those having the arrangements in charge were actively engaged. Mr. Thomas Banbury had provided a street sprinkler that did a grateful service on the dusty streets and celebration grounds. The Central School Park had been selected as the place for the ceremouies, and between the Public Library and school buildings a large pavilion covering an area 80x 100 feet, had been erected of rough lumber, open on all sides, but cov- ered overhead with freshly clipped cypress boughs. At 9 a. m. a train left Pasadena for Los Angeles, carrying the reception committee, consisting of the following gentlemen, and the Pasadena band : J. Banbury, H. H. Mark- ham, H. W. Magee, J. E. Clarke, G. W. Wilson, N. G. Carter, O. S. Picher; Bayard T. Smith, James Craig, O. H. Conger, P. M. Green, R. Wil- liams. This was the first passenger train over the road, and the run was made in twenty-two minutes.
The Los Angeles guests were received at the Downey Avenue depot, and five carloads including about 300 ladies enjoyed a most delightful ride to Pasadena. All expressed themselves highly pleased with the road and its appointments. Arriving at Pasadena, the guests were conducted to the pavilion, where an abundant collation was served. The tables were splen- didly decorated with fruits and flowers. On one of the tables was a loco- motive and two cars ingeniously constructed of variously arranged flowers. These cars were loaded with varieties of fruits, and this very appropriate piece of floral work reflected much credit on Misses Matie and Ollie Stratton, who designed it. Mrs. M. Rosenbaum had four elegant floral pyramids ; and many of the guests were supplied with neat button-hole bouquets. The floral engine was presented to General Manager Jewett.
After the repast, literary exercises were carried out in the following order, under the direction of Col. O. S. Picher, president of the day :
Address of welcome - Hon. H. H. Markham.
Response in behalf of Los Angeles-Mayor E. F. Spence.
The L. A. and S. G. V. R. R., response - Hon. J. F. Crank.
Original poem- Charles A. Gardner, editor Valley Union. The follow- ing is a portion of the poem :
As Troy, beleagured, in her hour of need Gave jovial welcome to the wooden steed, And poets lauded in heroic strain The Centaur coursers of the Grecian plain - So we, the people of another time - Of happier nation, and a sunnier clime - Are met with greeting for our modern horse, The tireless racer of the iron course.
But not like Trojan's shall our steed disclose The dread forerunner of a nation's woes - The armed battalions and the waste of war That ravaged Troas in her peaceful shore ; The shock of battle and the din of arms That wrecked her happiness in war's alarms, The dreadful thunders of an angry Fate That sealed the fortunes of a fallen state.
No ! blessings rather, in her peaceful train Attend our courser of the smiling plain ; The hum of Labor in her busy wheels ; The horn of Plenty in her bugle peals ;
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The lengthened spirals of her smoky fleece Are tranquil curlings of the pipe of peace.
And, lo! her progress through a chosen land Wakes smiling industry on every hand !
The voice of Labor and the arts of Peace
Bid homes accumulate and wealth increase ;
And cities hasten in her path of fate
To swell the fortunes of a rising state.
The Los Angeles Board of Trade-Maj. G. H. Bonebrake.
The Influence of the Press in the Development of Los Angeles County -J. D. Lynch, Esq., editor Daily Herald.
The Produce Exchange - Eugene Germain.
The union of Pasadena and Los Angeles- Col. H. H. Boyce, editor Daily Express.
The regular program being completed, remarks were made by Hon. R. F. Del Valle ; D. M. Berry, the father of the original colony from which Pasadena has grown up ; Mrs. Jeanne C. Carr, and Gen. John Mans- field."
