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 58
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As a token and tender of their hearty good will toward Mr. Raymond's enterprise, and their willingness to aid it all they could, the people of Pasa- dena subscribed $1,400 to buy five shares of water, and pipe it to the hotel site. The Pasadena Union of March 1, 1884, said :
"Mr. Thomas Banbury, from the looks of things, will soon have the old landmark, Bacon Hill, reduced to the proper level for the foundation of · the hotel. On Monday at high noon Mrs. Banbury lighted the three fuses that exploded 2,500 pounds of powder, the consequence of which was the complete disorganization of the last point of rock on the summit of the hill."
The fact that a woman had touched off this tremendous blast was a mat- ter of local celebrity at the time, and makes one of the historic incidents connected with the erection of the Raymond hotel. That particular blast I heard myself, and it made a little earthquake for a mile or two around. On March 22 the Union said :
"Two vessels have arrived at San Pedro with 900,000 feet of lumber, and 500,000 shingles for the Raymond hotel. The contract for hauling all the lumber (2,250,000 feet) has been let, and work is rapidly progressing ; 500,000 bricks are now burned and being used on the foundation, the first brick of which was laid on Thursday."
On April 26 the same paper announced a suspension of work on the
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hotel ; and stated in explanation that instead of costing $200,000, as first proposed, it would cost nearly double that amount -and consequently a re- vision of plans must be made. The fact was, the unforeseen granitic charac- ter of the hill formation had unexpectedly increased the cost of grading and foundation work two or three times beyond the first estimates. This sus- pension continued about six months, and Pasadena watched and waited the outcome with deep anxiety. Meanwhile the San Gabriel Valley railroad was completed from Los Angeles to Pasadena, and commenced running regular trains September 16, 1885 ; and it was pretty well understood-in fact, a confidently trusted "open secret " even at that time-that this local line was ultimately to become a part of the Santa Fe's great transcontin- ental line; and this fact had much to do with determining the fate both of Pasadena and the Raymond hotel. And this suspension stage of the hotel work and its outcome are spoken of in the Union of June 4, 1886, from which I quote this passage :
RAYMOND HOTEL -SOUTH-BY-WEST FRONT. Photo. taken during its season of 1893-94.
"April 23, 1884, work on the hotel was stopped, owing to financial en- tanglements. Mr. Raymond had exhausted his means and knew not where to turn. At last he interested in the work his aged father, Emmons Ray- mond, long-time president of the Passumpsic River Railroad. The elder Raymond is 79 years old, but his days of usefulness are not ended, and when he came to realize the possibilitie's of the projected hotel, he lent vig- orous aid with purse and head. Perched on its conspicuous eminence, the Raymond has been growing skyward since the 27th of last September, when the elder Raymond, coming out from the east, devoted himself assid- uously to the work. The great foundations had already been laid, 43,000 cubic yards of earth had been moved, and over a million bricks laid from the bed rock up. Since then the whole superstructure has risen, and today the vast building is very close upon completion. It is the most imposing sight in Southern California, and, perhaps, the greatest undertaking ever
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carried through here. The main building and the wings are four stories high, the dining room wing, two stories. The tower is 104 feet high, seven stories. There are forty-three bath rooms in the house, and forty water closets. The hotel grounds comprise fifty-five acres. The building cost $300,000."
The bricks for the foundation walls, chimneys, etc., were made by Simons & Hubbard from Los Angeles, at a yard which they then started on the Raymond grounds, east of where the great stable is now; and the Valley Union of November 13, 1885, reported forty masons and carpenters then at work, and said, "the brick work will all be done this week except the kitchen"; also that "1,300,000 bricks will be used altogether." The brick laying for the ovens and chimneys was done by Robert W. Lacy of Pasadena, after whom DeLacy street was named by his son-in-law, A. F. Mills. Mr. O. J. Muchmore from Lebanon, New Hampshire, was general superintendent of the entire construction work, from the first foun- dation brick to the last roof shingle. He had previously built large hotels in Florida and the Bermuda Islands.
From the day that the elder Raymond took a hand in the enterprise, the construction work went on steadily and vigorously to completion, * and opening day was set for November 17, 1886. Of this historic event I copy the report of the Valley Union of November 20, 1886, which says :
"Wednesday evening, November 17, 1886, will mark the date of the most notable and brilliant event that has yet occurred in Southern California. The occasion was the formal opening of the Raymond Hotel. At an early hour guests began to arrive in carriages, and at nine o'clock two heavily loaded trains had arrived from Los Angeles, and as the throng passed up the main avenue, lighted on either side with Chinese lanterns, the scene was
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RAYMONDF
RAYMOND DEPOT, SANTA FE LINE. Romanesque Architecture.
