Mystery History -- Solved!

Roberta wins with her 12:16 a.m. Wednesday guess "Ah, the joy of research. A crowd at J. Herbert Hall Jewelers, located on Colorado. An immense diamond is (being) placed in the store window."

In the 1910 photo above (uncropped this time), a Pasadena police officer stands guard outside the J. Herbert Hall Company as a small crowd gathers.

Here's an excerpt from The Pasadena Star, Sept. 24, 1910:

Hundreds of people gazed with awe at a big pebble in the window of the J. Herbert Hall company all day today, the awe being due to the fact that the insignificant stone is a diamond 61¾ carats in weight, worth an unknown number of thousands of dollars. All day a policeman in uniform stood beside the window to see that no one smashed the glass and made off with the costly pebble.

The big, smooth, uncut diamond rested on a mirrored placque surrounded by handsome unmounted but finished diamonds which in themselves would have made a considerable display...

...Because of the remarkable interest in the display the big uncut diamond will remain on show all day Monday.

And this is from an article published the day before:

...Mr. Hall anticipates that it will finally produce one perfect forty-two carat stone and, perhaps, some smaller ones...

...for twenty years it has been uncut in the possession of one family. It was found in a river bed in South Africa, pledged for a large loan and finally taken when the loan was unpaid. It is now to be put in finished form, one of the largest diamonds in the west...

...The value of the display is so great that a special policeman will be stationed at the window to thwart any effort at smashing the glass by some expert sneak thief who might chance to hear of the valuable stone...

On Nov. 13, 1899, Canada-born watchmaker and optometrist J. Herbert Hall founded a small optical and jewelry store at 43 E. Colorado St.

Timing is everything. Extensive diamond deposits were discovered in Africa in the late 19th century, and by the early 1900s a new trend had taken hold across America: The average betrothed young woman didn't want to wait for a simple gold wedding band to adorn her third finger, left hand; she wanted a diamond to signify her engagement.

J. Herbert Hall sold his first diamond ring for $22 and the business took off like a rocket, becoming the most popular spot in town for purchasing engagement rings, fine china ("Back then we were the place to go to register china patterns," a former employee said years later), strings of pearls and, of course, tried-and-true gold watches.

When wristwatches came into popularity in 1914, Mr. Hall stocked them to the rafters and made a killing.

A well-known businessman in Pasadena, he was a charter member of the Pasadena Rotary Club, served as president of the Pasadena Merchants Association, commander of the Pasadena Commandery of the Knights Templar (known popularly as the Masonic Temple) and president of the California Gold and Silversmiths Association. He also served on most of the committees of the Tournament of Roses Association over the years.

His philanthropy, which he planned with his wife Sarah, was renowned and much appreciated. Among his many gifts were a swimming pool for the YWCA summer camp in the mountains and monetary donations to local schools for curriculum materials.

In addition to a spacious home, the Halls owned an apartment building on what is now the Fuller Theological Seminary campus. They even commissioned that little architectural firm Greene & Greene to make some alterations in 1916. The building, at 451-453-455 Ford Place, is still in use and is a contributing property to the Ford Place Historic District, which recently was nominated for the National Register of Historic Places.




Throughout the years until his death in 1951 at age 79, he remained one of the most successful entrepreneurs in Pasadena. After his death, his brother Walter took over the company and oversaw a huge boom and expansion.

In 1973 J. Herbert Hall Jewelers was sold to Gordon Jewelers Corp. and was expanded to a 19-store chain in three states. I don't know what happened, but today there are only of couple of J. Herbert Hall Jewelers in Arizona and Texas.

Here's a really bad poem that was included in a Sept. 13, 1910, J. Herbert Hall Jewelers ad celebrating September as Sapphire Month:

September the Sapphire

Those who are born when autumn leaves
Are rustling in September's breeze.
A sapphire on their hand should bind--
It will bring Wisdom to the mind.