From this time on, there was regular train service between Pasadena and Los Angeles ; and the construction work continued eastward. On November 7, 1885, the road was completed and train service commenced to Lamanda Park, where the first Y was built on which to reverse engines. Before this the engines had come up from Los Angeles head foremost and gone back with hind end foremost. At Lamanda the road took a rest for several months and boomed the town by running excursions there ; and it was not until a year later-November 5, 1886-that it was completed to Duarte. Right-of-way difficulties and other matters had caused delay. But it was finally completed to San Dimas-or " Mud Springs," as it was then called and marked on the maps-a total trackage of twenty-eight miles.
Meanwhile another local company had been formed to build a road from Barstow on the Atlantic and Pacific line, down through the Cajon pass to San Bernardino, and thence westward to " Mud Springs," there joining the S. G. V. road, and thus making a continuous line to Los Angeles. It had long been an open secret that these two local enterprises were in the interest of the great Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe R. R. Co., which was seeking a through connection of its own to the Pacific coast. Up to this time the Southern Pacific company had an autocratic monopoly of all transcontinental traffic with Southern California, and the Santa Fe company had to pay track-rent for its trains or cars from Deming to Los Angeles over the S. P. line. But now the Santa Fe company had finally gained control of the Atlantic and Pacific road from Albuquerque to Mohave ; and with these two local lines in possession, it would have an unbroken trackage of its own from Chicago to Los Angeles. In pursuance of this great scheme the S. G. V. road was sold to the Santa Fe company January 1, 1887, and Mr. Jewett remained in charge as manager for the new ownership until July 1, 1887, when he resigned-thus ending Pasadena's personal historic connection
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HISTORY OF PASADENA.
with the road. From the Valley Union of September 19, 1885, I gather a few additional points :
"The charter provided that it should extend from Los Angeles to the eastern extremity of the San Gabriel Valley, a distance of about thirty miles. The route to the terminus, near what are known as "Mud Springs",* was selected with a view to open up one of the richest valleys in Southern California. The Southern Pacific passes through the southern part of the valley, but it is too far distant from some of the most fertile and promising sections situated upon or near the foot-hills of the Sierra Madre range. Such places as Pasadena, Sierra Madre, Duarte, and Azusa needed a close and convenient railroad connection with Los Angeles, the commercial center for all the southern counties of the State. Several surveys were made with the narrow gauge in view, and a part of the right-of-way had been secured and some grading done, when it was decided to abandon the narrow gauge scheme and build a standard gauge road. This was over a year ago, or some time in August, 1884, when the capital was increased to $600,000. The bridges are first-class in all respects. The first across the Los Angeles river is 312 feet long, contains 100,000 feet of lumber, 12 tons of cast iron, and 22 tons of wrought iron, and will cost about $10,000. The Sycamore Grove trestle bridge is 450 long and 38 feet high. The bridge over the Arroyo Seco is 850 feet long, 38 feet high, and cost about $15,000."
This Arroyo bridge was built both on a curve and an incline; and when the Santa Fe company took possession they found it unsafe for their heavy freight and Pullman passenger trains ; they therefore made a new grade along the face of the Gibraltar cliff and crossed the Arroyo on a high, straight, level bridge, thus avoiding also the down and up haul of the old curve line. The old grade along the Garvanza bluff and the curved bridge were sold to the county and converted into a county wagon bridge and road at that point. And the Scoville bridge at Pasadena was also built of timbers from that old railroad bridge.
The Santa Fe company later extended their line to a tidewater connec- tion at Redondo, and San Diego.
THE "DUMMY RAILROAD" PROJECT.
During the winter of 1883-84 there began to be talk of connecting Pasadena directly with Los Angeles by some sort of rapid transit or street- car service ; and this talk resulted in the organization of the " Los Angeles and Pasadena Railway Company," which was incorporated June 12, 1884, with the following board of directors: P. M. Green, B. F. Ball, W. Thomson, of Pasadena; A. Glassell, A. H. Judson, G. W. Morgan, of Los Angeles ; E. M. Hamilton. Glassell, Judson and Morgan all owned land along the proposed line between Los Angeles and Garvanza. Im- mediately after the incorporation the company issued a prospectus, from which I quote :
* " Mud Springs " was a great cienega or body of marsh land about half way between San Dimas and Lordsburg. And the towns of Lordsburg, San Dimas, Glendora, Monrovia, Sierra Madre and La- manda Park did not then exist, They were born of the railroad.
