Altadena Anthology
Altadena was opened as a subdivision in late 1887 by John and Fred Woodbury from Marshalltown, Iowa. The Woodburys envisioned a millionaires’ rural suburb north of busy Pasadena, hoping to add to the wealthy class already gathering here, including Col. Charles Greene and Andrew McNally. Their timing was off, the real estate bubble burst in 1888, and the region was thrown into an economic panic that grew worse as it merged into a great national depression lasting through much of the 1890s. A bright spot in this period was the development of Thaddeus Lowe’s elegant mountain railway, which created a connection from Los Angeles though Pasadena and up to Altadena and beyond, to the many hotels and camps in the mountains. There, temperance was not an issue.
Historic Preservation 101

Historic Preservation 101

Altadena Heritage’s March “Third Thursday” presentation features a panel of experts who will inform us about the recently adopted Los Angeles County Historic Preservation Ordinance and the Mills Act…

Impacts of El Nino on the Arroyo Seco

Impacts of El Nino on the Arroyo Seco

A great crowd attended Separating Fact from Fear: The Probable Impacts of El Nino on the Arroyo Seco Watershed. Experts, including a Caltech geologist, analyzed the media hype surrounding El Nino, and looked at past El Ninos…

Yuge/Waldorf – Report

Yuge/Waldorf – Report

When William Scripps Kellogg died in 1977, he willed the five-acre Scripps Hall estate on Mariposa Street…

A Short History of Altadena

A Short History of Altadena

Altadena is an unincorporated community of Los Angeles County, next to and within the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. It is bounded on three sides by wilderness (the Arroyo Seco, Angeles National Forest, and Eaton Canyon), and on the south by the city of Pasadena.

Altadena’s Commercial History

Altadena’s Commercial History

This paper was written by Michele Zack as part of Altadena Heritage’s Lake Avenue Committee, formed to study aspects of our community’s commercial life.

Altadena Is 125 Years Old – 2012

Altadena Is 125 Years Old – 2012

Altadena Heritage and Altadena Historical Society, would like to invite all Altadena civic institutions, groups, businesses, schools, faith communities, and individuals to become co-sponsors in commemorating our community’s 125th birthday.

Water Wise Landscaping Workshop

Water Wise Landscaping Workshop

Using a front yard as our main classroom, Altadena Heritage presents a series of workshops on September 12th & 17th & October 24th on transforming your front yard into a beautiful & sustainable garden.

San Gabriels to the Sea:  How Hahamongna Fits In

San Gabriels to the Sea: How Hahamongna Fits In

On February 19, 2015, Altadena Heritage hosted a public forum designed to put Hahamongna Watershed Park — and Los Angeles County’s controversial sediment-removal plan for Devil’s Gate Reservoir — into a larger context: its significance within the Arroyo Seco River System. Because of Hahamongna’s location between the sediment-producing San Gabriel mountains and the lower Arroyo Seco and Los Angeles River, which flows to the Pacific, it plays a vital role in the continued well-being of our most important local river system.

Golden Poppy Awards 2015

Golden Poppy Awards 2015

More than 100 people attended Altadena Heritage’s 11th annual Golden Poppy Awards and Garden Celebration on Sunday, May 31, 2015, from 3 to 6 pm. The event was held on the Old California-style grounds of Ed Ellis’s home near Millard Canyon, and featured a groaning board of sandwiches, snacks, curry, and desserts.