We have them in pins, pendants, rings and bracelets as high as $250.00 and as low as $7.50

Many thanks to our talented researchers at Pasadena Central Library, including Dan McLaughlin who helped me with this post. There's never any challenge too great or small, and believe me I've tossed some doozies their way!

Please join me in congratulating our lead research librarian Martha Camacho, who in November was was named one of the American Library Association's emerging leaders of 2010!

Mystery History -- Solved!

I stumped everybody this week. The boxing photos threw many of you off.

In the photo above, a Pasadena police detective peers through the broken door of the "Assembly Room for Members Only" in the back of a Chinese Restaurant at 217 S. Fair Oaks Ave. on June 8, 1950, after a raid at that location.

Nearly 30 men and women were arrested after police broke through the door.

Some were arrested on suspicion of bookmaking, others for conducting gambling games on the premises, and the rest for being present while the city's antigambling ordinance was being violated.

Here's my favorite passage from the L.A. Times article that ran Jan. 10, 1950:

Police fired shotguns in preventing the crowd from "bolting" the raid. No one was injured.

Bookies, back-room gambling and vice raids...those were the days!


Many thanks to Pasadena Public Library and Los Angeles Public Library.

BearCat to the Rescue!

Yesterday (Thursday) morning I accompanied Mayor Bill Bogaard and City Manager Michael Beck to the Pasadena Police Department for a briefing on our new BearCat armored vehicle.

In the photo above, (from left) Lt. John Dewar explains some details to Mayor Bogaard as Cmdr. Mike Korpal, Michael Beck and Police Chief Phil Sanchez look on.

And here's the very important vehicle we were discussing (that's Michael looking in the driver's side door):


Its purpose is to preserve the safety of police officers and citizens during potentially deadly incidents.

Purchased with $265,000 in grant funding, the BearCat was delivered to the Pasadena Police Department recently. It's the only one of its kind in the San Gabriel Valley and is a regional SWAT vehicle. So Pasadena owns it, but it is lent to other jurisdictions in the SGV as needed.

Within hours of our briefing, the BearCat was used in Monrovia during a seven-hour standoff between a car thief and Arcadia, Monrovia and Pasadena police after the suspect led police on a chase through a couple of jurisdictions.

You'll notice a portion of our BearCat on the right side of this photo, taken by Terry Miller, that I borrowed from his article on the Arcadia Weekly website:


Lt. Dewar told me today via e-mail that the BearCat helped transport officers from various agencies plus equipment to the scene. It also helped some very frightened bystanders get away from the potentially deadline scene.

"It turned out that eight people had locked themselves in a business nearby and were afraid to leave the building since the suspect was in close proximity," he wrote. "Our officers drove the BearCat to the rear door of the business; all eight people climbed in and were driven safely out of the danger area."

Sept. 6 update -- Terry Miller e-mailed me some additional photos yesterday:

National Night Out

Jefferson Park was abuzz with activity last night as residents gathered for National Night Out hosted by the Pasadena Police Department. National Night Out is an annual event that promotes crime prevention.

The photo above shows Officer Arcand and Figo of the Pasadena Police Department K-9 program.

In addition to many police officers on hand at the park last night, police volunteers played an important role in providing educational information.


Police Explorers shot hoops with local kids.


Parents had an opportunity to get their children's fingerprints into a police database.


Pasadena firefighters cooked up hot dogs on their special grill.


Several other City of Pasadena departments had tables at the event. Jan Sanders (left), director of the Pasadena Public Library system, and Catherine Hany, library communications manager, provided information about library services.


The Human Services and Recreation Department made plenty of activities available for kids.


Youth Ambassadors offered assistance, information and ice-cold lemonade.


Children and teens turned blank boards into an artful masterpiece.


Theresa Lamb Simpson (left), field representative to Congressman Adam Schiff, chatted it up with District 2 City Councilwoman Margaret McAustin.


There's a lot of talent in Pasadena!