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"It is the design of the projectors of this enterprise to construct a narrow-gauge railway from Los Angeles by way of the Arroyo Seco, High- land Park, Garvanza, Lincoln Park, Hermosa Vista, within a short distance of the proposed Raymond Hotel, and thence along a line midway between Orange Grove and Fair Oaks Avenues to a point as near as practicable to the intersection of Fair Oaks Avenue and Colorado street in Pasadena. Practically, it is the intention to extend the street railway system of Los Angeles to the center of the settlement of Pasadena, using as a motive power a noiseless steam motor known as a 'Dummy,' or such other power as may be required."
It will thus be seen that the project as laid out at that time was sub- stantially the same as is now carried into effect by the Pasadena and Los Angeles Electric Railway Company ten years later. That original "Dummy line " stock was put at $25 per share ; and the prospectus further said : “ It is desired to make this a people's road, built for the people, on a popular subscription by the people, without mortgaged or bonded indebtedness, and then run it in the interests of the people." It was a live project in its day. On June 5, 1884, a meeting was held at Los Angeles to work it up. A. O. Porter was chairman, and Green, Ball, Eaton and Dr. Conger were also there from Pasadena, besides engineer Williel Thomson, who reported estimates of cost at $7,000 per mile to build the road, and $10 per day for operating expenses thereafter, making five trips each way. Another meet- ing was held June 12, with Dr. Conger chairman, and articles of incorpora- tion were adopted. Its preparatory work was pushed with zeal and energy. Right-of-way for its track was given along Pasadena avenue from Columbia to Colorado streets ; I signed agreement for this, in common with other dwellers or owners of property on that avenue, although the avenue was then only open from California to Colorado. But it was found that this undertaking seemed to embarrass the San Gabriel Valley railroad [now Santa Fe] which was then making a tenacious struggle for existence, under the lead of S. P. Jewett, J. F. Crank and S. Washburn-all Pasadena men. And the Valley Union of August 2, 1884. contained this announcement :
"The directors of the Dummy Railroad and those of the S. G. V. Railroad came to a mutual understanding Thursday, in which the former agreed to cease operations, upon a positive guarantee that a road will be built and in operation by January 1, 1885; and that not less than three trips per day will be made by their trains the first year, and four or more the second," etc.
So the "Dummy road " was never built. Yet the idea on which it was based, for a Pasadena-Los Angeles street car line owned by local holders and managers, still kept alive .* The rapid-transit road built by Capt. Cross
* An illustration of the many grand projects incident to the boom time is afforded by an article in the Pasadena Star of April 3, 1889, on a new patent noiseless and smokeless street railroad motor, from which I quote this passage : " The fact that such a man as E. F. Spence and his associates are willing to invest money to build a railroad whose franchise will permit nothing but a noiseless, smokeless motor to be used, is a very practical way of showing their faith in this motor and that it is what it is claimed to be. This line is to go from the top of Mt. Wilson to the sea, through Pasadena and Los Angeles, with trains every hour. It will give us what we have so long needed - frequent communication with Los Angeles, and bring every tourist that goes to Mt. Wilson through Pasadena."
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HISTORY OF PASADENA.
in 1889 [now the Los Angeles Terminal] seemed to fulfill that idea for awhile-though in two or three years the need of some more direct, more frequent and more center-reaching line of street car service was felt, and plans for its accomplishment were talked up, resulting at last in the present electric line.
THE LOS ANGELES TERMINAL RAILROAD.
