I gave the mighty Zack Stromberg -- my graphic designer in the Public Affairs Office -- the assignment of photographing monuments and memorials in public rights of way and on public property throughout Pasadena. For the past month or so he has been snapping away when time and weather permit.
The Pasadena Pioneers Bridge Rock is a native boulder with a plaque embedded on it. It's on the west side of Orange Grove Boulevard overlooking the 134 Freeway.
The inscription reads:
Pasadena Pioneer Bridge
Erected by the California Commission and the Division of Highways of the Department of Public Works – named by resolution of the 1953 state legislature and dedicated to all
Pasadena Pioneers
especially the twenty seven who founded this city near this spot on January 27, 1874. Dedicated October 8, 1953 by the City of Pasadena and a committee of citizens grateful for our illustrious past and committed to a more glorious future.
Here's one more for now:
Founders Monument was dedicated Jan. 27, 1954, and rededicated Nov. 12, 1986, when a new plaque replaced the original marker, which had been stolen (shame on you, whoever you are).
It's at Defenders Park, southwest corner of Orange Grove and Colorado. The stones were recycled from the library building that was constructed in 1890 at what is now Memorial Park.
The inscription:
This monument is dedicated in honor of the twenty-seven founders of the City of Pasadena. Near this spot on January 27, 1874 the original purchasers of land in the Rancho San Pasqual met and selected each his choice of lots.
J.H. Baker * Col. J. Banbury * W.J. Barcus * Henry G. Bennett * D.M. Berry * A.O. Bristol * W.T. Clapp * T.E. Croft * A.W. Dana * B.S. Eaton * Dr. T.B. Elliott * C. Fletcher * N.R. Gibson * P.M. Green * H.J. Holmes * A.W. Hutton * Ward Leavitt * T.E. Lippencott * L.J. Lockhart * T.J. Lockhart * J.M. Matthews * I.N. Mundell * A.O. Porter * N. Strickland * Mrs. C.A. Vawter * E.J. Vawter * E.J. Yarnell
Pasadena Pioneer Association
November 11, 1986
I'll post more of these in the weeks and months to come.
3 comments:
Great to see this.
Hmmm...too bad that the elder Helen Elliott was not included as part of the pioneers. She is often quoted as the person who shared that she was coming to California, no matter what others might choose. Early on she was viewed as a sort of Grand Dame. She was a president for the Pioneer Association. Lots more - she was a pretty interesting woman.
These are both nice spots, especially Defender's Park, which is easy to miss.
What a great project. Thanks Ann, and thank you too, Zack.
Was curious to find out if the plaque includes those from the Great War. The dedication has a date of 1917. Can you clarify? I'm in the process of identifying the Great War monuments/memorials for an English assignment I'm enrolled in at PCC. (I've already noted the Goodhue flagpole.) Thank you for your help.
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