We'll see you at next year's National Night Out!

For more information about crime prevention in Pasadena, call (626) 744-4551.

Mystery History -- Solved

Kevin wins with his 9:11 p.m. Wednesday guess "Judging by the vinyl LPs, I would say it is early 1960s. I think a deer ran through her house. Notice how none of the plant vegetation is around the plant except for one leaf that fell quite away from the dirt. The deer may have eaten the plant. The ironing board was knocked over too. The iron is under the far chair. The deer probably took the ironing board when it left. It would make a perfect deer-shaped sleeping platform out in the woods."

(Karin was on the right track with her 3:33 p.m. Tuesday guess "It can't be a quake -- look at the lamp and the records. How about an animal ran through the house -- a raccoon or a bear" but there are no second-place prizes in Mystery History.)

In the photo above, taken April 15, 1955, a distraught Betty Reed and her cat survey her wrecked living room after a 150-lb. male deer crashed through the window.

Here she is at the window with her five-year-old son Jay (and that darn cat):


Turns out the buck had come down from a nearby hillside to the residential neighborhood. But soon it caught the attention of a dog, which began barking loudly and frightened the poor thing to the point where it went berserk.

The buck also smashed through a window of the Reeds' next-door neighbor Jeanne Davis, in this photo with her daughter Virginia:


It wasn't long before Officer William Paisley of the Pasadena Police Department and Officers Cecil Fraser (left) and Howard Bishop of the Pasadena Humane Society arrived. Since the buck had become a threat to safety, they decided on a swift course of action.


It was pronounced dead at the scene. The neighborhood kids were awe-struck.


Many thanks to the University of Southern California.

Mystery History -- Solved

Happy Thanksgiving!

JM comes closest with his/her guess "The field of the Rose Bowl or at Tournament House and this is part of the Rose Queen selection. Sorry, don't know the year." (JM, please email me at aerdman@cityofpasadena.net and I'll tell you about your fabulous prize.)

In the photo above, contestants for Rose Queen of 1930 pose in late 1929 inside a giant question mark.

The winner was Holly Halstead, below (and third from the bottom in the question mark).


She passed away in July 2004 at 95. From an article the following week:

When Holly Halstead Balthis reigned as the queen of the Tournament of Roses in 1930, the Rose Bowl was only 7 years old, and, as she once noted, Old Town Pasadena was new.

Mrs. Balthis, the oldest living Rose Queen, died at age 95 of natural causes Friday at her home in Laguna Beach, said her son and sole survivor, Frank Balthis Jr.

Mrs. Balthis never dreamed her stint as Rose Queen would mean much once it ended.

"I thought it was a short deal, New Year's Day, and that'd be it," she said in a 1986 interview. "But it's something that stays with you all your life."

Indeed, in recent decades Mrs. Balthis was considered "the grand dame" of the Tournament of Roses. She remained active in tournament functions up until her death and each year welcomed the new queen.

Mrs. Balthis was born in Pasadena in 1908 and graduated from Pasadena High School in 1925.

"At first I felt overwhelmed and honored, but I think I really did it because of my dad," she said. "He was so proud of the fact he had been an early comer to Pasadena."

Her escort was her future husband, Frank S. Balthis, a Harvard law student who would later become a Superior Court judge and an appellate court justice.

Halstead Street in Pasadena was named after her father, Richard Halstead, who was a prominent businessman.

The grand marshal of the 1930 Rose Parade was James "Sunny Jim" Rolph, mayor of San Francisco.


Every week my Mystery History posts have something to do with City of Pasadena operations. So how does this post apply?

The City of Pasadena and the Tournament of Roses Association have a long-term contract. As we get a little closer to the end of the year, I'll go into more detail about that.

Suffice it to say that we're going into high gear here at City Hall. Every year, as the T of R maneuvers the monumental task of planning the parade and the game, the City of Pasadena is behind the scenes inspecting grandstands, barricading streets, planning traffic control, managing public safety, cleaning streets afterwards, you name it.