* The Raymond depot of the Santa Fe railroad has only a rear view of the great hotel. The elder Raymond objected to this, saying with emphasis, "I don't want my guests dumped down in my slop- yard." And there was some talk of running the railroad around south and east of Raymond hill, with a depot on its east slope ; but it was not done. There was also talk of a tunnel from the present depot in under the hotel, then ascend by elevator; but this it was found would be too costly a job to under- take.
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one long to be remembered. At ten o'clock the great company had nearly all assembled, embracing about 1,500 guests."
The hotel had a successful season ; and it has been regularly open from autumn to spring, or during the tourist season, every year since. · Numer- ous additions and improvements were made in the building and the premises year by year.
DESTROYED BY FIRE.
On Easter Sunday, April 14, 1895, in the afternoon, this great hotel caught fire from some defective flue near the southwest corner on the upper floor. There was a stiff sea breeze blowing from the southwest at the time, which made the flames spread rapidly, and get such headway before dis- covered, that the fire hose on the different floors were utterly powerless to check the swift progress of the fire as it swept directly toward the remain- ing part of the immense structure, its annex and power-house, etc. In less than one hour everything was down in one vast heap of fiery ruin. The loss, as given by the manager, Gen. Wentworth, was $450,000 ; insurance, $205,000. There were 165 guests in the house Saturday night, besides about fifty employes in the annex. The buildings were all of wood, and the flames spread so rapidly that many lost all their clothing and personal effects ; but no lives were lost, and nobody seriously injured. The hotel safe was dragged out the next day with grappling hooks and chains from the red-hot mass of fiery glowing embers, and its contents found unharmed.
"Land[of Sunshine," May, 1895.
THE RAYMOND HOTEL ON FIRE.
It is a remarkable coincidence that Williel Thomson, who surveyed the hill for grading and set the stakes for the foundation walls - Thomas Ban- bury, who graded the hill down thirty- four feet from its original summit - O. J. Muchmore, who superintended the erection of the hotel-and Frank A. Haskell, who did the first job of painting on it-all happened to witness its flamy destruction ten years later. Mr. Vroman of Pasadena happened to be there taking a photo of a very fine rose bush in the yard, when the fire broke out -and then he took sev- eral views of the great structure while it was burning.
THE CARLTON HOTEL .- This was the first attempt to establish at the Pasadena business center a hotel to be furnished and conducted in a style recognized as " first class." It was the first building in the city to have a passenger elevator. The base of the iron column at west side of its stairway
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entrance on Colorado street was the first bencli-mark or datum plane estab- lished by the city council, from which all official city grades or levels have since been reckoned. And a number of notable events transpired within its walls, which have given it a prominent place as one of our historic hotels. [See cut, page 284.]
After some weeks of talk about building a large business block, a syndicate was formed composed of Gen. Edwin Ward, then of Long Beach ; the Harper & Reynolds hardware company of Los Angeles ; Geo. A. Swart- wout, A. Cruickshank and E. C. Webster of Pasadena. At a meeting in the first week of February, 1886, they adopted the name "Exchange Block " for their new building ; and on February 17, 1886, its corner-stone was laid by the architect, Harry Ridgway and assistants, enclosing a sealed casket of local newspapers, photographs, and other historic documents of Pasadena flavor ; and speeches were made by C. T. Hopkins and Abbot Kinney. On June 2, 1886, the "Exchange Block Company " was incorporated. On August 17, 1886, occurred the visit of the National G. A. R. excursionists to Pasadena on their way back east from their National Encampment at San Francisco. The Exchange Block was not finished ; but its large east rooms on first floor were cleared of rubbish, decorated, and used for the banquet reception to these war-record visitors. [See page 320.]
In February, 1887, the city council meetings were being held in this building and on the 19th of that month the famous prohibitory ordinance was enacted here. Then in August, 1888, the lessees of the Carlton Hotel were arrested for selling liquor there, contrary to the law, and the case had some historic celebrity. [See page 264.]
On December 19, 1888, the editors of South California assembled in the parlors of this hotel and here formed their State editorial association. [See page 322.]
On January 28, 1889, occurred in this hotel the Astronomical banquet [see page 326] which led to the placing of the Harvard photographing tele- scope on Mount Wilson.