I wrote to the officers of this company, enclosing a suitable blank, ask- ing for data that would enable me to write a historical sketch of the road. No answer was ever made, nor any facilities afforded me for getting any in- formation from official sources. This explanation is due to myself because of the meagerness of details from which I was obliged to prepare this sketch. The "Terminal " as it now exists is a combination successor of the wrecks of several rapid transit, narrow-gauge and dummy lines that sprung up like mushrooms during our "boom " period. Of these, the Pasadena Improve- ment Company's standard-gauge road from Raymond station to Altadena, seven miles, comes first ; and the first step which led to the building of this road was a " boom" land deal that is mentioned in the Pasadena Union of October 2, 1886, as follows :
" The purchase comprises the ranches of Woodbury Brothers, Col. J. Banbury and P. Gano, embracing in all nearly 1,300 acres of the most finely improved, best situated and best watered land in this valley. The pur- chasers are E. C. Webster & Co., the Investment Bankers, Woodbury Bros. and other capitalists of this city, who form a syndicate of energy, foresight and enterprise. With the land bought are included the very valuable water right to 3,000 shares of the Rubio canyon water, 120 shares of the Las Flores water and one-third of the Millard canyon waters. The first step in the line of development will be the subdivision of this entire property into lots of five and ten acres. One very important enterprise already projected is the con- struction of a cable or electric railroad from some point near the Raymond to the base of the mountains at the head of the lands purchased."
The "lands purchased " were laid out as the town of Altadena, and was one of the high mark and very brilliant " boom " enterprises in its day. As lots were sold and buildings undertaken, the demand for better transpor- tation facilities became imperative, and a regular standard-gauge steam motor line called the ALTADENA RAILROAD was built from Raymond station up through Pasadena to Devil's Gate, and thence eastward through Alta- dena to North Lake Avenue. Of course when the "boom " collapsed this was a losing enterprise, yet the company was obliged to keep trains running every day to hold their franchise.
The village of Garvanza was another " boom " enterprise or land spec- ulation in 1885-6 ; and a narrow-gauge dummy street-car railroad was built from Los Angeles to Garvanza, and thence to Eagle Rock valley. This project became bankrupt ; and the railroad with all its property and fran- chises were bought by Capt Cross. He secured right-of-way through South
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Pasadena, after a long delay by litigation with certain landowners as to the amount of their damages, and built a "rapid transit " line from Los Angeles via Garvanza to Raymond station. Here he leased the Altadena railroad for three years and thus reached Pasadena's business center by running a switch down from the present Terminal depot site to a point between De Lacy street and Fair Oaks Avenue, and fronting on Colorado street. On March 11, 1890, the road was formally opened to the public, and Pasadena celebrated the event in great style. [See page 327.]
Within a year Capt. Cross sold out to the Los Angeles Terminal Rail- road Company, T. B. Burnett, manager. And the Pasadena Star of August 26, 1891, Said :
"The Terminal Railway Company has filed in Los Angeles a trust deep to the St. Louis Trust Company in the sum of $1,500,000 to secure payment of bonds to this amount. The Terminal is expending money in a courageous way, showing that its owners have full faith in the future of Southern Cali- fornia."
When the three-year lease of the Altadena line expired, the Terminal bought that road and made it an integral part of their system; and they did the same thing with the narrow-gauge line from Los Angeles to Glendale. Also during 1891 they built from Los Angeles to Long Beach, and to an ocean connection via Rattlesnake Island at East San Pedro ; and the formal opening of this line was celebrated by an excursion under the management of the Pasadena Board of Trade, November 14, 1891.
THE PASADENA STREET RAILWAY CO.
The first man who ever received a franchise for a street railroad in Pasa- dena was Stephen Townsend, on Saturday, October 10, 1885. This was be- fore there was any city incorporation, and the grant was made by the county board of supervisors, The Valley Union of October 16, 1885, said :
"To Stephen Townsend was granted his franchise, the route being as follows : Commencing at a point on Fair Oaks Avenue, in San Gabriel township, opposite the center of the street leading to the Raymond station of the L. A. & S. G. V. R. R., and running thence in a northerly direction along the center of said Fair Oaks Avenue, to a point about 300 feet south of Walnut street."