The New Year's Day operations manuals for the Public Works Department, Police Department, etc., are voluminous.

And do you know the City of Pasadena owns the Wrigley Mansion (Tournament House)?


Here's 2010 Rose Queen Natalie Innocenzi at her coronation earlier this month.


Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger will serve as grand marshal.


New Year's Day is just over a month away. We're off and running!


Many thanks to Pasadena Public Library, Los Angeles Public Library and Tournament of Roses Association.

Mystery History -- Solved

Susan wins with her 7:30 a.m. Tuesday guess "Is it Canto Robledo, the blind Latino boxing sensation, who will be honored by the City?"

In these photos, shot in July 1978, boxing trainer and coach Canto Robledo is very animated as he gives advice (above) and shouts instructions to his fighter in the ring.





Canto Robledo was born in 1913 in Tyron, New Mexico, and moved to Pasadena with his family 10 years later.

By the time he was 19, he won the Pacific Bantamweight Championship and was ranked as a world contender.


Just two years later his boxing career was over. Detached retinas in both eyes left him completely blind after several operations proved unsuccessful.

Years of depression followed, but he was able to lift himself up eventually and in 1940 began training local Pasadena boys in the art of pugilism.

He made history in 1949 when he was the first totally blind person to receive his professional trainer's license in the sport of boxing. He established Crown City Boxing Stables that same year, serving as a mentor to young boys, and the Pasadena Police Department referred many wayward youngsters to his gym for guidance, discipline and structure. He also sponsored amateur boxing shows at John Muir High School, Pasadena High School and Pasadena City College.

Shortly before he passed away in 1999 at age 86 from complications of a stroke, the World Boxing Organization awarded him a replica of the Pacific Bantamweight Championship belt that he had won but never received for his win over Speedy Dado.

There's an interesting 1985 Los Angeles Times feature about Canto Robledo here.

Just over a week ago the Pasadena City Council approved a memorial to honor Canto Robledo at Villa-Parke Community Center.



The memorial will feature a 37- by 25-inch bronze wall relief, and and an adjoining 10- by 16-inch plaque will explain Robledo’s accomplishments and contributions in detail.


Many thanks to Los Angeles Public Library.

Mystery History -- Solved

Sometimes you have to get up early on Tuesdays to win Mystery History!

Liz wins with her 7:56 a.m. Tuesday guess "raising or repairing or erecting the war memorial on the corner of Colorado and orange grove next to the Norton Simon Museum."

In the photo above, shot by Howard Ballew on May 19, 1948, a worker painstakingly removes the 135-pound bronze eagle from the top of the World War I memorial flagstaff while sidewalk superintendents look on. (I've always been especially intrigued by the Pasadena police officer and the guy with the stogie.)

The flagstaff had just been removed from the intersection of Orange Grove and Colorado by a giant crane because it had been deemed a traffic hazard.








In a few weeks, after having been cleaned up a bit, the flagstaff would be relocated to the little patch of grass at the northeast corner of Colorado and Orange Grove.

World War I began in April 1917 and ended Nov. 11, 1918. Nearly 2,500 Pasadenans served; 46 were killed in action.

The idea to build the memorial flagstaff originated in 1919 when the Board of Pasadena City Directors established a community committee to shepherd the design and construction of a memorial flagstaff. The $36,000 project was funded by contributions from 2,000 local donors. It was decided that the memorial would be placed in the middle of the intersection of Orange and Colorado to enhance Pasadena's west gateway.

The creative talent for the monument was among the cream of the crop of that period: architect Bertram Goodhue and sculptor Lee Lawrie.

Upon seeing the final design in 1925, Charles Moore, president of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts in Washington, D.C., said he considered it "the finest flagstaff base in the country if not the world."

The monument was dedicated Feb. 12, 1927.