THE PAINTER HOTEL-This was the third large hotel enterprise undertaken here, being built in 1887 by John H. Painter and sons, and opened to the public in February, 1888. It is the distinguishing landmark of North Pasadena, being situated on northeast corner of Fair Oaks Avenue and Washington street, 1200 feet above sea level. M. D. Painter and wife have been the managers of the hotel ever since it opened for business. It is a historic building, because of sundry other large enterprises incidentally associated with it. The Painter Bros. opened Fair Oaks Avenue from Chestnut to Illinois street [see page 356], and built the horse car line from Colorado street clear up past the hotel to Mountain View cemetery. They also built a steam dummy R. R. line from the hotel to Devil's Gate; pro- jected Arroyo Park ; built the first large covered reservoir ; etc., etc. But
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the father died in April, 1891 ; and then A. J. Painter died in November, 1893, in the midst of his plans for further development, and they had to be abandoned. This hotel, with its adjunct grounds, livery barn, etc., represents an investment of about $80,000.
HOTEL GREEN .- The Hotel Green Co. was first projected in March, 1891, by Col. G. G. Green of Woodbury, New Jersey. The first meeting to talk up and arrange for the organization of the company was held in the office of A. R. Metcalfe, Esq., Mr. Green's attorney in Pasadena ; and the organization was finally made in Mr. Metcalfe's office on March 27, 1891,
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HOTEL GREEN. Moresque Architecture. Photo. 1895.
its members then being Col. G. G. Green, A. R. Metcalfe, H. W. Magee, J. H. Holmes, and J. G. Rossiter. Col. Green was made president, and J. H. Holmes secretary and treasurer. The hotel building was erected in 1891-92-93, with a frontage of 301 feet on Raymond Avenue by 91 on Kansas [now Green] street, and five stories high. Its frontages are in Moorish and Roman architecture, but the dining-room is a typical specimen of classic Greek style; and the whole structure, both internal and external, has won fame as a grand symposium of the most imposing, elegant, chaste and æsthetic elements of architectural science, scarcely excelled in New
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York or London except by mere bulk. Connected with the hotel are a picturesque floral park; a lawn tennis court and croquet ground ; a com- plete steam power and electric light plant; and a dormitory annex - all together representing an investment of about $450,000. J. H. Holmes is the manager, with a corps of eighty-two employes. This hotel has the historic association of having been the scene of a banquet to President Harrison, April 23, 24, 1891. [It was then a much smaller and very different looking structure called "The Webster," built with money borrowed from Col. Green.] Also, banquet to Prof. Lowe, in honor of the completion of his electric railroad to Echo Mountain- August 23, 1893. Also, banquet to Hon. A. G. Throop, founder of Throop Polytechnic Institute, on Pasa- dena's first celebration of "Father Throop Day," December 21, 1893. [For further account of these events, see pages 195, 328, 331.]
ECHO MOUNTAIN HOUSE .- This house is the latest addition to Pasa- dena's historic hotels, and it challenges the world for wonderfulness of position and adjunct attractions. Its projector and owner is the historic Prof. T. S. C. Lowe, of army balloon fame, original inventor of artificial ice- making machinery, and of water gas, and other valuable devices. Its build- ers were John V. Carson and his son Eugene, cousins of the famous and histo- ric Kit Carson, whose name is insepara- UKT Le WER bly associated with that of Col. John C. ECHO MOUNTAIN HOUSE. Fremont in his world-famed Rocky Moun- Colonial Architecture, with octagon rotunda and tower at the wings' vertex. tain explorations, and initial conquest of California. Among the workmen em- ployed on its foundations was Jason Brown, a son of the great anti-slavery leader, "Old John Brown " of Kansas and Harper's Ferry fame. It is built on the summit of Echo Mountain, where its south and east front verandas look down the mountain slope, and its rear projects over the declivity northward. It is reached from below by the famous "great cable incline," which is practically a hotel elevator half a mile long and making a vertical rise of 1,300 feet in six to eight minutes, by electrical power-the only structure of its kind now in the world (1895). In front of it on the mountain brow stands the great electric searchlight, which was built for and used at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893 ; then at the sub-national Mid-Winter Fair in San Francisco in 1894-and is the largest and most powerful instrument of its kind now in the world. A few rods up the mountain side above the hotel is the Mount Lowe Observatory (in its temporary location), in charge of Prof. Lewis Swift, a man of world-wide fame as a discoverer of comets, and who holds rank with the foremost
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astronomers of the world. Other adjuncts of this historic hotel are Rubio Glen, with its half mile of stairways leading around or over nine mountain gorge waterfalls. The menagerie of native animals, and its playful bear which bit Jason Brown through the hand. The electric power house and cable machinery for operating the "great incline." The electric spray fountain. The electric trolly railroad to the summit of Mount Lowe, 6, 100 feet above sea level. About thirty miles of bridle roads and paths, leading to countless points of rarest mountain surprises, or grandeur of view, or deep historic interest. This hotel was formally opened to the public on November 26, 1894, the occasion being signalized by a banquet held there by the bankers of Southern California. Connected with this hotel's busi- ness is the Mount Lowe Echo, a daily newspaper. [See page 222.] The Pasadena Star stated that the receipts of the Echo Mountain House during one day in July, 1895, amounted to $1,840.