The enterprise seems to have made little progress for some months, and I find nothing more about it until February 15, 1886, when a meeting was held in Williams Hall on the subject. Townsend's franchise had been granted on condition that the work of building the road should be com- menced within three months, but this had not been done, so of course it had become void. At this meeting in Williams Hall C. C. Brown was chosen chairman, and Frank M. Ward, secretary ; and S. Townsend ex- plained the object of the meeting to be, to further the interests of Pasadena by the building of a street railroad. As a result of this meeting, the fol- lowing document was put forth :
28
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HISTORY OF PASADENA.
" PROPOSITION FOR A STREET RAILROAD.
" It is proposed to incorporate a company with a capital stock of $50,000, divided into 500 shares of the par value of $100 each, to be known as the 'Pasadena Street Railroad Company.' for the purpose of constructing and operating a street railroad on the following line. to-wit : commencing at the junction of Orange Grove Avenue and Columbia street, and running thence east to Fair Oaks Avenue, north on Fair Oaks to Chestnut street, east on Chestnut to Summit Avenue, and north on Summit Avenue to Illin- ois street ; and such other lines as the corporation may deem desirable. Signed : S. Townsend, Williel Thomson, Ward Bros., R. Williams, H. F. Goodwin, J. S. Mills, P. G. Wooster, Samuel Merrill, T. P. Lukens, Chas. A. Gardner, J. H. Painter, N. G. Yocum, J. G. Miller, A. O. Porter, B. W. Bates, Geo. E. Meharry, M. J. McCall, E. C. Webster, D. R. Risley, M. W. McGee, G. Roscoe Thomas, J. Banbury, Byron O. Clark, H. W. Magee, L. H. Michener, P. M. Green, James Smith, John Allin."
On February 18 they met again and organized the company by electing Stephen Townsend president, and Frank M. Ward secretary. And the county records give February 18, 1886, as the date of their incorporation. Then the Valley Union of February 19, said :
"The proposed street railroad from the college to Illinois street via Fair Oaks Avenue is now assured, $22,000 of the $50,000 capital stock being already subscribed. The directors for the first year are S. Townsend, Williel Thomson, Frank M. Ward, R. Williams, P. M. Green and P. G. Wooster. The iron is ordered, and two miles of the road will at once be built from the postoffice to Raymond station."
Yet, of all the twenty-eight names signed to the above " Proposition," and counted for stock subscribers in the Union's report, only seventeen ever actually took stock as proposed ; and this being the first bona fide invest- ment of capital for the construction of a street railroad in Pasadena, those seventeen form a historic roll of honor, as follows :
NAME. SHARES. NAME. SHARES. NAME. SHARES.
S. Townsend. IO G. Roscoe Thomas ... 10
Chas. A. Gardner. I Frank M. Ward I P. M. Green 5
A. O. Porter 5
H. F. Goodwin 5 John Allin. I
M. W. McGee 5 T. P. Lukens 2 Williel Thomson 32 H. W. Magee. 2
N. G. Yocum I R. Williams. IO James Smith. 3
E. C. Webster 2 P. G. Wooster 5
Total, 100 shares subscribed, or $10,000 of the proposed stock; and with this the work went on. The first cost of construction of the ultimate entire line, including rolling stock, horses, barns, etc., was $20,300 ; but $1,000 was afterward added ; and stock was issued for the whole amount. The first section of the road was completed in September, and the Valley Union of October 2 gives the following account of the opening ceremonies :
" Thursday, the 30th of September, 1886, will be referred to in after years as the day on which the first street car line in Pasadena was opened to the public. At twelve o'clock, over fifty invited guests of the projectors of the line assembled at the car stables to participate in celebrating this, the
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