In 1999 the City of Pasadena submitted an application for restoration funding to SOS! (Save Outdoor Sculpture!), a joint project of Heritage Preservation and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

The restoration process included removal of corrosion, stains and graffiti plus structural repairs. It took some time, but the results were magnificent! The memorial was rededicated on Veterans Day 2001.

Many of you are aware of the incredible 115-foot-tall monument to Pasadenans who served -- and fell -- in World War I. But if you haven't seen it up close, I really encourage you to park across the street on Green or Grand, then walk the couple of blocks to see the memorial and study every detail. It's truly magnificent.


Seven-foot-tall bronze figures in three-quarter relief go all around the cylindrical base, depicting soldiers, sailors, an officer, an aviator, and a Red Cross nurse helping a wounded soldier. Above them, also in bronze, are a California bear, a ship, a fasces (bundle of rods with an ax, signifying authority) and the names of World War I battles.




The inscription in the granite going all around the base of the flagpole reads:

IN PROUD REMEMBRANCE OF OUR GLORIOUS DEAD
MCMXVII MCMXVIII

You'll also find the find the mark of the foundry -- John Polachek Bronze & Iron Co. Inc./Long Island City, N.Y. -- in the granite.

The cast-bronze eagle is proudly perched at the very top of the flagstaff.


The pole itself weighs four tons and is made of steel overlaid with teakwood and clad in copper.

The memorial is on one of our many public art walking tours.




Many thanks to Los Angeles Public Library.

Mystery History -- Solved

In the photo above (left to right) Pasadena firefighter Jim Branch, vice detective Clinton Wright and firefighter Leif Brandin examine a refrigeration container filled with sulphur dioxide gas that was hurled by a bookmaker who managed to escape during a raid.

Here's an excerpt from the Nov. 30, 1951, Pasadena Star-News:

A bookmaking suspect who was "definitely" identified as an ex-police vice squad officer escaped from a raiding party of police and sheriff's deputies here yesterday under cover of a bomb barrage of deadly sulphur dioxide gas.

Tabbed as the suspect was Robert T. Wiseman Jr., 26, who quit the force suddenly on Aug. 31, 1950.

The bizarre raid took place at the expensive two-story home of Wiseman's father. . . in the shadow of Caltech.

Amid dense clouds of gas from the bombs, Wiseman Jr. fought furiously with the officers for several minutes inside the house but finally broke away from them and fled.

The elder Wiseman was away when the raid occurred but returned before officers left.

He said he'd left the house shortly before noon after setting off the gas cylinders to kill termites "and varmints."

During the [struggle] the officers wrested a black notebook from Wiseman [Jr.]. The book contains numerous "owe" sheets.

Handwriting experts were brought in to try and crack the "Case of the Gassed Bookie Raiders" by determining whether Wiseman, according to the Pasadena Independent, "wrote the notes in a 'little black book' which was wrested from him before he vanished in a cloud of deadly sulphur dioxide gas fumes. If he did, he'll probably have to face a bookie rap. If and when police catch up with him."

There are no follow-up articles stating that Wiseman was caught.

Many thanks to Pasadena Public Library and Los Angeles Public Library.

Calling All Children and Teens

Don't cry to me that there's nothing to do in Pasadena this summer. That just means you haven't looked!

The City of Pasadena offers plenty of free events and activities for children and teens.

Here's what's coming up:


KIDS SAFETY ACADEMY
This annual five-Saturday course from 9 a.m. to noon for children ages 6 to 12 and their parents is taught by Pasadena police officers and firefighters and includes stranger danger, fire safety, disaster preparedness, environmental stewardship, community leadership, water skills, outdoor safety, bike rules and more. It begins this Saturday, July 11, and space is limited, so call (626) 744-7659 TODAY to see if there's still some room for you!

ANIME AFTERNOON
Saturday, July 11, noon to 2 p.m. -- Teens who like reading manga will love this program at Pasadena Central Library, 285 E. Walnut St. You'll see new anime releases and critique them. Your reviews will go directly to the companies that produce the anime. While you're at it, join our official anime club!