DIVISION SEVEN-SOCIETARY.
CHAPTER XXV.
RELIGION .- Brief historic sketches of every Church, or Religious or Missionary Society ever organized in Pasadena.
NOTE .- Instead of alphabetically they are given in chronological order, with the exception that those of one denominational name are grouped together as adjuncts after the first one of the kind in its proper date-place. Pictures of churches are only given as plates were furnished by their own people.
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
The first public assemblage for religious services ever held in Pasadena was a prayer meeting called and led by Rev. W. C. Mosher, a Presbyterian clergyman, on August 30, 1874, in Charles H. Watts's bachelor shanty, on what is now Live Oaks Avenue, in the Park Place tract. The people present were : Mr. Mosher and wife, August Blix and wife, Moritz Rosenbaum and wife, Wm. T. Clapp and his daughter Jennie [now Mrs. Rev. F. J. Culver]. About a month later, or as soon as Mr. Mosher could get his own house into usable condition, near Fair Oaks Avenue on Walnut street, these meet- ings were changed from Watts's to the Mosher house ; and to the prayer- meetings was added a Sunday school, under the lead of Wm. T. Clapp and Daniel H. Pike, Mr. Clapp being a Congregationalist and Mr. Pike a Methodist. Then as soon as the first colony schoolhouse was ready for use, on Orange Grove Avenue below California street, the meetings were held there.
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HISTORY OF PASADENA.
And the first sermon ever preached in Pasadena was by Mr. Mosher, in this schoolhouse, on Sunday, February 7, 1875. On March 21, 1875, the Pres- byterian church of Pasadena was organized in this schoolhouse, with Rev. W. C. Mosher as pastor, and the following list of first members : Wm. T. Clapp, Mrs. O. E. Clapp, Miss Jennie Clapp, Mrs. H. F. Skinner, Mrs. Gen. Geo. Stoneman, Mrs. Mary S. Mosher, J. D. Vinnedge, August Blix, Mrs. Blix, Thos. F. Croft, N. C. Carter, Mrs. Carter, Wm. H. Henderson, Mrs. Judge Eaton, Mrs. Lavinia Stratton, Dr. H. G. Newton, Mrs. Newton, Josiah Locke, Dr. T. B. Elliott, Mrs. Elliott, Miss Helen J. Elliott. Out of these, Dr. New- ton and W. T. Clapp were elected elders. And later, Dr. Elliott, Thos. F. Croft and Daniel H. Pike were elected Trustees, with Mr. Clapp as treasurer and Henry G. Bennett as clerk of the society. Steps were at once taken toward the erection of a church building ; money was raised, deposited in bank at Los Angeles, and the structure pushed forward in 1875-76. Mean- while the bank failed, and $600 of their church building fund was lost out- right. Nevertheless, they struggled on, and completed the building in 1876, at a cost of about $2,300. Articles of incorporation were adopted July 18, 1876, but were not recorded until November 20th.
In July, '76, Mr. Mosher resigned the pastorate, and in August Rev. James A. Mitchell became the pastor, commencing his labors in the new edifice just completed, and which then stood on California street east of Orange Grove Avenue. A parsonage lot of 21/2 acres was bought adjoining the church lot for $375, and a parsonage built there at cost of $1,800, in 1877.