WEEK-LONG SEMINARS FOR TEENS
Monday, July 13, to Friday, July 17
* 2 to 4 p.m. – Make beautiful baskets and more from recycled milk cartons based on a traditional style from Japan during the five-day Oriental Fusion camp at Pasadena Central Library. Class size is limited, so call (626) 744-4766 to reserve your spot!
* 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. – Professional photographer Janell Mithani will help you learn how to take their best shots and then enter their best work in a photography contest during the Digital Photography camp at Allendale Branch Library, 1130 W. Marengo Ave. Class size is limited, so call (626) 744-7260 to reserve your spot!
* 3 to 5:30 p.m. – Discover fun, quick and healthy recipes during the five-day Fast Food Fixings camp at San Rafael Branch Library, 1240 Nithsdale Rd. Class size is limited, so call (626) 744-7270 to reserve your spot!
* 3:30 to 6 p.m. – Learn a choreographed jazz piece during a five-day dance camp at Hastings Branch Library, 3325 E. Orange Grove Blvd. Class size is limited, so call (626) 744-7262 to reserve your spot in the dance line! The teens will perform the piece for friends and family on Saturday, July 18.

TAKE A HIKE!
Tuesday, July 14, 7 p.m. -- Teens will see a presentation by City of Pasadena naturalist Elise Jackson at Hastings Branch Library, 3325 E. Orange Grove Blvd., then head out for a hike to explore our local wilderness.

MOVIES FOR CHILDREN, TEENS, THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILIES (WE'LL SUPPLY THE POPCORN!)
* Wednesday, July 15, 4 p.m. – “Tale of Despereaux” with the voices of Matthew Broderick, Dustin Hoffman, William H. Macy and Christopher Lloyd in the story of a misfit mouse, an unhappy rat and a bumbling servant girl whose fates are intertwined with that of the castle’s princess. Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Pasadena Central Library, 285 E. Walnut St.
* Tuesday, July 21, 4 p.m. -- "Bolt" with the voices of John Travolta, Miley Cyrus, Malcolm McDowell and James Lipton in the story of a dog who is the star of a sci-fi/action show who believes his powers are real as he embarks on a cross-country trek to save his co-star from perceived danger. Allendale Branch Library, 1130 S. Marengo Ave.
* Thursday, July 23, 3 p.m. -- "Horton Hears a Who" with the voices of Jim Carey, Steve Carell, Carol Burnett, Amy Poehler and Jamie Pressley in the beloved tale by Dr. Seuss of an imaginative elephant who teaches his young friends about the amazing world around them. Hill Avenue Branch Library, 55 S. Hill Ave.
* Wednesday, July 29, 4 p.m. -- "Bolt" comes to the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Pasadena Central Library.


SUMMER RECREATION
There are plenty of free (and low-cost) activities at parks and pools throughout Pasadena. Explore the opportunities here. Please note that for all summer recreation programs, enrollment is limited and spaces are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

JUNIOR PUBLIC SAFETY ACADEMY
Monday, Aug. 3, through Friday, Aug. 8, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. -- Forty teens ages 13 to 18 will be chosen for a five-day seminar to learn about police and fire careers. They'll discover everything they need to know about the duties of police detectives, forensics teams, traffic officers, jail staff and more at Pasadena Police Department headquarters, then move on to Pasadena Fire Department HQ to learn about fire safety, survival skills and more. Interested? Contact Officer Vito Gaxiola at vgaxiola@cityofpasadena.net or (626) 744-7651.

AUGUST IS YOUTH MONTH!
Day One, the City of Pasadena and many other organizations sponsor daily activities and field trips for children and teens throughout the month of August. Click here for the calendar and more information.

AND MUCH MORE!
Click here for more on children's programs.
Or here for more on teen programs.