August 21, 1877, pastor Mitchell resigned ; and October I a new pas- tor, Rev. W. F. P. Noble, took the place. In November I. B. Clapp was added to the board of ruling elders. Pastor Noble resigned January 23, 1880. [Died October 26, 1882.] The third Sunday in July following, Rev. Alvin Baker became the pastor. And November 20 Asahel Foote was chosen a ruling elder. [Died July 15, 1882.] In July, 1882, pastor Baker resigned ; and on the first Sunday in October following, Rev. L. P. Craw- ford took charge as pastor ; and in November John Ross was made a ruling elder. October 26, 1884, pastor Crawford resigned ; and on Sunday, October 25, 1885, Rev. M. N. Cornelius was installed in the pastorship, having served as "supply " since January 25. Early in September of this year the matter of removing the church to a more central location was agitated, and was finally referred to a committee, as follows : Rev. Cornelius, and elders W. T. Clapp, I. B. Clapp and John Ross; and trustees H. H. Markham, Geo. A. Swartwout, D. Galbraith, E. L. Farris, and W. B. McCormick ; and members, Rev. Dr. Coyner, Rev. W. C. Mosher, H. G. Bennett, Rev. Williel Thomson, A. Cruickshank, Dr. Wm. Converse, Geo. A. Green, and J. H. Fleming. This committee made a divided report to a general meeting on Wednesday afternoon, September 30. In the general meeting a majority voted for removal, and for taking all the church property or proceeds of its
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sale to the new location. [In consequence of this sweeping action, the ruling elders and many of the members withdrew from the church, and eventually united in establishing the First Congregational church in the same vicinity.] On November 8 Mr. Cornelius preached for the last time in the old location ; and during the ensuing week the church edifice was removed to its new site on Worcester Avenue, where it was built-in as a part of the large new structure erected in 1886 on the corner of Colorado
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. English-Gothic Architecture. Photo. 1895.
street and Worcester Avenue. During the autumn of 1888 the first mas- sive pipe organ ever brought to Pasadena was put into this church, at a cost of $6,000.
In January, 1889, pastor Cornelius resigned ; and Rev. Wm. Ormiston, D. D., LL D., preached as " supply " from July, 1889, till December, 1890. Rev. N. H. G. Fife was next called to the pastorate, being installed October 7, 1891, and is still in service-1895. In the night of December 10-II, 1891, the lofty steeple of the church was blown down by a fierce wind storm, and fell over into Colorado street. [See page 165.]
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In June, 1892, the church published a little manual or directory of its membership, which showed a total of 345 names on the roll, but 39 of them were listed under "Residence unknown." In April, 1893, the membership was reported as 412. Contributions the previous year to the eight benefi- cences of the church, $1, 147 ; to other benevolent objects, $142 ; to current expenses, $6,704. Total contributions, $7,993.
AUXILIARY ORGANIZATIONS within the church .- The first one formed, besides the Sunday school was the "Woman's Home and Foreign Mission- ary Society," organized March 24, 1883, with Mrs. Mary S. Mosher as first president. Mrs. S. V. Maxfield president in 1893-94. Other bodies are : Ladies' Aid Society ; Mrs. L. E. McCoy, president. King's Messengers Missionary Band ; Miss Mary Mosher, president. Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor ; John D. Habbick, president. Junior Endeavor So- ciety ; Robt. M. Allen, president. Sabbath school ; Walter Graves, super- intendent. Trustees ; F. C. Bolt, president.
CALVARY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH - was incorporated April 30, 1888 [county record gives Nov. 9, 1888], and held its meetings in the old College building on Columbia Hill-now C. D. Daggett's residence. Its first mem- bers were : Rev. Williel Thomson and Rev. A. M. Merwin; J. R. Ells and wife; D. Gamble and wife ; Geo. Young and wife ; - - McLain and wife ; T. F. Twinting and wife ; Mrs. A. F. Thompson ; and others. Their first minister was Rev. Merwin, as "supply." Then Prof. Albert McCalla, Ph. D., served them some months as "supply." But in 1891 Rev. A. A. Dinsmore was installed as pastor, and still holds-1895.
During the winter of 1888-89 they purchased a lot 138x200 feet (aver- age) at corner of Columbia and Beacon street, and erected there a neat little church edifice ; lot and building costing about $6,000. The church was dedicated in April, 1889. Its auxiliary societies, besides Sunday school, are Ladies' Missionary Society, -Y. P. S. Christian Endeavor. Church members in April, 1895, about 30.
FIRST UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF PASADENA .- The first meeting to consider the matter of organization was held in Williams hall. Those present were: Rev. H. W. Crabbe from Los Angeles ; Rev. James Kelso and wife, A. W. McCormick and family, B. M. Kelso, and about twenty others. The church was organized March 8, 1888, with the follow- ing members : T. B. Simpson and family, Alex. McCormick and family, Jared and Margaret Graham, Robt. Patterson, Jane Wallace, Rev. James Kelso and family, James and Mrs. Robb and family, W. H. Kelso and family, and B. M. Kelso. Services discontinued in April, 1892.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
The first Methodist sermon ever preached in Pasadena was by Rev. Solomon Dunton from Marshaltown, Iowa- father-in-law to Col. J. Ban- bury. This was on February 14, 1875, in the original colony school-house
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